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 typical program of study consists of 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 student 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. All Ph.D. students are required to include a minimum of four
800-level computer science courses (exclusive of 881, 888, 891, 95x,
981, and 991) on their programs of study. Students are also encouraged
to take course work outside the department when it facilitates their
dissertation research; however, courses taken outside the department
do not substitute for the four 800-level computer science courses.
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 strong 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 mastery of the material in four core areas of computer
science (three are required: programming languages and compilers, operating
systems, and theory; one is to be selected by the student: graphics, networks,
software engineering). Possible mechanisms for demonstrating
this mastery include but are not limited to: transcripts, testimonials
of former professors, and published research in an 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.