The Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (Ph.D.) is intended for students who want to have careers that require in-depth research experience in areas related to theoretical or applied computer science.  Successful candidates are prepared to solve significant research problems in the academy, industry, government (e.g. national laboratories), or non-profits.

Admission

All students in the Computer Science (CSI) doctoral program must have a Bachelor of Science or Master of Science degree in computer science or a closely related field. The submission of GRE score is optional for admission. While prior research experience is valued highly, each application package will be evaluated holistically by the Graduate Committee of the Department of Computer Science

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Course Requirements

The course requirements for the doctoral degree include:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Required Courses
All course requirements for a Master of Science in Computer Science degree, excluding:		27
CSI 5V92	Master's Research
CSI 5V96	Master's Project
CSI 5V99	Thesis
18 additional hours of 5000 or 6000-level course work, excluding 5199, 5v92, 5v95, 5v96, 5v99, and CSI foundation courses with the course number 530x.		18
24 additional hours of 6000-level course work, of which at least 12 hours must be:		24
CSI 6V99	Dissertation
Total Hours		69

A total of 69 hours post-Bachelor’s degree are required, including dissertation hours.

A student entering the program with graduate-level work or a master’s degree in computer science or a closely related field may apply up to twenty-seven (27) semester hours of approved courses toward the Ph.D.

Qualifying Examinations

The qualifying exams will consist of two distinct portions: a Breadth Exam and a Depth Exam. It is intended to test the mastery of a number of related fields as well as the student’s capacity for synthesis and critical analysis.  

Timing: At the end of the third full semester (summer semesters not counted), the student should prepare to take their qualifying exams. The student must be enrolled and in good standing during the semester. To start the qualifying exam process either before or after the fourth semester due to transfer credits, requiring of leveling courses, etc., the student must obtain approval from their advisor and the Graduate Program Director (GPD) by the 2^nd Friday of their fourth full semester.

Breadth Exam

A student must demonstrate breadth of knowledge in computer science in one of two ways: (1) Superior Course Performance (defined below) or (2) Area Examinations. As long as a student is able to complete one of these paths, they are eligible to proceed with the Depth Exam. If a student is not able to complete one of these paths, there is no alternative to move forward in the process.

Depth Exam

The Depth Exam will be broken into two subsequent parts: a Written Examination followed by an Oral Examination. A student must pass both to be considered “Passed” for the qualifying examination.

For further details regarding the Breadth Exam and the Depth Exam, refer to the department's Graduate Handbook.

Appeals Process

If the student is unable to pass either of the options for the breadth exam or if they have failed the written and oral examination for the depth exam twice, then they may appeal the decision to the chair of the department within 6 months of receiving the final decision. If the student believes that the issue has still not been resolved, they may have a final appeal to the Dean of the Graduate School.  

Student’s Dissertation Committee

The Dissertation Committee for a Ph.D. candidate shall follow the guidelines given in the Dissertation Examining Committee Composition section of the Baylor Graduate Catalog.

Dissertation Proposal

A student must pass a dissertation proposal and preliminary exams before being admitted to candidacy and allowed to enroll in CSI 6V99 Dissertation.  The student is expected to write a proposal formatted as a federal funding application (e.g. to NSF or NIH) and make a presentation to the committee about the proposed research.  The student will not be allowed to register for CSI 6V99 Dissertation until the Graduate School has approved the Result of the Preliminary Examination form and Admission to Doctoral Candidacy form.

Dissertation

Candidates for the Ph.D. in computer science degree must complete an acceptable dissertation on a research topic in the computer science discipline or a closely related field.  The dissertation must show evidence that the candidate has made a significant scholarly contribution to the field.  At the completion of the dissertation research, the candidate defends the dissertation before the dissertation committee.

Foreign Language Requirement

The CSI doctoral program does not have a foreign language requirement.