Program Components

Plan of Study

A list of course work and other requirements for the degree should be prepared with the advisor and submitted to the program co-directors for approval. The successful completion of all work indicated on the plan of study is an important prerequisite for the conferring of the degree. A plan of study should be submitted for approval by the end of the first semester of the program. The current plan of study should be updated before the beginning of the second year of the program and submitted for re-approval to the co-directors.

Preliminary Exam

According to Graduate School rules, students are required to demonstrate their basic knowledge and preparation toward more advanced doctoral level work. For more information visit the CSIS program Web site.

Comprehensive Exam

Students will submit a paper to fulfill the graduate school’s comprehensive exam requirement. The paper should describe an area of research including literature review, problem definition and possible methodologies/models to study a significant problem in computer science or information systems. The paper will be evaluated by a committee of three faculty members. An oral presentation of the paper will be open to the entire CSIS faculty. The committee may adopt additional guidelines to evaluate the paper and presentation. According to graduate school rules, the comprehensive exam must be completed by the end of the fourth year in the program. In addition to these requirements, the comprehensive exam must meet the other graduate school requirements.

Dissertation Proposal

As the first phase of the dissertation, each student should prepare a proposal that will be evaluated by the doctoral committee. A proposal should be ready for review at least one semester before the expected completion date of the degree. The proposal is submitted for review and approval by the doctoral committee. An oral presentation of the dissertation proposal before the doctoral committee is required for approval. An approved proposal is then submitted to the co-directors of the program for final approval.

University-Level Instructional Training

During the program, each student will obtain training for university level instruction. This requirement can be fulfilled by working with a faculty member as a teaching assistant, attending university-level teacher training or teaching a university-level class. Students who plan a university career will be encouraged to teach one or more courses and participate in training. When teaching or working as a teaching assistant, a student will be compensated according to standard university salaries.

Dissertation Completion

Following completion of the approval of the dissertation proposal, each student prepares and then submits a dissertation. The dissertation is defended before the doctoral committee in a public meeting. Final approval for the dissertation is given by a vote of the dissertation committee after the public defense of the dissertation.

Graduation

Upon completion of all degree requirements, including the dissertation defense, the student receives the degree of doctor of philosophy. Students applying through the CSE receive the PhD from the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, while students applying through the information systems program receive the PhD from the Business School.