Overview

In a Nutshell...

As implemented at the department of Computer Science & Engineering, the Ph.D. process consists of three components:  coursework, research, and thesis preparation.  In your early years, you will be taking courses from an array of graduate topics covering theory, systems, programming, and application areas.  You will also be developing and refining your research skills; these skills include information analysis and synthesis as well as written and verbal presentation capabilities.  This period culminates in one of the three gateways that you must pass through to proceed toward your degree, the Qualifying Evaluation.

Once you pass through the 'quals' gateway, you earn your Master's degree and begin the second main portion of your doctoral work.  In this period, your coursework lightens, and your focus turns toward more intensive research efforts aimed at defining and intellectually pursuing a specific thesis topic.  During the last two months of this period, you begin General Exam activities.  These involve the analysis of assigned thesis-related research papers, the preparation of a written report based on that work, and the presentation of findings to a select audience. 

Passing through the General Exam gateway, which culminates in a Candidacy of Philosophy, lets you begin the most intensive phase of the process, thesis preparation.  It is in this stage that you integrate all of the skills you’ve learned in the past to focus on the research that will form the core of your thesis. You finally produce the complete written dissertation document and orally defend your dissertation before an examination committee. The successful culmination of these activities yields your Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree.

We present below a visual that summarizes the process just described:

Through all of these activities, you will receive the support and guidance of our lead academic advisor, a CSE faculty sponsor,  one or more faculty research advisors, many mentors and friends, and a collegial and success-oriented department.  We wish to ensure that your experience is positive, highly productive, and even enjoyable, and that you are fully prepared to be successful in whatever career you seek following your Ph.D.

Of course, the actual five-year doctoral process contains a myriad of academic requirements:  credit requirements, TA requirements, specific procedures and deadlines, and built-in progress reviews. These are described thorougly in menu items to your left.  And please keep in mind that the actual process will vary for each individual, as well. Some of you will complete coursework earlier than others.  Some will schedule General Exams in year 3 and some in year 4. 

Sample Five-Year Plan

What follows is a sample plan to help you envision how various components of the CSE doctoral program interact; note that it does not include TA requirements.

 Autumn QWinter QSpring QSummer Q

Year 1 

              

  • 1 Quals Course
  • Research
  • 1 Quals Course
  • Research
  • 1 Quals Course
  • Research
 

Year 2

  • 1 Quals Course
  • Research
  • 1 Quals Course
  • Research
  • 1 Quals Course
  • Quals Evaluation
 
Year 3
  • 1 post-Quals Course
  • Research
  • 1 post-Quals Course
  • Research
  • 1 post-Quals Course
  • Research

 

General Exam

Year 4
  • 1 post-Quals Course
  • Research
  • Research
  • Research
  • Dissertation Writing

 

or General Exam

Year 5
  • Research
  • Dissertation Writing
  • Research
  • Dissertation Writing
  • Research
  • Dissertation Writing

 

Final Exam

Last changed Tue, 2012-02-14 09:25