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COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
- GRADUATE
www.as.miami.edu
Degree Programs
The department of Computer Science offers a Master of Science
in Computer Science and a Doctor of Philosophy in Computer
Science.
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
The Master of Science program in Computer Science is overseen
by the Computer Science Graduate Committee (CSGC). The basic
guidelines for approval of a students program are recommendations
appearing in the Communications of the Association for Computing
Machinery (ACM), the professional society in Computer Science.
Prerequisites
Completion of the following courses, or their equivalents,
is prerequisite to entry into the program: CSC 120, CSC 220,
CSC 314, CSC 517, CSC 527, MTH 111, MTH 224, and MTH 309.
Students may be admitted with deficiencies; these must be
completed in addition to the degree requirements.
Requirements
Students must complete either the thesis option or the coursework
option.
1. Thesis option:
• CSC 710 - Masters Thesis (6 credits) and coursework,
one of:
• 12 credits from CSC 6XX courses and 15 credits from
other approved courses.
• 9-11 credits from CSC 6XX courses and 19-21 credits
from other approved courses.
2. Coursework option:
• 36 credits of approved courses, including, at least
18 credits from CSC 6XX courses.
• At least 18 credits, exclusive of the thesis credits,
must be earned in courses offered by the Department of Computer
Science.
• Each program must include both theoretical and experimental
topics, and may not include more than 3 credits from CSC
670.
Recommended subjects include:
Operating Systems, Programming Languages, Analysis of Algorithms,
Theory of Computation, and Computer Architecture or Software
Development. The approval is made by the CSGC and the Department
Chairman or designate. Programs may thus be individually
tailored to meet varied backgrounds and objectives. It is
recognized that there are still individuals with undergraduate
degrees in other fields wishing to pursue graduate work
in Computer Science, and other individuals with work experience
in the field wishing to advance their formal training in
Computer Science.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
The Doctor of Philosophy program in Computer Science is overseen
by the Computer Science Graduate Committee (CSGC). The basic
guidelines for approval of a student’s program are recommendations
appearing in the Communications of the Association for Computing
Machinery (ACM), the professional society in Computer Science.
Prerequisites
In order to be admitted to the Ph.D. program in Computer Science,
an applicant must have obtained a minimum of 15 credits in
courses at sophomore level and above. These courses in the
Department of Computer Science are numbered 200 and above.
Applicants may be admitted with deficiencies; these must be
completed in addition to the degree requirements.
Requirements
Written Qualifying Exam:
The student must pass a three-hour written exam of general
knowledge of Computer Science at the end of the first year.
Upon failure, the student may petition the CSGC to allow a
second attempt at the end of the second year. The exam
will be administered once a year in the early weeks of the
summer session. It will cover expected knowledge of all first-year
graduate students. Included in this material are a fundamental
understanding of algorithm analysis and design, advanced skills
in programming, basic knowledge of computer architecture,
and a general understanding of computer systems.
Classroom Course Requirements:
In the first two years, the student must take eight CSGC-approved
classroom courses, for a total of 24 credits. At least four
of these courses (12 credits) must be open only to graduate
students. These courses are numbered 600 and above. The eight
courses must include two courses from each of the areas of
Analysis, Applications, and Systems. The student should work
with the Director of Graduate Studies to select a cohesive
set of courses as approved by the CSGC. The CSGC will have
sole authority in designating the areas to which each course
belongs. In the case that a course is designated in more than
one area, a student may apply the course to only one area.
The designation of current CSGC-approved courses appears at
the end of this description.
Project Course Requirements:
By the end of the second year the student must complete two
graduate level project courses for a minimum total of 6 credits.
Each project shall be under the supervision of a different
faculty member in the Department. All Ph.D. students
must find faculty willing to supervise their project in the
semester preceding the project. The deadline for finding a
supervisor shall be the first full week in April or November
for the Fall and Spring terms, respectively. This deadline
does not require identifying a specific project but only finding
a faculty member willing to supervise a project. Upon
completion of a project, the student must write a detailed
project report. This report shall become a public document
and shall be kept on file by the Department. The student must
present the finished project to a quorum of the CSGC at a
time to be approved by the chairman of the Department. The
supervisor and CSGC must approve each project as applicable
toward candidacy for a Ph.D. A primary factor in determining
approval shall be the stated willingness of the supervisor
to become an initial Ph.D. advisor for the student.
Annual Presentations:
After passing the written qualifying exam, the student must
make a public oral presentation to the Department at least
once per year. These presentations include the two project
presentations, the thesis proposal, and the thesis defense.
The goals are to develop the student’s oral and presentation
skills, to provide a means for the Department to check the
research and progress of the student, and to present the opportunity
for feedback to improve the student’s research.
Teaching Experience:
Each student must teach a lab-based course for a minimum of
one semester. Lab-based courses typically require the student
to present material in a relaxed lecture format, re-emphasizing
material learned in the general lecture as well as introducing
new material to the students.
Approved Courses for Doctor of Philosophy
Analysis
Applications
Systems
Approved Graduate Courses
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