Computer Science and Engineering

Chair: Gita Alaghband
Program Manager: Christina Ridd
Administrative Assistant: Megan Rogers
Office: Lawrence Street Center, 8th Floor
Telephone: 303-315-1408
Fax: 303-315-1410
Website: engineering.ucdenver.edu/cse

Faculty

Professors
Gita Alaghband, PhD, University of Colorado
Research areas: parallel and distributed systems, parallel algorithms, applications and languages, high-performance computing

Tom Altman, PhD, University of Pittsburgh
Research areas: algorithms, optimization, theory

Min-Hyung Choi, PhD, University of Iowa
Research areas: computer graphics, animation, virtual reality, human computer interface

Associate Professors
Ellen Gethner, PhD, University of British Columbia; PhD, Ohio State University
Research areas: graph theory, number theory, combinatorics, discrete geometry, computational geometry, visualization, algorithms

Ilkyeun Ra, PhD, Syracuse University
Research areas: computer networks, cloud computing, high-performance computing, distributed computing systems

Assistant Professors
Farnoush Banaei-Kashani, PhD, University of Southern California
Research areas: big data, data science, data management and mining, database systems, applied machine learning, computational biomedicine and biology

Ashis Biswas, PhD, University of Texas at Arlington
Research areas: machine learning, data mining, big data analysis, bioinformatics

Liang He, PhD, Nankai University
Research areas: cyber-physical systems, cognitive battery management, IoTs, mobile computing

Haadi Jafarian, PhD, University of North Carolina Charlotte
Research areas: proactive security for cyber threats, big data analytics for cyber threat intelligence, security for cyber-physical systems & critical infrastructures, security for IoTs, security analytics & automation, science of security

Assistant Professors (Clinical Teaching Track)
Madhuri Debnath, PhD, University of Texas at Arlington
Research areas: data mining, spatio-temporal data analysis, data science, machine learning

Salim Lakhani, PhD, Purdue University
Research areas: cloud computing and security, distributed computing & database systems

Senior Instructor (Clinical Teaching Track)
Diane Yoha, MS, University of Colorado Denver
Reserach areas: artificial intelligence, linguistic geometry, natural language processing

Professor Emeriti
Boris Stilman, PhD, National Research Institute for Electrical Engineering, Moscow, Russia

Mission Statement

With the advances in technology and the rapid and prevalent growth of the information-based economy, computer science has become an enabling science for nearly all disciplines that impact engineering, science, business, health and government. The future of the discipline promises even more innovative advances. The Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Colorado Denver is committed to providing outstanding education and research training to our diverse undergraduate and graduate students for productive careers in industry, academia and government in the Denver metropolitan area, state and beyond. Our faculty strives for excellence in teaching, research and service by covering a broad spectrum of the discipline’s core fundamentals, as well as applied aspects including those of interdisciplinary nature. We actively engage our students in classroom and out-of-classroom research and help them develop the skills needed to solve complex real-world technological problems of modern society.

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering offers MS and PhD degrees:

The MS degree is awarded in computer science (CS) to those students who wish to pursue graduate studies to further develop their education. The MS in CS graduate program covers the core knowledge of key concepts of computer science as well as offers flexibility to pursue specializing in various fields of interests.
A track in Data Science in Biomedicine is offered as a MS thesis option. Students who choose this track will adopt biomedical applications of data science to learn data science methodologies and technologies.
The graduate certificate in software engineering is designed for working professionals, or computer science students beginning their careers, who are in the field of software engineering and/or software development.
The graduate certificate in cybersecurity & defense is designed for working professionals in the field of computer science, network and/or security operations. The certificate program in Cyber Security and Defense will prepare Computer Science professionals to identify, analyze, and mitigate technical cybersecurity related vulnerabilities, exploits and attacks against network and critical cyber infrastructure.
The Computer Science and Information Systems PhD is awarded from the College of Engineering, Design and Computing. The CSIS PhD program is an interdisciplinary, joint program between the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the Information Systems program in the Business School.
The multidisciplinary engineering, design and computing PhD degree is available through the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

Most up-to-date information on all programs offered through the Computer Science and Engineering Department can be obtained from the department’s website at: engineering.ucdenver.edu/cse.

Graduate Programs

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) offers a master of science in computer science . The CSE department also offers a doctoral degree in computer science and information systems . In addition, the engineering and applied science doctor of philosophy degree is available through the CSE department.

Expertise expand several areas of research including algorithms, artificial intelligence, big data management & mining, cloud computing, computer architectures, computer graphics, computer networks, computer security, cyber-physical systems, cyber security & defense, data science, database systems, distributed computing, graph theory, high-performance computing, Internet, machine learning, mobile computing, operating systems, parallel and distributed systems, software engineering and virtual reality.

Requests for applications for graduate study in computer science and engineering should be addressed to:

Graduate School
Campus Box 163
P.O. Box 173364
Denver, CO 80217-3364

COURIER ADDRESS (UPS, FEDEX, etc.):
Graduate School
1380 Lawrence Street, Suite 1251
Denver, CO 80204

Contact Email: CEASGApplications@ucdenver.edu
Phone: 303-315-2179

All applicants for admission must submit complete credentials as outlined in the instructions that accompany the application materials.

Master of Science (MS) in Computer Science

Admission Requirements

Applicants should hold a bachelor’s degree from an institution comparable to the University of Colorado. They need to have sufficient programming experience and mathematical maturity to understand advanced courses. Qualified applicants holding a degree outside computer science or equivalent fields may need to take additional foundational undergraduate courses before starting the graduate program.

Admission decisions are based on prior academic performance, letters of recommendation, English proficiency, if applicable, as well as the applicant’s written statement of purpose.

Additional requirements include:
(1) 10 credit hours, on the semester basis, of university-level calculus
(2) at least one math course beyond calculus, such as advanced calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, probability, statistics or combinatorial analysis.

Students lacking some of these requirements, whose background is otherwise satisfactory, may be admitted with the understanding that the certain undergraduate courses have to be completed after admission. Additional information regarding the admissions process may be found at engineering.ucdenver.edu/cse.

Required GPA
Regular admission: Applicants should have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.

Transfer Credit
A maximum of 9 semester hours of graduate course work may be transferred into the program based on department approval. In principle, core courses must be taken from the CSE department at CU Denver.
Note: Candidates applying for MS study will be individually evaluated by the department’s graduate committee. A letter with a decision will be sent to the applicant by the graduate committee chair.

Computer Science and Information Systems (CSIS) PhD

Admission

The Computer Science and Information Systems PhD Computer Science track is awarded from the College of Engineering, Design and Computing. Students interested in the information systems track are referred to CU Denver Business School CSIS PhD program . The CSIS PhD degree is an interdisciplinary program designed to provide an infrastructure for a wide spectrum of research possibilities in the computer science and information systems field by emphasizing the scientific, algorithmic, system design and computing aspects of the field.

Admission criteria include GPA (undergraduate and graduate), standardized test scores (GRE), letters of recommendation, prior achievements in academia and industry and an application portfolio essay describing an applicant’s motivation and an initial plan for doctoral study. The application portfolio is important to gauge an applicant’s motivation for research training.

Exceptionally motivated students with BS degrees in computer science, information systems, or closely related fields may apply to the CSIS PhD program directly. Students without a master’s degree must complete at least 30 hours of CSIS PhD required course work in addition to the 30 hours of dissertation.

Supervision of the PhD Program

The PhD program is supervised by the two program co-directors. The duties of the co-directors include scheduling of doctoral courses, setting program policies subject to approval of business and CSE faculty, working with advisors to ensure compliance with the program guidelines, resolving disputes, measuring performance of the program over time and providing the final decision on admittance of students.

Advisor

Upon entering the program, each chooses an advisor to provide mentoring and guidance throughout the program and work with the student to prepare a program of study. Requests to change advisors must be approved by the program co-directors, and this happens in very rare circumstances.

Program Requirements and Milestones

For details about program requirements in the computer science track, see the CSIS PhD Handbook.

Engineering, Design and Computing PhD

Graduate School Policies and Procedures apply to this program

The multidisciplinary Engineering and Applied Science Doctor of Philosophy degree program is offered by the College of Engineering, Design and Computing and consists of a primary and secondary concentration. Applicants apply and enter the program through one of four departments, called the host department, which is chosen based on the applicant’s intended primary concentration of study. The four departments that serve as host departments are:

Civil Engineering
Computer Science and Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering

Each host department offers several concentrations. A list of concentrations can be found on each department’s website. Go to engineering.ucdenver.edu to learn more.

The required secondary concentration can be chosen from any remaining department within the college, including the Department of Bioengineering. The secondary concentration may also be chosen from another CU Denver school or college. A student chooses his/her secondary concentration with the help of a faculty advisor after entering the program.

Requirements for Admission

Requirements for admission to the Engineering and Applied Science PhD program can be found under the Degree Programs link on each host department’s website.

Civil Engineering (engineering.ucdenver.edu/civil)
Computer Science and Engineering (engineering.ucdenver.edu/cse)
Electrical Engineering (engineering.ucdenver.edu/electrical)
Mechanical Engineering (engineering.ucdenver.edu/mechanical)

Degree Requirements

The minimum degree requirements consist of 30 semester hours of course work in the primary and secondary areas of concentration, as well as 30 semester hours of research/dissertation credit. Each candidate for the degree is expected to take a preliminary examination by the end of the second year. After successful completion of this exam, the student is required to take the comprehensive examination and the doctoral dissertation defense examination. Additional requirements are outlined in the Rules and Regulations document that each student signs after being admitted to the program. Each student must also satisfy the degree requirements of the CU Denver Graduate School.

Program Requirements and Milestones

For details about program requirements in the computer science track, see the CSIS PhD Handbook.