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The Double Benefits of World Gratitude Day

Friends hugging, overlooking a sunny field of hills

Sept. 21 is World Gratitude Day, a day dedicated to showing thanks and appreciation to the many different people in your life. While many people appreciate receiving gratitude, what they may not know is that expressing gratitude actually makes them feel better, too. Steven Toepfer, Ph.D., associate professor and the coordinator for the Human Development and Family Science bachelor degree program at ºìÐÓÊÓƵ, has conducted research on how showing gratitude affects three aspects of well-being.   Happiness, life satisfaction and depression were all measured in the...

Undergraduate Students Present Summer Research

Neal-Barnett and Shackleford presenting

For ºìÐÓÊÓƵ undergraduate students who don’t know where to start, research can be an exciting, but overwhelming experience. This doesn’t have to be the case, though.  On Sept. 13, ºìÐÓÊÓƵ State's Division of Research and Economic Development hosted a research and innovation forum for its Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program, an eight-week research program that takes place during summer break. During the program, undergraduate students work directly with a faculty mentor to enhance their research skills, gain academic insight into their field of study as we...

Dissertation

A Dissertation describes original research performed by the student. The Dissertation topic must be approved by the advisor and Graduate Coordinator. A Dissertation committee, made up of graduate faculty, must be formed to assess the quality and value of the work. A public Dissertation defense is made by the student. The final Dissertation and defense must be approved by the advisor and Dissertation committee.

Candidacy Examination

Students who have passed the Preliminary Examination at the Ph.D. level  are expected to continue to broaden their general computer science background and to take courses in their areas of special interest. Before starting substantial work on a dissertation, the student is required to take the Candidacy Examination.

Preliminary Examination

The Preliminary Examination is intended to assess a student’s understanding of the basic prerequisite concepts for entrance into the Doctoral program in Computer Science. It also insures that all incoming students have the ability to effectively reason with and integrate the underlying knowledge and concepts in the broad field of Computer Science. This ability is necessary to continue the student’s studies in the Doctoral program.

Computer Science - Ph.D.

Push the boundaries of innovation with this research-intensive program, which is designed to prepare you as a leader in academia, industry or government. Work alongside expert faculty in a collaborative environment that emphasizes discovery, integration and emerging technologies, building the advanced skills needed to solve complex, real-world problems and advance the future of computing.

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Program Information for Computer Science - Ph.D.

Program Description

Full Description

The Ph.D. degree in Computer Science provides students with an educational and research environment that fosters personal and intellectual growth, flourishes academic goals and develops career paths through necessary training with emerging technologies. The program promotes research, discovery and integration, and is designed for students interested in becoming professional scholars, college and university professors or researchers in private, industrial or government research institutions.

Admissions for Computer Science - Ph.D.

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree or higher in computer science (or closely related field) from an accredited college or university1
  • Minimum 3.000 GPA on a 4.000-point scale
  • Official transcript(s)
  • GRE scores
  • Résumé
  • Goal statement
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:2
    • Minimum 71 TOEFL iBT score
    • Minimum 6.0 IELTS score
    • Minimum 50 PTE score
    • Minimum 100 DET score
1

Students whose records clearly indicate a potential to do doctoral-level work in computer science may be directly admitted and must fulfill the requirements of both the master's and doctorate degrees.

2

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores may be considered for conditional admission.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester
    • Application deadline: June 15
  • Spring Semester
    • Application deadline: November 1
  • Summer Term
    • Application deadline: April 1

All application materials (including applicable fee, transcripts, recommendation letters, etc.) submitted after these deadlines will be considered on a space-available basis.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Have all around breadth-of-knowledge and understanding of essential facts, concepts, principles and theories relating to advanced topics in computer science to be regarded as a scholar of computer science.
  2. Demonstrate depth of knowledge at least in one specialized topic.
  3. Conduct independent research by advancing the body of knowledge in the area through the doctoral dissertation research.
  4. Clearly articulate advanced research problems and their solutions.
  5. Present general computer science topics in a learning environment.
  6. Develop and write publishable papers that clearly articulate advanced research problems and their solutions.
  7. Demonstrate integrative and deep knowledge of essential literature, facts, concepts, principles and theories relating to a chosen area of research.
  8. Perform complete and thorough literature searches.
  9. Evaluate, comprehensively and critically, the extent to which a particular work relates to and/or contributes to a given field.
  10. Publish and participate in a chosen research community.

Coursework

On This Page

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements
CS 73005ADVANCED DATABASE SYSTEMS DESIGN 13
or CS 73901 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING METHODOLOGIES
CS 73201ADVANCED OPERATING SYSTEMS 13
or CS 75101 ADVANCED COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE
CS 76101ADVANCED TOPICS IN ALGORITHMS 13
CS 89191DOCTORAL SEMINAR (repeated for 3 credit hours total) 23
318-48
Culminating Requirement
CS 89199DISSERTATION I 430
Minimum Total Credit Hours for Post-Baccalaureate Students90
Minimum Total Credit Hours for Post-Master's Students60
1

Post-master’s students who have already completed one or more of these courses for their master's degree are exempt from retaking them and are permitted to substitute with electives, with the approval of the graduate coordinator.

2

Students must make at least two public presentations of project and/or research work (excluding the dissertation defense and candidacy examination) before graduation. At least one presentation must occur in the doctoral seminar no later than one full term before graduation and within two years of entering the program. CS 89191 is offered for 1 or 2 credit hours, and students must enroll in it at least twice. The course may be repeated multiple times, but a maximum of 3 credit hours may be applied toward the degree.

3

Post-master’s students may apply maximum 9 credit hours of CS 89098 toward their degree. Post-baccalaureate students may apply maximum 3 credit hours of CS 69098 and maximum 9 credit hours of CS 89098 toward the degree. Post-baccalaureate students also may apply up to 12 credit hours of 50000-level courses and up to 18 credit hours of 60000-level courses. The remaining credit hours must be at the 70000 or 80000 level.

4

Upon admission to candidacy, each doctoral student is required to register for CS 89199, totaling 30 credit hours. It is expected that students will continuously enroll in Dissertation I and, subsequently, in CS 89299 each semester until all degree requirements are fulfilled. The dissertation must present original research conducted by the student. The chosen dissertation topic requires approval from both the advisor and the graduate coordinator. A dissertation committee, composed of graduate faculty, will evaluate the quality and significance of the work. The student is also required to present a public dissertation defense. Final approval of the dissertation and defense must be granted by the advisor and the dissertation committee.

Graduation Requirements
Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
- 3.000

Proficiency Requirements and Candidacy

  1. Students must successfully complete the preliminary examination within the first two semesters for post-master’s students and within the first three semesters for post-baccalaureate students.
  2. The candidacy examination is a comprehensive assessment in the student’s major field. The format of the exam will be determined by the student’s Candidacy Examination Committee, which consists of the student’s advisor and two additional graduate faculty members. The committee must be approved by the graduate coordinator. Students must complete the candidacy examination at least one year prior to the dissertation defense and no later than nine months before they expect to receive the degree. Notification of the approved dissertation topic and submission of the prospectus must occur no later than the semester preceding the semester in which the student anticipates earning the doctoral degree.
Program Delivery

  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • ºìÐÓÊÓƵ Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries for Computer Science - Ph.D.

Computer science teachers, postsecondary

5.3%

faster than the average

44,800

number of jobs

$96,690

potential earnings

Computer and information systems managers

15.2%

much faster than the average

667,100

number of jobs

$171,200

potential earnings

Information security analysts

28.5%

much faster than the average

182,800

number of jobs

$124,910

potential earnings

Computer and information research scientists

19.7%

much faster than the average

40,300

number of jobs

$140,910

potential earnings

Computer programmers

-6.0%

decline

121,200

number of jobs

$98,670

potential earnings

Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' . Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
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