Computer Science Specializing in Computational Science and Engineering Ph.D.

Students must complete 72 credits of course work and research beyond the B.S. degree, with at least 36 credits in formal course work. They must take 1) at least 12 credits in an area of natural science or engineering; 2) at least nine credits in numerical analysis and/or scientific computation; and 3) at least one course in software systems, hardware systems, and visualization. They must further demonstrate mathematical sophistication by having taken at least eight credits of 4000- or 6000-level mathematics courses (exclusive of numerical analysis) and programming ability by having done a substantial software project. The mathematical and programming proficiency requirements can be satisfied by work done outside of the Ph.D. degree program. Graduate students are expected to attend the Computer Science Collequium series on a regular basis.

After one year of study, students must pass a qualifying examination in 1) numerical computing (material equivalent to CSCI 4800), 2) software and hardware systems (material equivalent to CSCI 4020, and CSCI 4430), and 3) a scientific or engineering field of specialization.

By the end of the second year students must pass a research qualifying exam demonstrating breadth of knowledge in their research area. After their third year of graduate study, students are expected to pass an oral candidacy examination that focuses on their research. Subsequent to passing this examination, students must present two public lectures on their research and write and defend a dissertation.

Doctoral course requirements are inclusive of those for the M.S. degree. As with the M.S. degree, applicants apply in the usual manner, but should have backgrounds including courses in calculus, elementary linear algebra, elementary differential equations, discrete mathematics, datastructures, and numerical computing. Courses in computer organization and computing languages are recommended.