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PHD in Computer Science

Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Computer Science

The Department of Computer Science offers advanced coursework and research leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Computer Science. The program emphasizes high-performance computing. Successful Ph.D. candidates must demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of computer science and must deliver an original contribution to the field.

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The regulations for this degree comply with the general University regulations (refer to Chapter 3, General Academic Regulations, and Chapter 5, Doctoral Degree Regulations).

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Admission Requirements. The minimum requirements for admission to the doctoral degree program in computer science are as follows:

  • a B.A., B.S., or M.S. degree in computer science or related area
  • a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher in the last 60 hours of coursework
  • a score of at least 1500 on the GRE general test (verbal, math, and analytical sections); exceptions can be made in cases with a strong justification, such as a high grade point average and/or extensive research. The GRE computer science subject test is strongly recommended but not required. When GRE scores are used to determine an admission, applicants will be compared to applicants with similar socioeconomic backgrounds.
  • a score of at least 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for applicants whose native language is not English and who have not graduated from a United States institution
  • three letters of recommendation attesting to the applicant’s readiness for doctoral study.

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Admission is competitive. Satisfying the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. An application should also include a résumé and a statement of research experience and interest.

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Students who apply will automatically be considered for one of a small number of doctoral student stipends. Some teaching and research assistantships are also available.

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Degree Requirements. Candidates for the degree are required to successfully complete 69 semester credit hours of graduate coursework.

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Course Requirements. Course requirements for the doctoral degree program in computer science are as follows:

A. Core courses (18 semester credit hours)

CS 5513 Computer Architecture
CS 5523 Operating Systems
CS 5633 Analysis of Algorithms
CS 6553 Performance Evaluation
CS 6643 Parallel Processing
CS 6653 Parallel Algorithms

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B. Designated electives (12 semester credit hours in a single focus)

One of the following two focuses is recommended. Other focuses must be approved by the Doctoral Studies Committee.

1. High-Performance Programming Environments Focus:

CS 5113 Computer Graphics
CS 5363 Programming Languages and Compilers

Plus two courses from the following:

CS 6113 Program Visualization and Monitoring
CS 6363 Advanced Compiler Construction
CS 6513 Advanced Architecture
CS 6523 Distributed Operating Systems
CS 6543 Networks
CS 6593 Advanced Topics in Distributed Systems

2. High-Performance Computational Techniques Focus:

CS 5603 Numerical Analysis
CS 6613 Parallel Numerical Methods and Software

Plus two courses from the following:

CS 6103 Distributed Software Development
CS 6243 Machine Learning
CS 6253 Topics in Neural Networks
CS 6693 Advanced Topics in Application Development
CS 6723 Image Processing

C. Free electives. 9 semester credit hours selected from computer science and related areas with approval of the GraduateAdvisor.

D. Computer science research (30 semester credit hours):

CS 7123 Research Seminar (6 hours)
CS 7211-6 Doctoral Research (12 hours)
CS 7311-6 Doctoral Dissertation (12 hours)

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Applicants with a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from another college or university may apply a maximum of 12 hours of previously earned graduate credits toward their doctoral degree. Each student’s transcript will be evaluated by the Doctoral Studies Committee, and credit will be designated on a course-by-course basis to satisfy the formal coursework requirements of the degree.

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Advancement to Candidacy. Students seeking a doctoral degree must be admitted to candidacy. One of the requirements for admission to candidacy is passing a doctoral qualifying examination. Students should consult the University’s Doctoral Degree Regulations for other requirements.

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Qualifying Examination. The qualifying examination is divided into written and oral portions.

Written Portion. The written portion of the doctoral qualifying examination (written examination) is scheduled at the beginning of the Fall and Spring Semesters. Full-time doctoral students must take the written examination by the beginning of their third semester. Normally, the written examination is taken at the start of the student’s second year at the beginning of the Fall Semester. Students who fail their first attempt at the written examination are allowed to make a second attempt on the next written examination. No more than two attempts to pass the written examination are permitted.

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Oral Portion. After the student has completed the coursework in his or her proposed program of study (core courses, designated electives, and free electives), the next step is the oral portion of the qualifying examination. The oral examination is conducted by a faculty committee, which is chaired by the student’s program advisor. The oral examination consists of a presentation of the student’s dissertation proposal followed by a period of questioning based on the dissertation proposal and the student’s proposed program of study. Unanimous approval of the examination committee is required to pass the oral examination. No more than two attempts to pass the oral examination will be permitted. The oral examination must be taken within one year after completion of all coursework.

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Doctoral Dissertation and Final Oral Examination. After passing the qualifying examination, the next steps are writing a dissertation and passing the final oral examination. The final oral examination is administered and evaluated by the student’s Dissertation Committee and covers the dissertation and the general field of the dissertation. The final oral examination consists of an open presentation of the dissertation followed by a closed oral examination. Unanimous approval of the Dissertation Committee is required to pass the final oral examination. Also, the written dissertation must be unanimously approved by the Dissertation Committee.

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