CSE Graduate Program Requirements

Graduate Program Requirements

Please, be aware that the graduate program forms are available at the graduate school

Master - Plan A

The Plan A program allows a student to combine individual study with generalized course work. The requirements for this degree are:

A minimum of six graduate courses (300's level courses)
An oral presentation of a thesis research proposal
A master's thesis
An oral presentation of thesis work

In some cases, students will need more than six courses to complete the Plan A program. The final decision as to the actual number of courses needed is made by the student and the advisory committee. For students planning on entering the Ph.D. program, the quality of the M.S. thesis is used to judge the student's ability to do independent design, research, and development.

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Master's Thesis

The master's thesis is an important part of the Plan A program. There are basically two kinds of master's thesis, a research thesis and a design thesis. In a research thesis the student is expected to conduct original research on a problem in computer science and engineering. The research master's thesis does not have to constitute a major original contribution to knowledge as is expected from a Ph.D. dissertation. It should, however, represent the solution to a meaningful problem from an appropriate area of computer science.

In a design thesis, the student is expected to develop a computer solution or application to a task suggested by his or her committee. The thesis work involves the design, implementation (in software and/or hardware), verification, and documentation of a complete system. The written thesis itself would document and describe the entire effort.

While no formal credits are assigned, the master's thesis represents the equivalent of at least nine graduate credits.

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Thesis Research Proposal

It is expected that the student will consult with his or her major advisor for guidance in defining the thesis. When a thesis area has been agreed upon, the student must submit a thesis proposal to his or her advisory committee. Once this proposal is approved, formal work on the thesis can begin.

Normally, it is expected that the thesis topic will be selected and approved as soon as possible, but before the end of the first complete year of study (i.e., by the beginning of the third semester of residence). Students are required to present a thesis proposal to their committee and other interested faculty so that the scope of the research project is clearly understood by all parties. The proposal will consist of an oral presentation based upon a document distributed to the committee in advance. The document should cover previous work in the area, define the specific problem to be addressed and outline the research plan.

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Oral Defense of Thesis

Near the end of the thesis work, the student will present a seminar on his or her results. This seminar is used by the student's advisory committee to decide if the thesis work has been complete satisfactorily. This presentation is open to all interested students and faculty members. At the end of the presentation, a short period is available for general questions.

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Master - Plan B

Students may elect (with the approval of the advisory committee) a Plan B master's program. The minimum requirements for this program are:

Nine graduate courses or the equivalent

The selection of the courses that make up this program of study is the responsibility of the student and the student's advisory committee. Advanced undergraduate courses may be included in the Plan of Study on the basis of two undergraduate courses for one graduate course. Not all undergraduate courses are acceptable toward meeting this minimum, even if they are required as background courses. Thus, any undergraduate courses must be approved IN ADVANCE by the advisory committee if they are to be included in the Plan of Study. Courses required by the undergraduate computer science program are not acceptable.

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Ph.D.

Each Ph.D. program is unique. It must, however, conform to the Graduate School requirements that it represent a minimum of two years full-time study beyond the M.S. and at least one year of full-time study must be completed at the Storrs campus.

A Ph.D. student (with an M.S. degree in Computer Science and/or Computer Engineering) will normally take eight graduate courses as part of the formal Plan of Study. In addition, it is expected that each student will participate in a number of independent activities such as informal seminars, directed reading, and research to broaden his or her background and to prepare for the dissertation research.

In addition, the Ph.D. program requires that you successfully complete the following degree requirements:

Key steps
General Exam:

The General Exam is a graduate school requirement that is administered by a student's advisory committee - please see the form

For this exam, the student writes a Ph.D. proposal and submits the proposal to his/her advisory committee 2+ weeks prior to the exam. The General exam, can have a written and/or oral portion; in CS&E we just have an oral portion - which is the presentation of the Ph.D. proposal. The student is given 50 minutes to 1 hour for a presentation, the audience can ask questions, and eventually, the audience is excused for closed session with the faculty in attendance. After that closed questioning session completes, the faculty present discuss and vote on the exam for Pass/Fail (under Section 3. Results of the entire examination).

When filling out the form in the above web-link, please enter: N/A (not applicable) for the written portion under Dates Given. For the Oral Section, put the date of the presentation, and list the normal 5 faculty members attending (1 advisor, 2 assoc advisors, and 2 other faculty).

Note that the rule for attendance is the Advisory Committee + 2. If there are 2 co-major advisors and 2 assoc advisors, you need 6 faculty attending. Same for 1 major advisor and 3 associates.

For students admitted direct to Ph.D. without an MS, the Comments, if any section, can be filled out with: "Please Confer MS Degree" at the discretion of the advisory committee.

Student's who pass the Doctoral General Exam and are funded move to Level III in their pay rate as long as they have at least an MS (or equivalent).

Dissertation Proposal:

If the General Exam is successful, then the student can submit a signed form with a copy of his PhD proposal to the Department Head (Prof. Reda Ammar).

Please also submit a copy of your General Exam result form so that Prof. Ammar knows the names of the required number of faculty who attended the exam.

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General Requirement

Coursework Constraints for M.S. and Ph.D. Programs

The approved coursework constraints for each of our three degrees area as follows:

M.S. Thesis

For the six (6) 3-credit courses that are required, at most 2 courses (6 credits) of these six can be CSE320 and/or at most 3 credits of CSE311. CSE367 are not allowed as part of the 6, but may be included on a Plan of Study if they are in addition to the six required courses.

M.S. Non-Thesis

For the nine (9) 3-credit courses that are required, at most 3 courses (9 credits) of these nine can be any combination of CSE320 and/or CSE367 and/or at most 3 credits of CSE311.

M.S. Degrees (Thesis or Non-Thesis)

At most three non-CSE courses (9 credits) on the Plan of Study.

Ph.D. with M.S. Degree

For the eight (8) courses that are required, at most 3 courses (9 credits total) of these eight can be CSE320 and/or at most 3 credits of CSE311.

Ph.D. with B.S. Degree

Students proceeding to the Ph.D. program directly from bachelors are constrained to take at most 5 CSE320 (15 credits total) and/or at most 3 credits of CSE311 from the 15 required courses.

These coursework constraints apply to graduate students based on admission date as follows:

M.S. students admitted in spring 2003 or later must satisfy these requirements.
Ph.D. students admitted in spring 2003 or later must satisfy these requirements.

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New Approval Forms

To facilitate the proposed agreed changes, there are two changes related to paperwork/processing:

In a manner consistent with our undergraduate program, the CSE Graduate Program Committee has instituted a signatory approval form for all M.S. and Ph.D. Plans of Study at the departmental level. Once signed by the advisory committee, the Plan of Study will be submitted to the CSE Graduate Program Committee, who will review, pass-back, or sign and pass forward to the UConn Graduate School. This will insure that all of the graduate program requirements are being satisfied.
Prior to the formal announcement and scheduling of the dissertation defense, the Ph.D. students must obtain a form from the CSE Graduate Program Committee that signifies that all their CSE pre-defense requirements (Ph.D. Coursework Constraints, and Ph.D. Publication Requirement) are satisfied.

The CSE Graduate Program Committee will develop a form or forms for these two issues.

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Computer Science & Engineering Department 371 Fairfield Road Unit 2155 Storrs, CT 06269-2155 Phone: (860) 486-3719 Fax: (860) 486-4817	Graduate Program Requirements Please, be aware that the graduate program forms are available at the graduate school Master - Plan A The Plan A program allows a student to combine individual study with generalized course work. The requirements for this degree are: A minimum of six graduate courses (300's level courses) An oral presentation of a thesis research proposal A master's thesis An oral presentation of thesis work In some cases, students will need more than six courses to complete the Plan A program. The final decision as to the actual number of courses needed is made by the student and the advisory committee. For students planning on entering the Ph.D. program, the quality of the M.S. thesis is used to judge the student's ability to do independent design, research, and development. [Back] Master's Thesis The master's thesis is an important part of the Plan A program. There are basically two kinds of master's thesis, a research thesis and a design thesis. In a research thesis the student is expected to conduct original research on a problem in computer science and engineering. The research master's thesis does not have to constitute a major original contribution to knowledge as is expected from a Ph.D. dissertation. It should, however, represent the solution to a meaningful problem from an appropriate area of computer science. In a design thesis, the student is expected to develop a computer solution or application to a task suggested by his or her committee. The thesis work involves the design, implementation (in software and/or hardware), verification, and documentation of a complete system. The written thesis itself would document and describe the entire effort. While no formal credits are assigned, the master's thesis represents the equivalent of at least nine graduate credits. [Back] Thesis Research Proposal It is expected that the student will consult with his or her major advisor for guidance in defining the thesis. When a thesis area has been agreed upon, the student must submit a thesis proposal to his or her advisory committee. Once this proposal is approved, formal work on the thesis can begin. Normally, it is expected that the thesis topic will be selected and approved as soon as possible, but before the end of the first complete year of study (i.e., by the beginning of the third semester of residence). Students are required to present a thesis proposal to their committee and other interested faculty so that the scope of the research project is clearly understood by all parties. The proposal will consist of an oral presentation based upon a document distributed to the committee in advance. The document should cover previous work in the area, define the specific problem to be addressed and outline the research plan. [Back] Oral Defense of Thesis Near the end of the thesis work, the student will present a seminar on his or her results. This seminar is used by the student's advisory committee to decide if the thesis work has been complete satisfactorily. This presentation is open to all interested students and faculty members. At the end of the presentation, a short period is available for general questions. [Back] Master - Plan B Students may elect (with the approval of the advisory committee) a Plan B master's program. The minimum requirements for this program are: Nine graduate courses or the equivalent The selection of the courses that make up this program of study is the responsibility of the student and the student's advisory committee. Advanced undergraduate courses may be included in the Plan of Study on the basis of two undergraduate courses for one graduate course. Not all undergraduate courses are acceptable toward meeting this minimum, even if they are required as background courses. Thus, any undergraduate courses must be approved IN ADVANCE by the advisory committee if they are to be included in the Plan of Study. Courses required by the undergraduate computer science program are not acceptable. [Back] Ph.D. Each Ph.D. program is unique. It must, however, conform to the Graduate School requirements that it represent a minimum of two years full-time study beyond the M.S. and at least one year of full-time study must be completed at the Storrs campus. A Ph.D. student (with an M.S. degree in Computer Science and/or Computer Engineering) will normally take eight graduate courses as part of the formal Plan of Study. In addition, it is expected that each student will participate in a number of independent activities such as informal seminars, directed reading, and research to broaden his or her background and to prepare for the dissertation research. In addition, the Ph.D. program requires that you successfully complete the following degree requirements: Research Paper Review Ph.D. Exam Related Area Residence Requirement Plan of Study Submission Ph.D. Publication Requirement Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal Ph.D. Dissertation Prospectus Ph.D. Dissertation Key steps General Exam: The General Exam is a graduate school requirement that is administered by a student's advisory committee - please see the form For this exam, the student writes a Ph.D. proposal and submits the proposal to his/her advisory committee 2+ weeks prior to the exam. The General exam, can have a written and/or oral portion; in CS&E we just have an oral portion - which is the presentation of the Ph.D. proposal. The student is given 50 minutes to 1 hour for a presentation, the audience can ask questions, and eventually, the audience is excused for closed session with the faculty in attendance. After that closed questioning session completes, the faculty present discuss and vote on the exam for Pass/Fail (under Section 3. Results of the entire examination). When filling out the form in the above web-link, please enter: N/A (not applicable) for the written portion under Dates Given. For the Oral Section, put the date of the presentation, and list the normal 5 faculty members attending (1 advisor, 2 assoc advisors, and 2 other faculty). Note that the rule for attendance is the Advisory Committee + 2. If there are 2 co-major advisors and 2 assoc advisors, you need 6 faculty attending. Same for 1 major advisor and 3 associates. For students admitted direct to Ph.D. without an MS, the Comments, if any section, can be filled out with: "Please Confer MS Degree" at the discretion of the advisory committee. Student's who pass the Doctoral General Exam and are funded move to Level III in their pay rate as long as they have at least an MS (or equivalent). Dissertation Proposal: If the General Exam is successful, then the student can submit a signed form with a copy of his PhD proposal to the Department Head (Prof. Reda Ammar). Please also submit a copy of your General Exam result form so that Prof. Ammar knows the names of the required number of faculty who attended the exam. [Back] General Requirement Coursework Constraints for M.S. and Ph.D. Programs The approved coursework constraints for each of our three degrees area as follows: M.S. Thesis For the six (6) 3-credit courses that are required, at most 2 courses (6 credits) of these six can be CSE320 and/or at most 3 credits of CSE311. CSE367 are not allowed as part of the 6, but may be included on a Plan of Study if they are in addition to the six required courses. M.S. Non-Thesis For the nine (9) 3-credit courses that are required, at most 3 courses (9 credits) of these nine can be any combination of CSE320 and/or CSE367 and/or at most 3 credits of CSE311. M.S. Degrees (Thesis or Non-Thesis) At most three non-CSE courses (9 credits) on the Plan of Study. Ph.D. with M.S. Degree For the eight (8) courses that are required, at most 3 courses (9 credits total) of these eight can be CSE320 and/or at most 3 credits of CSE311. Ph.D. with B.S. Degree Students proceeding to the Ph.D. program directly from bachelors are constrained to take at most 5 CSE320 (15 credits total) and/or at most 3 credits of CSE311 from the 15 required courses. These coursework constraints apply to graduate students based on admission date as follows: M.S. students admitted in spring 2003 or later must satisfy these requirements. Ph.D. students admitted in spring 2003 or later must satisfy these requirements. [Back] New Approval Forms To facilitate the proposed agreed changes, there are two changes related to paperwork/processing: In a manner consistent with our undergraduate program, the CSE Graduate Program Committee has instituted a signatory approval form for all M.S. and Ph.D. Plans of Study at the departmental level. Once signed by the advisory committee, the Plan of Study will be submitted to the CSE Graduate Program Committee, who will review, pass-back, or sign and pass forward to the UConn Graduate School. This will insure that all of the graduate program requirements are being satisfied. Prior to the formal announcement and scheduling of the dissertation defense, the Ph.D. students must obtain a form from the CSE Graduate Program Committee that signifies that all their CSE pre-defense requirements (Ph.D. Coursework Constraints, and Ph.D. Publication Requirement) are satisfied. The CSE Graduate Program Committee will develop a form or forms for these two issues. [Back] Print \| Email