The Ph.D. Program in Computer Science

The objective of this program is to prepare exceptionally qualified individuals for research careers in academia and industry. The program is designed for students who offer evidence of exceptional scholastic ability, intellectual creativity, and research motivation.

The Ph.D. degree is viewed as a certification by the faculty that the student has a solid foundation in computer science and has performed original research in the area. The basis for gaining the degree will be the student's grasp of the subject matter of computer science, competency to plan and conduct research, and ability to express ideas adequately and professionally in oral and written language. Although only four courses are required, the doctoral program usually requires two to four years beyond the M.S. degree.

The doctoral program emphasizes research, and the Department encourages prospective candidates to involve themselves in research under the supervision of a faculty member at the earliest possible opportunity. In addition to research activities in various areas of computer science, there are many opportunities for interdisciplinary and interdepartmental research.

The Research Advisor and Advisory Committee

Selection of the research advisor is by mutual consent of the Ph.D. student and the advisor. The advisor, who must be a full-time tenure track member of the Computer Science faculty, should be selected before the portfolio, which is required for the comprehensive examination, is presented to the faculty. The Ph.D. student should carefully select the research advisor on the basis of technical and personal compatibility. Either the student or the advisor may terminate the advisee/advisor relationship in the event that research interests change or the advisor and student later find themselves incompatible.

The Ph.D. advisory committee will assist the student in formulating an appropriate program of study, must approve this program of study, must approve the dissertation proposal, and conducts the dissertation defense. The research advisor serves as chair of the student's advisory committee, and the student, in consultation with the research advisor and in accordance with Graduate School requirements, must select at least two additional faculty members to serve on the advisory committee. One of these members may be selected from outside the Department of Computer Science. One additional member of the committee will be appointed jointly by the Department Chair and the Director of Graduate Affairs. The complete advisory committee must be approved by the Department Chair and the Director of Graduate Affairs when the students submits the GS-2 form containing the full program of study.

Ph.D. Requirements

Ph.D. students must satisfy requirements in three areas:

Course Work and Seminars

A program of study consists of at least 12 credit hours of course work beyond the Master's degree, at least 6 hours of Ph.D. seminar courses (CPSC 95x and 981), and 18 hours of doctoral research (CPSC 991). Ph.D. students who enroll without prior graduate study should expect to take another 18 to 24 credits in core computer science. Full-time students in the Ph.D. program are encouraged to take one seminar (CPSC 95x and 981) per semester until passing the comprehensive exam and one per year until completion of the program.

The required 12 credit hours of course work beyond the MS degree may be satisfied by taking four 800-level courses (exclusive of 881, 888, 95x, 981, and 991). However, one CPSC 881 course or one 3-hour 800-level course from outside the Department may be included in the 12 credit hours with the approval of both the research advisor and the Director of Graduate Affairs.

Examinations

To earn the Ph.D. degree a student must take and pass three examinations:

The Comprehensive Examination

To be admitted to Ph.D. candidacy a student must pass the Comprehensive Examination. The form of this examination is a portfolio review that is performed by the Graduate Affairs Committee on behalf of the graduate faculty. This review is intended to certify competency in core areas of computer science, and to promote scholarship, research, and professional skills. A Ph.D. student must prepare and submit portfolio within:
  • five semesters of admission to the graduate program if the student does not have a Masters degree at the time of entry into the program or,
  • three semesters of admission to the graduate program if the student already has a Master degree.
A student may, however, petition the Graduate Affairs Committee (GAC) for additional time to complete the portfolio when exceptional circumstances justify an extension.

The student is solely responsible for the contents of the portfolio, and so it is very important to begin the preparation of the portfolio early and to solicit the help of faculty advisors in its preparation. When the complete portfolio is submitted, it is reviewed by the Graduate Affairs Committee which serves as the examining committee for the comprehensive examination. A student who is denied admission to candidacy may, at the discretion of the approval of the faculty, be given one additional chance to correct the deficiencies that were identified. Graduate School regulations require that a student who fails the Comprehensive Examination a second time be dismissed from the graduate program.

The portfolio must demonstrate that the student has superior mastery of core computer science and indicate that the student has the ability to conduct original research and make an acceptable written presentation of the results.

Required Elements of the Portfolio

  • Statement of Purpose. The student should briefly state why he/she is seeking to become a PhD candidate. The statement is also a student's opportunity to summarize past accomplishments and future goals. This is a chance to speak directly to the Graduate Affairs Committee and the faculty regarding any issue relevant to the issue of candidacy.
  • A brief curriculum vitae. This c.v. should include elements that are relevant to the student's application to Ph.D. candidacy. Academic honors and awards are appropriate. Outside interests (e.g., fishing, golf, or cricket) are not.
  • Letters of recommendation. Two supporting letters from Computer Science faculty members are required. Additional letters from faculty in the Department of Computer Science and other departments, industrial collaborators, and from former students may be included at applicants discretion. Letters are strictly confidential.
  • Demonstration of core competencies. Students must demonstrate superior mastery of the material in four core areas of computer science. Three are required: systems, programming languages and translators, and theory and complexity; one is to be selected by the student: graphics, networks, software engineering. (See the department's core area course list.) A grade of A in each chosen core course and a strong letter of support from each instructor is expected. Up to two of these courses may come from another university. Another possible mechanism for demonstrating mastery includes published research in the area.
  • Demonstration of potential for success in research. A research paper in which a significant component of the writing was done by the candidate must be included. The paper should be of sufficient quality to indicate that the student has the ability to conduct original research and make an acceptable written presentation of the results. Although not required, students are strongly encouraged to submit the paper to a conference or workshop. For such submissions, the student may be the sole author or may be a co-author with other faculty and or other students. However, if the paper has joint authorship, the other authors must submit written documentation identifying those sections of the paper that were written by the candidate. The paper does not have to be accepted or published to be included in a successful portfolio. Although a published paper provides more convincing evidence for research potential, a rejected submission, along with peer reviews, can also be used by the Graduate Affairs Committee to evaluate potential in research. The paper may or may not be related to the student's eventual dissertation area. A candidate's M.S. research paper, thesis, or a derivative thereof may be used to satisfy this requirement.

Optional Elements of the Portfolio

  • Other Evidence of research ability. The portfolio must contain evidence of the ability to conduct research. The student has a great deal of latitude with respect to evidence that speaks to this requirement. Examples include:
    • Publications - technical reports, workshops, conference proceedings, journal articles, M.S. research papers. These may include papers in which the candidate was not the primary author. In cases of joint authorship, the candidate should indicate as succinctly as possible his or her role in the research and writing.
    • Projects - seminar and independent study projects
    • Invited lectures - on one's research
    • Critical analysis - an annotated bibliography, reviewed papers

The Graduate Affairs Committee will be looking for evidence of specific research skills, including: the ability to identify a problem, evidence of scholarship, critical analysis, and communication skills (e.g., writing and speaking). Students are encouraged to include all such evidence in the portfolio.

  • Other material . At the discretion of the student and the adviser, other material may be included in the portfolio. Students may report all forms of research, teaching, and service to the discipline when preparing their portfolios. Here, in more detail, are some of the items a student might include:
    • Significant accomplishments - An informal statement of the two or three things that the student is most proud of in this period. Examples include earning an "A" in a difficult course, finishing an M.S. research paper, or having a peer reviewed paper accepted.
    • Honors and Awards - Awards of competitive fellowships and induction into honor societies.
    • Presentations - Typical categories include seminars, professional presentations, and tutorials. Include workshop presentations, paper presentations in classes, paper presentations at conferences.
    • Proposals (in preparation, in review, and accepted) - Include fellowship applications, grant applications, applications to industrial affiliates, requests for travel money from conference organizers, etc. Note the status of the proposal (in preparation, under review, accepted, rejected, under revision, etc.)
    • Professional Reviewing - Include reviewing for journals, conferences, workshops, and book prospecti. Include other significant internal reviewing; for example, if more than a few hours were spent reviewing drafts of papers or proposals for faculty members.
    • Service - Include university and department service other than research and teaching. Examples include service on standing and ad hoc department committees or as a graduate student representative.

    Research Requirements

    The Dissertation Proposal

    The dissertation proposal is a departmental document that is presented to the student's advisory committee. The purpose of the proposal is to inform the committee of the nature and scope of the proposed dissertation and to obtain their approval and guidance concerning the proposed research. The written proposal should include the following items:
    • an outline of the included material
    • a concise review of the state of knowledge in the general area of interest
    • a description of the proposed dissertation area, along with a concise review of the state of knowledge in the specific area of the proposed dissertations
    • a concise explanation of the problem(s) to be investigated
    • a discussion of the results expected from solving the problem(s) and their impact on the state of knowledge in the general and specific areas of interest.
    • a bibliography
    The written proposal must be approved by the advisory committee, and communicated through a public oral presentation. The presentation will be scheduled with the approval of the advisory committee, and the written document must be available to the advisory committee at least two weeks before the approval is given. The advisory committee will be asked to give written approval of the proposal after the presentation, and that approval will be primarily based on the written document. If the proposal is not approved, the proposal may be repeated an indefinite number of times subject to the approval of the advisory committee. The proposal must be presented and approved at least six months before the dissertation is completed.

    The dissertation proposal serves several purposes. It is a way to ensure that the student has a clear grasp of a specific problem or set of problems. It provides a format for discussion of the solutions or approaches to solving the research problem, and provides documentation that the student has undertaken a reasonable literature survey in the research area.

    The Doctoral Dissertation

    The research requirement is the most important aspect of Ph.D. study. The doctoral dissertation is the written record of the research that the student has conducted and must provide evidence of the student's ability to independently perform original research leading to the discovery of significant new knowledge. Thus, the dissertation should demonstrate the student's technical mastery of the subject, independent scholarly work and conclusions that modify or enlarge what has previously been known.

    The dissertation is expected to:

    • Identify a significant open question or problem in computer science.
    • Describe the current state knowledge of the area(s) involved.
    • Present a solution or solutions to the the problem that was identified.
    • Report on the results of the research conducted, substantiate those results, and demonstrate the originality and contribution of the results.
    The format of the dissertation must conform to the current Department and Graduate School standards. Copies of the dissertation must be delivered to the student's advisory committee members at least two weeks prior to the final oral examination.

    The Dissertation Defense

    The student will present a summary of the dissertation at a departmental colloquium. This presentation must include an explanation of the problem addressed, a description of results, and an explanation of the significance of the results. After the presentation, a brief period may be allocated for questions from the general audience.

    At the end of the question period, the Final Doctoral Oral Examination will be conducted by the student's advisory committee. Members of the faculty, as well as members of the Graduate Curriculum Committee, and the dean of the Graduate School are invited to attend this examination. This final examination demands a broad and penetrating interpretation by the student of the research project and its conclusions. It may also include examination of the student in the major and minor fields of specialization.

    A student who fails the final oral examination may be allowed a second opportunity if the advisory committee recommends it. Failure of the second examination will result in dismissal from the Graduate School.

    The Publication Requirement

    Prior to graduation, each Ph.D. student must publish (or have accepted for publication) results of the research leading to the dissertation. The paper must be fully refereed and published in the proceedings of a computer science conference or in a computer science journal. The paper may be co-authored with the research advisor.

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