Program Overview

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Computer Science, PhD

The Doctor of Philosophy program in computer science emphasizes preparation for research and teaching in academic settings or for research in private, industrial, or government laboratories.

Overview

Current and prospective graduate students should consult the Computer Science Graduate Handbook, available from the department's office and its website. The handbook provides detailed information about specific degree requirements, such as required courses, examinations, and dissertation requirements.

Learning Outcomes

Students gain:

• broad, up-to-date knowledge of computer science;
• fluency in reading, analyzing, synthesizing, and communicating research;
• a thorough understanding of a research area and its major open problems;
• awareness of computing research ethics; and
• experience performing original research advancing the state of knowledge in an area of computer science.

Program Requirements

The Doctor of Philosophy program in computer science requires a minimum of 72 s.h. of graduate credit, four examinations (qualifying, comprehensive, dissertation proposal, and final), and a written dissertation. Students must maintain a UI cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.00.

Core Requirements

• CS:5350: Design and Analysis of Algorithms (3 hours)
• And one of these:
  • CS:4330: Theory of Computation (3 hours)
  • CS:5340: Limits of Computation (3 hours)

Breadth

Students must complete at least three of the following courses, with at least one course selected from each area (9 s.h.).

Systems and Software

• CS:4640: Computer Security (3 hours)
• CS:4980: Topics in Computer Science II (section approved by the director of graduate studies) (3 hours)
• CS:5610: High Performance Computer Architecture (3 hours)

Networks and Distributed Systems

• CS:4980: Topics in Computer Science II (section approved by the director of graduate studies) (3 hours)
• CS:5620: Distributed Systems and Algorithms (3 hours)
• CS:5630: Cloud Computing Technology (3 hours)

Programming Languages and Compilers

• CS:4980: Topics in Computer Science II (section approved by the director of graduate studies) (3 hours)
• CS:5810: Formal Methods in Software Engineering (3 hours)
• CS:5850: Programming Language Foundations (3 hours)
• CS:5860: Lambda Calculus and Applications (3 hours)

Practice

Students must complete at least one 3 s.h. course with significant practical or implementation-oriented content. Each semester the department designates courses that satisfy this requirement.

• CS:4400: Database Systems (3 hours)
• CS:4420: Artificial Intelligence (3 hours)
• CS:4440: Web Mining (3 hours)
• CS:4470: Health Data Analytics (3 hours)
• CS:4500: Research Methods in Human-Computer Interaction (3 hours)
• CS:4630: Mobile Computing (3 hours)
• CS:4700: High Performance and Parallel Computing (3 hours)
• CS:4720: Optimization Techniques (3 hours)
• CS:4980: Topics in Computer Science II (section approved by the director of graduate studies) (3 hours)
• CS:5800: Fundamentals of Software Engineering (3 hours)
• CS:5990: Individualized Research or Programming Project (3 hours)

Cognate Area

In consultation with their advisor, students are required to select three courses, totaling 9 s.h. or more, that constitute coherent coverage of an external cognate area; the courses need not be offered by the same department.

Colloquium

Students must earn at least 4 s.h. in the following.

• CS:6000: Research Seminar: Colloquium Series (taken at least four times for 1 s.h. each) (4 hours)

Responsible Conduct of Research Requirement

Students must complete this course within their first two years; it is offered in spring semesters.

• CS:5980: Topics in Computer Science III (Responsible Conduct of Research) (1 hour)

Electives

Students fill their remaining semester hours with a selection of computer science graduate courses numbered 4300 or above and graduate courses outside of the Department of Computer Science, approved by their advisor.

Examinations

Qualifying Exam

Students are required to pass a qualifying examination by the end of their second year of graduate study.

Comprehensive Exam

The comprehensive examination is an evaluation of a student's mastery of a research area near completion of formal coursework and before the preparation of the dissertation.

Dissertation Proposal

At least six months prior to the final exam, a student must form a dissertation committee and circulate a formal thesis proposal to the committee.

Dissertation

Each student must write a dissertation, a significant, original contribution to the field of computer science.

Final Oral Examination

Once the dissertation is complete and has been reviewed by the student's committee, a final oral examination is administered.

Admission

Admission decisions are based on prior academic performance, letters of reference, and the applicant's statement about background and purpose. Scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test are considered if applicants choose to include them.

Career Advancement

Many graduates obtain positions in industry research laboratories, such as Amazon, Disney, Google, Samsung, and Yahoo, or in government research laboratories. Others pursue research and teaching careers in higher education, with some starting their careers in postdoctoral positions at universities before seeking employment in tenure-track positions, and some are employed as faculty with more teaching-oriented positions.

Sample Plan of Study

Sample plans represent one way to complete a program of study. Actual course selection and sequence will vary and should be discussed with an academic advisor.

• First Year:
  • Fall: CS:4330 or CS:5340, CS:5350, CS:6000, Breadth requirement course
  • Spring: CS:5980, Breadth requirement course, Breadth requirement course, Practice requirement course
• Second Year:
  • Any Semester: Exam: Doctoral Qualifying Exam
  • Fall: CS:6000, Cognate area course, Cognate area course, Cognate area course
  • Spring: CS:6000, Elective course, Elective course, Elective course
• Third Year:
  • Any Semester: Exam: Doctoral Comprehensive Exam
  • Fall: CS:6000, Elective course, Elective course, Elective course
  • Spring: Elective course, Elective course, Elective course, Elective course
• Fourth Year:
  • Fall: Dissertation Proposal Defense, CS:7990
  • Spring: CS:7990, Exam: Doctoral Final Exam