麻豆女郎

On Campus and Fully Online

The Professional PhD in Computer Science program provides students with advanced technical expertise they need to be successful in research and technical leadership positions in the industry and the public sector. Typical paths include senior positions in computer science related fields, careers as research scientists at high-tech companies and research labs, and academic careers in higher education. Topics of study include software engineering, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and cryptography, machine learning and data analytics, spatial database and data mining, computer networking, cloud computing, Internet of Things and more.

Students can select between the following options:听

1. Professional Ph.D. in Computer Science, and听
2. Professional Ph.D. in Computer Science: Data Science and Analytics (DSA) Concentration

The program is designed specifically for working professionals with courses offered in a flexible format that includes evenings, weekends, and online material using Canvas. The duration of the program is about three years. Students have the option to complete the program fully online.听

Program Steps

1. Apply to the program. Please check the听Admission Requirements.
2. Complete the course work. Please check the听Degree Requirements听and the Professional Education Course offering.
3. Take the Candidacy Examination
   • Candidacy Examination Instructions
   • Candidacy Exam Application Form
4. Apply to听Candidacy.
5. Select your dissertation advisor and听dissertation committee.
6. Proposal defense.
7. Dissertation and oral defense.

As part of the application to EECS PhD programs, applicants are required to submit a research statement. This crucial document should clearly communicate the applicant鈥檚 research background, interests, and potential fit with current research foci of faculty in the department. Applicants are strongly encouraged to go over the department's faculty research and publications before writing their research statement. The research statement must address three main areas:

1. The Applicant鈥檚 Research Experience and Preparation
   Describe the academic and professional experiences that have prepared the applicant for doctoral studies:
   • 听Relevant coursework, research training, and applicable professional experience
   • Research projects and technical skills
   • Publications, presentations, or significant findings
2. The Applicant鈥檚 Proposed Research Direction
   Outline the research areas to be pursued during PhD studies:
   • Clearly state research interests
   • Explain the importance of this research
   • Describe how previous experiences have prepared the applicant for this research
3. Faculty Alignment
   Identify potential faculty advisors in the EECS department:
   
   • Name two or three faculty members whose research aligns with the applicant鈥檚 proposed research direction
   • For each faculty member, (i) explain how their work connects to the applicant鈥檚 research interests and (ii) discuss how their expertise would benefit the proposed research program

Program Fees

The Professional PhD in Computer Science is a full-service, all-inclusive program. Professional PhD in Computer Science Program fees cover all program costs, including tuition,听meals for on-campus Saturday classes,听course materials and graduation activities.

Total Cost: 听$800 per credit-hour; total cost for 42 credit-hours is $33,600.

Tuition Fees: 听Flexible payment plan and financial aid payment methods are available.

Admission Requirements

• Students are expected to have a Master鈥檚 degree in computer science, engineering, or a related discipline awarded by a recognized institution. Applicants with different backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Students are expected to be proficient in programming and to have taken calculus 2 and a statistics course, as well as being knowledgeable in the topics of data structures, algorithm design and analysis, operating systems, and computer architecture. The admission committee will evaluate the application holistically to determine applicant suitability using several factors such as academic performance, GPA, background, and experience. The admission committee may assign remedial courses on a case-by-case basis.
• Conditional admission may be available under extraordinary circumstances to applicants who show high promise to successfully complete the program and have received a master's degree from a regionally accredited institution, but who fall short of the GPA equirement. In these cases, the Professional PhD in Computer Science admissions committee will carefully review the application and account for aspects including but not limited to: grade trends, mature work experience, work accomplishment and promotion, type and rigor of undergraduate and master鈥檚 degree programs, references and letters of recommendation.
• Submit official transcripts from previous institutions attended. The desirable minimum GPA in previous graduate work is 3.3 (of a 4.0 maximum).
• The applicant must provide two reference letters that address the student's research potential, motivation, relative academic achievement, and personality.听
• International students from non-English-speaking countries must be proficient in written and spoken English as evidenced by a score of at least 500 (paper-based test) or 213 (computer-based test) or 79 (Internet-based test) on the TOEFL or a score of at least 6.0 on the IELTS.
• Statement of Research Interests

Admission to Candidacy

Students should apply for candidacy as soon as they become eligible. A doctoral student is eligible to apply for candidacy when:

1. He/she has passed the qualifying examination.
2. A minimum of 3.0 GPA in all courses attempted as a doctoral student has been maintained.

Students may not register for dissertation credits until their admission to candidacy. Students will also be asked to complete a Plan of Study.

Transfer Credits

Any transfer credits (from other institutions) toward the requirements for the Ph.D. degree must be approved by the department, the college, and the university. The transfer credits must correspond to equivalent requirements and performance levels expected for the degree. A maximum of 30 credit hours can be transferred from a Master's degree. In addition to the credits for a Master's degree, no more than 6 credit hours of course work can be transferred from another institution.

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 72 graduate credits is required beyond a bachelor's degree. A master's degree in a related field is considered equivalent to 30 credits. The remaining 42 credits beyond the master鈥檚 degree consist of 18 credits of coursework and 24 credits of dissertation. All courses must be approved by the student's advisor. In addition to meeting the course requirement, a doctoral student must pass the Candidacy Examination, complete the dissertation under the supervision of the student's advisor and dissertation committee and pass the oral dissertation examination. In addition, a written dissertation proposal must be accepted by the dissertation committee at least six months prior to the oral dissertation examination. A doctoral candidate is expected to have at least one research paper published or accepted for publication in a fully refereed conference or journal prior to graduation. The following rules apply to the courses taken beyond the master's degree:

1. Of the 18-credit minimum of coursework, a minimum of 12 credits must be in Computer Science and Engineering courses (excluding directed independent study credits) and a minimum of 9 credits of 6000-level courses must be completed.
2. A maximum of 3 credits of directed independent study or advanced research may be used to satisfy the minimum of 18 credits. In that case, the subject matter may not overlap the student's dissertation.
3. Students must register for a minimum of 24 credits of dissertation.
4. Students must have a GPA of 3.0 (out of 4.0 maximum) or better.
5. All courses in the degree programs must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.

Students pursuing the Professional Ph.D. in CS with Data Science and Analytics (DSA) concentration must satisfy the following additional requirements:

1. Graduate coursework counted for the Ph.D. program must contain at least four DSA graduate courses. Additional courses may be approved by the dissertation advisor. Graduate courses completed during the master's degree program may also be used to meet this requirement.

听 听 听 听 DSA courses include:
听 听 听 听 CAP 6673听 听 听 听 Data Mining and Machine Learning
听 听 听 听 CAP 5768听 听 听 听 Introduction to Data Science
听 听 听 听 CAP 6619听 听 听 听 Deep Learning
听 听 听 听 CAP 6635听 听 听 听 Artificial Intelligence
听 听 听 听 CAP 6776听 听 听 听 Information Retrieval

听 听 听2. The student's Ph.D. dissertation research and scholarship must have a strong emphasis on one or more areas of data science and analytics, including but not limited to applied and/or theoretical areas.

PhD Candidacy Examination听

The purpose of the PhD Candidacy Examination in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science is for the doctoral student to demonstrate the student鈥檚 ability to identify, undertake, and analyze a speci铿乧 substantive area (or areas) of research in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or computer science. This exam must be passed to be formally admitted to candidacy in the doctoral program. A student failing the exam may, upon re-application, take it a second time. Two failures will result in the student's dismissal from the PhD program.

Procedure for Candidacy Examination听

1. The student is expected to take graduate courses and select a dissertation advisor during the first year of the PhD program.
2. Upon completing at least 9 credit hours and not more than 24 credit hours of graduate course work (including credit hours of Directed Independent Study and Advanced Research), a PhD student may request to take the PhD Candidacy Exam. A student entering the PhD program with a bachelor鈥檚 degree (direct-path PhD student) is expected to take the PhD Candidacy Exam upon completing at least 24 credit hours and not more than 36 credit hours of graduate course work (including credit hours of Directed Independent Study and Advanced Research). The student must have a dissertation advisor before taking the PhD Candidacy Exam.
3. The student will submit the听Candidacy Exam Application Form,听approved by their dissertation advisor, by a specified deadline鈥攁 date in September (Fall semesters) or January (Spring semesters).
4. A Candidacy Exam Committee will conduct the examination and evaluate the student. The student's dissertation advisor is not a member of the Candidacy Exam Committee.
5. Research papers aligned with current departmental research will be announced before the exam. For the sake of the exam, each student will select one research paper.
6. After the paper selection, the student has 4 weeks to prepare a 20- to 30-minute PowerPoint presentation. The student will deliver the presentation to the committee based on the paper on the scheduled exam date and time. To demonstrate readiness to begin doctoral-level research, students must show a strong understanding of the selected paper and its broader research context. During the exam, faculty may ask questions drawn from a range of topics intended to assess the student's comprehension, reasoning, and ability to engage with research. Examples of topics that may be covered include but are not limited to:

• • State a problem and provide motivation and requirements for a solution for the problem.
  • Describe the novelty of the work as compared to the 铿乪ld in general.
  • Determine if a proposed solution to the problem is correct and meets the requirements for the solution.
  • Describe how the problem and presumed solution 铿乼 in the broader research context.
  • Describe the meaning of mathematical equations (or models) used in the paper.
  • Describe the system鈥檚 performance evaluation and results if present in the paper.
  • Identify and describe the limitations of the work.

Candidate Evaluation听

The PhD Candidacy Exam Committee will make final decision (Pass or Fail) based on the overall quality of the oral presentation, understanding of the research problem and presented solution in the paper, and research area in general.

Dissertation Information

Dissertation Committee

Students are encouraged to interact with faculty members of the department to select a dissertation advisor and research area/topic for their dissertation. After a student has passed the Candidacy Examination, a dissertation committee shall be formed to supervise the student's research work. The committee will consist of at least four faculty members who are familiar with the research area, at least three of whom are regular faculty members of the department. At least one member of the committee is recommended to be from outside the department (could also be from another institution or industry), and this member should have an academic or professional level compatible with the rest of the committee. The committee is chaired by the student's听dissertation听advisor. The chair of the committee must be a faculty member from the EECS department. Students are expected to work in close cooperation with their dissertation committee and to keep the committee members informed about their progress on a regular basis. The dissertation committee should meet with the student at least once a year to review the progress of the research work.

Proposal Defense

Each听doctoral student must prepare a written dissertation proposal which must be presented and approved by the committee at least 6 months before the oral dissertation defense. This听 document 听provides general guidelines for the layout and content of the dissertation proposal.

Dissertation and Oral Defense

Each doctoral student must complete an original body of research and is expected to have at least one research paper published or accepted for publication in a fully refereed conference or journal prior to graduation.

Overall, the dissertation can be structured as follows:

• A traditional research dissertation
• A research effort focused on applied computer science problems
• A portfolio of articles targeting academic research publications
• A portfolio of articles targeting applied computer science research publications
• A combination of the above

The dissertation must be written in the format specified by the Graduate College. A copy of the dissertation must be submitted to the Graduate College for approval of the dissertation format. Dissertations must be defended orally. A dissertation should be submitted to the members of the dissertation committee for their review at least two weeks before the oral defense. After an oral defense, the members of the dissertation committee vote on acceptance or rejection of the dissertation. The committee may also suggest that the student do some additional work so as to make the dissertation acceptable. The decision of the dissertation committee will be reported in the form of satisfactory/ unsatisfactory grades for dissertation credits.

Graduate students are required to enroll for at least 1 credit during at least two semesters (fall, spring or summer) of every academic year in order to remain eligible for the degree. Students must be enrolled for a minimum of 1 credit during the semester of graduation.

Program Fees

The Professional Ph.D. in Computer Science is a full-service, all-inclusive program. Professional Ph.D. in Computer Science Program fees cover all program costs, including tuition, meals for on-campus Saturday classes, course materials and graduation activities.

Total Cost: $800 per credit-hour; total cost for 42 credit-hours is $33,600.

Tuition Fees: Flexible payment plans and financial aid payment methods are available.