Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science
Admission Requirements
The admission policies for the Ph.D. program in computer science follow the general policies of
the School of Graduate Studies and Computer Science Department as described above. An
applicant’s admission request will be reviewed in light of preparatory coursework, GRE scores,
any supporting information, and general expectation of completing the degree. Students requiring
a large amount of prerequisite coursework will not normally be admitted to the program until the
courses have been completed. Graduate admission requests for the Ph.D. program will be
reviewed once per semester by a departmental admissions committee. Applicants are required to
submit supporting recommendation letters and an indication of research interests and study plans.
Specific requirements are available from the Computer Science Department office. Requests for
admission will be evaluated according to the following guidelines.
Unconditional Admission
Unconditional admission will be given to applicants who meet all of the requirements of the School
of Graduate Studies and Computer Science Department. Students showing exceptional promise
who desire to pursue the Ph.D. full-time may be admitted to the program after completing a
bachelor’s degree in computer science.
Conditional Admission
Conditional admission will be recommended for applicants who do not meet all of the requirements
of the School of Graduate Studies and the Computer Science Department but who show high
potential for completing the degree requirements.
Degree Requirements
The general requirements for the Ph.D. degree comply with those of the School of Graduate
Studies. The requirements include a preliminary examination, completion of coursework, a
qualifying examination, completion of significant research documented in a dissertation and the
dissertation defense.
Major/Minor Subjects
A minimum of 54 hours of graduate course credit plus a minimum of 18 dissertation credit hours
is required for the Ph.D. in computer science. The program of study will be approved by the
student’s Supervisory Committee. Coursework grade requirements are the same as for the M.S.
degree. Coursework taken as part of a graduate degree program at another institution may be
applied to the degree with permission of the student’s Supervisory Committee. The program must
include CS 524, CS 603, CS 613, CS 617, CS 650 and CS 690 and must have a coherent area of
emphasis, of which at least 6 semester hours must be at the 700 level. At least 9 semester hours of
graduate level mathematics must also be included in the program.
Preliminary Examination
Ph.D. students will be required to take a preliminary examination, consisting of (1) a written test
covering CS 613, CS 617, CS 650, and CS 690, and (2) an evaluation by the graduate faculty of the
student’s overall academic potential.
The examination must be taken within a year after admission to the Ph.D. program, or at the earliest
opportunity upon completion of the core coursework. Successful completion of the examination
will provide evidence of the student’s ability to continue in pursuit of the Ph.D. degree. The
examination can be taken no more than twice.
Admission to Candidacy
To be admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, students must first pass the qualifying
examination. The qualifying examination can cover any aspect of the student’s program and is
taken after completion of the student’s coursework and upon recommendation of the student’s
supervisory committee. It is designed to test students’ fitness for pursuing research projects in
their chosen areas and to test their general knowledge of computer science. As part of the
qualifying examination, each student will present a research proposal to the supervisory
committee.
Residency Requirements
According to graduate school policy, residence may be established through either (i) being enrolled
as a full-time student (at least 9 graduate semester hours) either for one continuous academic year,
or for Spring and Fall semesters in the same calendar year, or (ii) being enrolled in at least 6 hours
of graduate course work in at least three of four consecutive semesters.
Other Requirements
The program must be completed within five years after admission to candidacy.
The Qualifying Examination may be taken no more than twice.
CS 799 is required each semester a student is receiving direction on the doctoral dissertation.
For additional requirements, consult the Academic Information Section of this Graduate Catalog.
Dissertation
The research described in the dissertation must be submitted for publication in an approved journal
prior to defense of the dissertation. A public defense of the dissertation is required.
Requests for admission information can be sent by email to: admissions@cs.uah.edu
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The University of Alabama in Huntsville • Computer Science Department • 300 Technology Hall
