Computer Science and Software Engineering — PhD
The doctor of philosophy program offers advanced course work and emphasizes original, creative research in computer science and software engineering. A dissertation embodying the results of this research represents the major portion of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree program. A minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate work past the bachelor’s degree is required. Each student may include a minimum of 24 hours of research and dissertation (COMP 8990) as part of the 60 hours. There are three (3) core graduate courses for a total of 9 credit hours:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core: | ||
| COMP 7270 | Advanced Topics in Algorithms | 3 |
| COMP 7300 | Advanced Computer Architecture | 3 |
| COMP 7500 | Advanced Topics in Operating Systems | 3 |
| Additional: | ||
| Select 9 Graded Credits (Lecture-based) in COMP 6000 or above | 9 | |
| Select 12 Graded Credits in 6000 or above | 12 | |
| Select 6 Credits in 6000 or above | 6 | |
| COMP 8990 Research and Dissertation | 24 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
Additional 21 credit hours of graded credits (minimum 9 credits of graded lecture courses in COMP 6000 or above) and/or other elective courses at 6000 level or higher is required. The remaining 30 credit hours are composed of COMP 8990 Research and Dissertation (minimum 24 credit hours) and other graduate courses (Graded or Ungraded) at 6000 level or higher. The selected 6 credits in 6000 or above may include COMP 8990; however, these 6 credits cannot be non-COMP ungraded courses.
The General Doctoral Examination consists of two parts: the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination and the Ph.D. General Oral Examination. The Ph.D. Qualifying Examination will be successfully fulfilled by earning a B or higher in each of the three (3) core graduate courses above. In the general oral exam, a Ph.D. student will present to the student’s advisory committee a thorough description of the proposed dissertation research. Successful completion of the general oral exam requires unanimous approval of the student’s advisory committee. Upon successful completion of the general examination, the student advances to candidacy. After completion of the dissertation, the student must pass a final examination defending the dissertation.
There is no language requirement for the Ph.D. program.