Computer Science Graduate Programs

There are 6 core course groups; students must take at least one course in each of a number of groups. The required groups depend on which program a student enters under. (See Required Coursework below.) Advanced courses may be substituted, with approval.

Group I: Theory of Computation

• CS 530: Theory of Computation
• CS 533: Computational Geometry
• CS 535: Design and Analysis of Algorithms
• CS 538: Combinatorial Optimization
• CS 539: Game Theory: Algorithms and Applications

Group II: Systems

• CS 546: Parallel Processing
• CS 550: Advanced Operating Systems
• CS 570: Advanced Computer Architecture

Group III: Programming Languages

• CS 536: Science of Programming
• CS 540: Foundations of Programming Language Design
• CS 541: Topics in Compiler Construction
• CS 545: Distributed Computing Landscape

Group IV: Networks

• CS 542: Computer Networks I: Fundamentals
• CS 544: Computer Networks II: Network Services

Group V: Databases

• CS 525: Advanced Database Organization

Group VI: Software Engineering

• CS 586: Software System Architectures

Group VII: Computational Intelligence

• CS 512: Computer Vision
• CS 583: Probabilistic Graphical Models
• CS 584: Machine Learning
• CS 585: Natural Language Processing

The table below lists the coursework that is required of all Ph.D. students. Some requirements depend on the degree with which a student enters the program.

Required Credit Hours for CS Ph.D. Students	For Students Entering the Ph.D. Program With a
	Bachelor of Science in CS	Master's Degree not in CS	Master's Degree in CS
400-Level CS Courses	0 - 12 hours
500- & 600-Level CS Courses ...	36 - 54 hours	24 - 30 hours	18 - 30 hours
...  With At Least 1 Core Course From Each of	Groups I, II, and III and any 2 of the other 3 groups		Any 3 Groups
CS 597 (Reading & Special Problems)	6 - 12 hours	3 - 12 hours (with at least 3 hours the first year)
CS 691 (Ph.D. Thesis/Research)	24 - 48 hours
CS 695 (Ph.D. Seminar)	1 hour
Minimum Total Required Credit Hours	85 hours	60 hours	54 hours

Notes:

• Only credit hours from courses passed with a grade of B or better can be used to satisfy coursework requirements.
• The 400-level CS courses cannot include CS 401, 402, or 403.
• The 500- and 600-level CS courses:
  • Must include at least one course from each of the required core groups.
  • Can include CS 595 and can include up to 6 hours of credits from outside the department (as approved, case-by-case).
  • Cannot include CS 597, CS 691, CS 695, CS Professional courses, or Accelerated ("short") courses.
• CS 691 can be taken only after passing the Qualifying Exams.

In addition to coursework and qualifying exams, Ph.D. students are also required to take a comprehensive exam and do a thesis defense. Students must meet a residence requirement and must apply for graduation within the time limit for the program. Students in the Direct program may exit the program early with a Master of Science degree.

Comprehensive Examination

The purpose of the Comprehensive Examination is to ensure that the student candidate has the background to carry out successful research in the chosen area and that the student's research problem is properly formulated and has sufficient scholarly merit. The student (in concert with the student's research advisor) must develop and orally present a written research proposal containing a literature review, a proposed research topic, and a program of research that addresses this topic.

The student must request appointment of an examination committee. The examination committee may consist of from four to seven members. It must include at least three full-time faculty members from the Computer Science Department and one full-time faculty member from another department in the university. Other committee members from inside or outside the university may be chosen. The student should consult with the student's research advisor concerning the makeup of the committee

Thesis Defense

Each student must present an oral defense of the student's Ph.D. Thesis. The Thesis Review Committee is appointed in much the same way as the Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination committee. The committee will examine the written thesis and examine the student during a public oral defense.

Residence Requirements

University regulations require that each Ph.D. student spend a minimum of two regular semesters in full-time study on campus. In special cases, two summers of research or other daytime graduate activity may be substituted for one of the two semesters. A full-time student is one who is registered for at least 9 credit hours in a regular semester or 6 credit hours in the summer.

Applying for Graduation

A student who expects to receive a graduate degree at the end of a given semester must file an application for graduation with the Graduate College within 2 weeks of the start of the intended semester of graduation. No application will be accepted after that date and no changes in a Program of Study are allowed after that date. An application for graduation is good for only one semester. If the student fails to graduate in the intended semester, a new application must be filled for a later semester (No additional fees will be charged for filling a second application.)

Time Limit

A student has six calendar years to complete the Ph.D. Program, starting from when the Ph.D. Program of Study (Form #401) is filed. Should this time limit expire, the student will be required to petition the Dean of the Graduate School to have the time limit extended. Such an extension will ordinarily entail additional examinations and fees.

Master of Science Exit

Students wishing to leave the Direct or Post-Masters Ph.D. program early with the degree of Master of Science in Computer Science must satisfy all the requirements of the Master's degree and in addition write a Master's Thesis or pass the Ph.D. qualifying exams. In special circumstances students may petition the department for consideration.