Ph.D. in Computer Science

Program Description

The Department of Computer Science offers programs leading to theMSand PhD in computer science. The PhD program consists of coursework and a sequence of research milestones culminating in a doctoral dissertation. The PhD course program includes a breadth requirement, satisfied by earning qualifying credit in three of six core areas of subject knowledge and an additional elective area. All entering PhD graduate students participate in a special seminar course (Computer Science 701S) to introduce them to the discipline and profession of computer science. Students should consult the departmental document Computer Science Graduate Program Degree Requirements for a full description of degree requirements.

A student entering graduate study in computer science should have a strong undergraduate grounding in the fundamentals of calculus and discrete mathematics, and basic knowledge of data structures, algorithms, and one or more higher-level computing programming languages. For applicants to the PhD program some undergraduate research experience is preferred.

The research activities of the department’s faculty provide exciting and challenging research opportunities to students in computer science. The department has strong research programs in algorithms and computational complexity; computational geometry; internet systems, networking and security; computer architectures and distributed systems; computational biology; biological computing and nanotechnologies; databases, mobile, and cloud computing; machine learning theory and applications; and artificial intelligence, computational economics, computer vision, natural language processing, and scientific computing. Research in computer science overlaps with research areas in other disciplines including biology, engineering, nanotechnology, environmental sciences, economics, biochemistry, statistics, and medicine.

Statistics

• Computer Science: PhD Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
• Computer Science: PhD Completion Rate Statistics
• Computer Science: PhD Time to Degree Statistics
• Computer Science: PhD Career Outcomes Statistics

Application Information

Application Terms Available:Fall

Application Deadlines:December 16

Graduate School Application Requirements
See theApplication Instructionspage for important details about each Graduate School requirement.

• Transcripts: Unofficial transcripts required with application submission; official transcripts required upon admission
• Letters of Recommendation: 3 Required
• Statement of Purpose: Required
• Résumé: Required
• GRE Scores: GRE General (Optional)
• English Language Exam: TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test required* for applicants whose first language is not English
  *test waiver may apply for some applicants
• GPA: Undergraduate GPA calculated on 4.0 scale required

Writing Sample
None required

We strongly encourage you to review additional department-specific application guidance from the program to which you are applying:Departmental Application Guidance

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