Program Overview

Introduction to the Computational and Data Science Ph.D. Program

The Computational and Data Science Ph.D. program at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) is an interdisciplinary research-intensive program that encompasses various fields, including agriculture, biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering technology, geosciences, mathematical sciences, and physics and astronomy. This program is designed to produce graduates with competency in three key areas: mastery of mathematical methods of computation, deep knowledge of programming languages and computing technology, and effective written and oral communication skills.

Program Overview

The Computational and Data Science Ph.D. program is available on-ground and is tailored for students working toward their doctoral degrees. With additional coursework and requirements, students in the program can also complete a Master's degree in Mathematics, Computer Science, or Data Science before graduating.

Careers

Graduates of the Computational and Data Science Ph.D. program can work as research scientists in almost any field of science or engineering in industry or government, or at a university. The program has focus areas in bioinformatics, biological modeling, computational chemistry, computational graph theory, computational physics, engineering and differential equations, high-performance computing, and machine learning and remote sensing.

Requirements

Admission to the Doctor of Philosophy in Computational and Data Science program is based on a comprehensive assessment of a candidate's qualifications, including undergraduate and graduate grade point averages, academic preparation for the degree, personal statement, and letters of recommendation. GRE scores may be optionally included at the applicant's discretion.

Application Procedures

All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies. The application deadline is February 15 for those wishing to be considered for graduate assistantships for the following Fall. Late applications may be considered, but space and assistantship availability may be limited.

Degree Requirements

The Ph.D. in Computational and Data Science requires completion of 72-84 semester hours. To satisfy the minimum requirements for the degree, students must successfully complete 48 hours of approved graduate core coursework, 12 hours of directed research, pass the qualifying exam before the end of the second year in the program, complete 12-24 hours of dissertation research, make at least two research presentations at regional, national, or international meetings, serve as lead author or make significant contributions to two articles published, in press, or under review in high-quality, peer-reviewed journals, and make a significant contribution to the development of at least one external grant proposal in collaboration with an MTSU faculty member serving as principal investigator.

Curriculum

The curriculum includes foundation courses, track courses, and electives. Foundation courses cover topics such as computational science, scientific computing, computer systems fundamentals, parallel processing concepts, research seminar in computational science, and computational science capstone. Track courses are divided into two areas: Computational Science and Data Science.

Faculty

The faculty members in the Computational and Data Science Ph.D. program have diverse research interests and expertise in various fields, including bioinformatics, biological modeling, computational chemistry, computational graph theory, computational physics, engineering and differential equations, high-performance computing, and machine learning and remote sensing.

Research Areas

The research areas in the Computational and Data Science Ph.D. program include:

• Bioinformatics
• Biological Modeling
• Computational Chemistry
• Computational Graph Theory
• Computational Physics, Engineering, and Differential Equations
• High-Performance Computing
• Machine Learning and Remote Sensing

Research Groups

The faculty members in the Computational Science Program at MTSU have a diverse set of research interests that cross between traditional departmental boundaries. The research groups include:

• Bioinformatics
• Biological Modeling
• Computational Chemistry
• Computational Graph Theory
• Computational Physics, Engineering, and Differential Equations
• High-Performance Computing
• Machine Learning and Remote Sensing

Publications

The faculty members in the Computational and Data Science Ph.D. program have published numerous research papers in reputable journals and conferences. The publications cover a wide range of topics, including computational science, data science, machine learning, bioinformatics, and more.

Information

The Computational and Data Science Ph.D. program offers research and teaching assistantships, with stipends beginning at $20,100, available on a competitive basis to full-time students. The university also pays all tuition and most fees for assistantship holders. Non-Tennessee residents who are awarded a graduate assistantship are not required to pay out-of-state fees.