PhD Program in Computer Science

Our PhD program aims to cultivate the next generation of world-class computer science researchers. Many of our alumni have become faculty at world class institutions or are leaders at major companies such as Google, Microsoft, and IBM. View our full list of graduates and their postdoctoral employers.

Our PhD program offers four areas of focus:

PhD students in good academic standing pay zero tuition, receive health insurance, and one of the highest stipends in computer science as ranked by CSStipendRankings. Most students complete their PhD in four to six years.

Applicants may have either a bachelors or masters degree. The GRE is not required.

PhD Program Requirements

For detailed information about program requirements, a handbook will be available soon.

PhD students are required to complete:

Breadth Requirements

Students complete two courses from each group, for a total of six breadth courses. These breadth courses are completed in the first four semesters of graduate study. At least one course in each group must be taken in the first year. Students consult with their advisor each semester to assure breadth requirements are met.

Student can use no more than one starred (*) course per area and two starred (*) courses total towards the breadth requirement.

PhD students are expected to earn a B or better in all breadth courses.

AI and HCI breadth courses:

  • CSC 412: Human-Computer Interaction
  • CSC 435: Optimization for Machine Learning
  • CSC 440: Data Mining
  • CSC 442: Artificial Intelligence (*)
  • CSC 444: Logical Foundations of Artificial Intelligence
  • CSC 445: Deep Learning
  • CSC 446: Machine Learning
  • CSC 447: Natural Language Processing
  • CSC 448: Statistical Speech and Language Processing
  • CSC 449: Machine Vision
  • CSC 466: Frontiers in Deep Learning
  • CSC 477: End-to-End Deep Learning

Systems breadth courses:

  • CSC 404 (ECE 404): Multiprocessor Architecture
  • CSC 478: Computer Security Foundations
  • CSC 451: Advanced Computer Architecture
  • CSC 452: Computer Organization (*)
  • CSC 453: Collaborative Programming and Software Design
  • CSC 454: Programming Language Design and Implementation
  • CSC 455: Software Analysis and Improvement
  • CSC 456: Operating Systems
  • CSC 457: Computer Networks
  • CSC 458: Parallel and Distributed Systems
  • CSC 463: Data Management Systems
  • CSC 459: Computer Imaging and Graphics
  • CSC 576: Adv Topics in Data Management

Theory breadth courses:

  • CSC 480: Computer Models and Limitations (*)
  • CSC 481: Introduction to Cryptography (*)
  • CSC 482: Design and Analysis of Efficient Algorithms (*)
  • CSC 483: Topics in Cryptography
  • CSC 484: Advanced Algorithms
  • CSC 485: Algorithms and Elections
  • CSC 486: Computational Complexity
  • CSC 487: Sampling Algorithms
  • CSC 488: Analytic Methods in Computer Science
  • CSC 489: Algorithmic Game Theory

Area Requirements

During their second year PhD students complete the requirements in their chosen area, which include writing a paper and passing an oral exam.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Area Requirements

AI Area Paper and Oral Exam

Before the end of their second year, PhD students will need to write an AI paper that includes a survey of an AI research topic and initial original research.

Students will need to form a committee of three or more AI faculty members and schedule a time and date for the oral exam so that all committee members can attend.

The defense begins with the student providing a 20-minute overview of the area paper, followed by an hour of intensive questioning by faculty members.

Questions from faculty members will include:

  • General questions about AI
  • Questions covering content learned in AI breadth courses taken by the student
  • Questions about the area paper

Students are responsible for preparing themselves for these questions.

AI Course Requirements

By the end of the fourth year, the student must complete at least two additional graduate-level AI/HCI courses with grades of B or better. These may include the non-starred entries of the AI/HCI breadth list, BCS 505: Perception and Motor Systems, or other advanced courses with permission of the AI faculty.

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Area Requirements

HCI Area Paper and Oral Exam

Before the end of their second year, PhD students will need to write an HCI paper that includes a survey of an HCI research topic, original research, or a combination of both.

Student will need to form a committee of three or more faculty members (at least two faculty from the Department of Computer Science) before the area paper is due and schedule a time and date for the exam so that all committee members can attend.

Following a public presentation of the paper, the student will answer questions from the committee about the paper and about any topic in HCI that is broadly relevant to the research topic.

HCI Course Requirements

By the end of the fourth year, students must complete three additional courses with grades of B or better, with one class from each of the following clusters:

  1. Core AI cluster:
    1. CSC 445: Deep Learning
    2. CSC 447: Natural Language Processing
    3. CSC 576: Advanced Machine Learning and Optimization
    4. CSC 444: Logical Foundations of Artificial Intelligence
    5. CSC 440: Data Mining
    6. CSC 449: Machine Vision
  2. Statistics cluster:
    1. CSC 462: Computational Introduction to Statistics
    2. CSC 465: Intermediate Statistical Methods
  3. Special topics cluster:
    1. Network sciences:
      1. PHYS 525: Data Science II: Complexity and Network Theory (offered by Gourab Ghosal)
      2. ECE 442: Network Science Analytics
      3. ECE 440: Introduction to Random Processes
    2. Theory of emotion:
      1. PSYC 550: Social Psychology of Emotion
      2. PSYC 557: Affectation Bases of Behavior
    3. Health and well-being:
      1. BST 465: Design of Clinical Trials
      2. ECE 452: Medical Imaging-Theory and Implementation
      3. CSC 575: Intervention Strategies for Health Applications
    4. Multimodal Interaction:
      1. CSC 416: AR/VR Interaction Design
      2. CSC 459: Computer Imaging and Graphics
Systems Area Requirements

Systems Area Paper and Oral Exam

Before the end of the second year, students will need to complete a systems area paper and oral exam. The area paper should be original MS-level research and a survey of related research topics. It is due two weeks before the area exam.

At that same time, the systems faculty will provide the student with a small set of "take home" papers to be studied for the exam. At the area exam, following a presentation of the area paper, the student will answer questions from the faculty about the area paper, the take-home papers, and background knowledge from systems courses.

The committee for the paper will include most (if not all) of the systems faculty. For scheduling purposes, the systems faculty will provide the relevant students with a few time slots in which they may schedule their exams.

Systems Course Requirements

By the end of the fourth year, students must complete at least two additional graduate-level systems courses with grades of B or better. These may include the non-starred entries of the systems breadth list or other advanced courses with permission of the systems faculty.

Theory Area Requirements

Theory Area Paper and Oral Exam

Before the end of the second year, students will need to complete a theory area paper and oral exam.

The committee for the paper will include all of the theory faculty and the student will need to schedule a time and date for the exam so that all committee members can attend.

The area process, including the area defense, is organized as follows:

  • The student submits an area paper reflecting research ability. The area paper is due eight calendar days before the last day of classes of the spring term or one week before the oral exam, whichever comes first.
  • Approximately two weeks before the oral exam, the student is given a set of “take home” papers.
  • Approximately three hours before the oral exam, the student is given a written set of “morning questions.”
  • The area defense consists of an oral exam covering the area paper, the take home papers, the morning questions, and other area-related questions. The length of the exam is typically between two and three hours.

Theory Course Requirements

By the end of the fourth year, students must complete, each with a grade of B or better, CSC 484, CSC 486, and one additional non-starred course from the theory breadth list.

A more detailed written description of the logistics of this process is available from the PhD program coordinator or any theory faculty member.

PhD Thesis Proposal, Dissertation, and Defense

The computer science PhD program will culminate in a body of research that significantly advances the frontiers of human knowledge. Students present their research in a dissertation that meets the highest standards of academic scholarship and defend it in an oral exam before a committee of established scholars in the field.

You can find more information about this process from: