Computer Science (PhD)
The doctor of philosophy in computer science is, above all, a high-quality degree that is not conferred simply for the successful completion of a specified number of courses or years of study. It is a degree reserved for students who demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of computer science and an ability to do creative research. Each PhD student produces a significant piece of original research, presented in a written dissertation and defended in an oral examination.
The PhD program is structured to facilitate the process of learning how to do research. Students begin by taking required courses to build a foundation of knowledge that is essential for advanced research. Early in the program the student gains research experience by undertaking a directed research project under the close supervision of a faculty member and the scrutiny of a faculty committee. In the later stages of the program, students take fewer courses and spend most of their time exploring their dissertation area to learn how to identify and solve open problems. The final steps are to propose an independent research project, do the research, and write and defend a dissertation.
Admission
Application materials should be submitted by December 15 for the following fall term. Materials include everything required for admission to the master’s program as well as a discussion of the anticipated research area.
Students who enter the UO with a master’s degree may petition the Graduate Education Committee for credit toward the course requirements listed below, indicating how their prior graduate work corresponds to these courses. See the graduate coordinator for the petition.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Core Knowledge Breadth: Demonstrate a broad working knowledge of fundamental theories, research findings and methodological approaches in multiple content areas within Computer Science (Foundations, Systems, Data Science).
- Core Knowledge Depth: Demonstrate a deep working knowledge of advanced theories, research findings, and methodological approaches within one of the Computer Science areas of Foundations, Systems, and Data Science.
- Software Engineering: Demonstrate a working knowledge of software engineering and development techniques and related hands-on skills.
- Scientific Inquiry: Achieve a deep fluency in the scientific literature and the ability to ask and pursue compelling questions within a primary field of research, and achieve proficiency in relevant experimental design, methodology, and data analysis/statistical methods.
- Scientific Communication: Demonstrate effective oral and written scientific communication skills.
PhD Course Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Breadth Requirement: 12 credits total 1 | 12 | |
| Algorithms and Complexity | ||
| Data Science | ||
| And one of the following: | ||
| Distributed Systems | ||
| Parallel Processing | ||
| Depth Requirement: Choose one, 12 credits total 1 | 12 | |
| Each Depth requires three courses, at least one at 600-level | ||
| Foundations Depth | ||
| Advanced Data Structures | ||
| Automata Theory | ||
| User Interfaces | ||
| Modeling and Simulation | ||
| Introduction to Compilers | ||
| Structure of Programming Languages | ||
| Data Science Depth | ||
| User Interfaces | ||
| Data Mining | ||
| Introduction to Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Machine Learning | ||
| Probabilistic Methods for Artificial Intelligence | ||
CS 6XX TBA | ||
| Systems Depth | ||
| Introduction to Parallel Computing | ||
| Introduction to Networks | ||
| Computer and Network Security | ||
| Introduction to Computer Graphics | ||
| Introduction to Compilers | ||
| Distributed Systems | ||
| Parallel Processing | ||
| Computer Networks | ||
| Advanced Network Security | ||
| Writing Requirement | 2 | |
| Writing in Computer Research | ||
| Elective Options: 24 credits total | 24 | |
| Total Credits | 50 | |
| 1 | A grade of B- or better is required |
| 2 | Cannot duplicate Depth course used |
| 3 | Cannot duplicate Breadth course used |
| 4 | A grade of C or better is required in graded elective credits |
PhD Degree Requirements
PhD candidates who enter the program without a master’s degree in computer science must take 48 credits in graduate course work including the core and cluster courses required for the MS program. Doctoral students must earn a minimum grade of B– and an overall GPA of 3.50 in the six courses they use to satisfy the breadth and depth requirements.
Minimum Annual Enrollment
PhD students are expected to enroll in at least 6 credits of 600-level course work each year until their advancement to candidacy. Research: [Topic] (CS 601), Dissertation (CS 603), and Reading Conference: [Topic] (CS 605) do not satisfy this requirement. After candidacy, PhD students are encouraged to continue participation in 600-level courses
Directed Research Project
Complete a directed research project, which is supervised by a faculty member and evaluated by a faculty committee. The research project comprises the following:
- The definition and expected results of the project in the form of a Directed Research Project Contract
- Delivery of the materials constituting the results of the project and oral presentation of the results
- A private oral examination by the committee members
Status Change
PhD candidates are admitted conditionally. Successful completion of the directed research project leads to a change in the student’s doctoral status from conditional to unconditional.
Dissertation Advisory Committee
After successfully completing the directed research project, PhD students form a Dissertation Advisory Committee chaired by their research advisor. The main role of the committee is to advise the student between completion of the research project and mounting the dissertation defense. The committee takes primary responsibility for evaluating student progress. In addition, it approves the plan for the area examination, which in turn is approved by the graduate education committee. See the graduate coordinator for further instructions.
Area Examination
The student chooses an area of research and works closely with an advisor to learn the area in depth by surveying the current research and learning research methods, significant achievements, and how to pose and solve problems. The student gradually assumes a more independent role and prepares for the area examination, which tests depth of knowledge in the research area. The examination contains the following:
- A survey of the area in the form of a position paper and an annotated bibliography
- A public presentation of the position paper
- A private oral examination by committee members
Advancement to Candidacy
After the area examination, the committee decides whether the student is ready for independent research work; if so, the student is advanced to candidacy.
Dissertation and Defense
Identify a significant unsolved research problem and submit a written dissertation proposal to the dissertation committee. The dissertation committee, comprising three department members and one member from an outside department, is approved by the graduate education committee. In addition to these four, the dissertation committee often includes a fifth examiner. This outside examiner should be a leading researcher in the candidate’s field who is not at the University of Oregon. The outside member should be selected a year before the candidate’s dissertation defense, and no later than six months before.
The student submits a written dissertation proposal to the committee for approval, and the proposal is then submitted to the graduate education committee. The proposal presents the research problems to be tackled, related research, methodology, anticipated results, and work plan. The committee may request an oral presentation, similar to the area exam, which allows the student to explain and answer question about the proposed research. The student then carries out the research.
The final stage is writing a dissertation and defending it in a public forum by presenting the research and answering questions about the methods and results. The dissertation committee may accept the dissertation, request small changes, or require the student to make substantial changes and schedule another defense
Division of Graduate Studies Requirements
PhD students must meet the requirements set by the Division of Graduate Studies as listed in that section of this catalog
Research Areas
It is important that a PhD student be able to work effectively with at least one dissertation advisor. Hence the student should identify, at an early stage, one or more areas of research to pursue. The student should also find a faculty member with similar interests to supervise the dissertation.