For Grads

• Graduate Program
• Life as a Grad Student
• PhD Requirements
• MS/PhD Requirements
  • Core Requirements
  • Course Requirements
  • Synthesis and MS Project
  • Portfolio
  • Committee and Proposal
  • Defense and Graduation
  • Other Program Information
• MS Requirements
• Student Forms
• Academic Progress
• Courses

M.S./Ph.D. Program Requirements

Most Computer Science graduate students are admitted to the MS/PhD track. That means they are intending to work toward a PhD, but will acquire a masters degree along the way. During the first stage of a student's graduate career, he or she will be simultaneously working toward the MS degree and compiling a portfolio, both of which are requirements of the PhD. Pages list the program requirements for student admitted to the MS/PhD track.

The School expects that students starting work in the MS/PhD track have a solid undergraduate background in Computer Science. If you are unsure of your background, you should consult your advisor.

M.S/Ph.D. Students are required to:

• Actively participate in research under the guidance of an advisor
• Satisfy 6 Core Requirements across the areas of Systems, AI and Theory
  • 2 from each area (see requirements and restrictions)
  • 3 in any area, 2 in another, 1 in the last (see requirements and restrictions)
• Complete 30 course credits (core courses taken to satisfy core requirements are included)
• Complete a 6-credit MS Project (usually combined with the Synthesis Project)
• Graduate with an M.S. Degree
• Pass the School of Computer Science Qualifying Exam- Portfolio
• Form a Committee
• Propose a Thesis
• Complete 18 Dissertation Credits
• Pass the Teaching Assistant Requirement
• Pass the Residency Requirement (at least 9 credits, each semester, in back-to-back semesters)
• Defend and Submit a Thesis

Sample schedule (MS/PhD)

The following schedule shows one way in which an MS/PhD student could progress through the program to complete both the MS and PhD in five years (most students who complete in five years actually complete in the summer after their 10th semester). Because people have different backgrounds and different skills, your progress will almost certainly vary somewhat from this. It can be a helpful guide nonetheless. Students supported by an RAship will be able to make progress more efficiently if their Masters and Synthesis projects as well as their dissertation are well aligned with the RAship.

Year	Fall	Spring
1st	core (3cr) non-core (3cr) RA/TA	core (3cr) non-core (3cr) RA/TA
2nd	core (3cr) non-core (3cr) RA/TA	core (3cr) MA/synthesis begins RA overlaps project
3rd	core (3cr) MA/synthesis completed (6cr) RA overlaps project portfolio submitted MS completed	core (3cr) RA/TA
4th	non-core (3cr) RA/TA thesis proposal	dissertation (9cr) RA/TA
5th	dissertation (9cr) RA/TA	RA/TA thesis defense PhD completed

 

Most MS/PhD students are supported by research or teaching assistantships.