Computer Science - PhD

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College of Science

Department of Computer Science

The Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science is, above all else, a degree of quality. Completing a specific number of graduate courses or years of study is insufficient to receive the degree. Obtaining a Ph.D. indicates significant contributions to a field and recognition of the awarded student as the world’s foremost expert in their dissertation topic. A successful candidate must demonstrate a breadth of understanding of computer science topics along with mastery of their chosen area(s) of emphasis. Students must also be able to perform independent and innovative research over a significant period; thus, each successful Ph.D. candidate will produce a substantial piece of original research that is presented in a written dissertation and defended in an oral examination. This work should be of such quality that one or more journal or conference articles can be derived from it.

An overall GPA of 3.5 or higher and individual course grades of B or higher (in all degree-program coursework) are required. All Ph.D./CS students must meet the breadth, depth, and research requirements outlined below. Credit requirements vary depending on the previous degree earned by the student and are listed below for students with an MS degree and with only a BS degree.

Students with an overall GPA below 3.5 at the completion of fall and spring semesters will be issued an academic warning. If a student’s institution or Program of Study GPA remains below 3.5 for two consecutive semesters, they will be dismissed from the program. If their GPA satisfies the GPA requirement of M.S. students, they may opt to transfer to a master’s program in the department in lieu of dismissal.

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or a similarly recognized international university is required for admission to and completion of a graduate program.

A doctorate must be completed within eight years of entering the degree program. Additional time may be requested by the student’s committee and submitted to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for review. Coursework over eight years old at the time of degree completion may not be used for a graduate degree unless it is revalidated.

At least 33 semester credits for a doctoral (Ph.D.) degree must be taken from Utah State University and be part of an approved Program of Study. At least three semesters, two of which must be consecutive, of full-time registration in residence at Utah State University, is required.

Students must submit and obtain approval of academic forms required for doctoral students by the School of Graduate Studies.

Breadth Requirement

The breadth requirement requires Ph.D. students to complete at least one course in each of three areas of breadth defined as follows:

Foundations

CS 5000 - Theory of Computability 3 credit(s)
CS 5050 - Advanced Algorithms 3 credit(s)
CS 5060 - Decision Making: Algorithms Under Uncertainty 3 credit(s)
CS 5300 - Compiler Construction 4 credit(s)
CS 5800 - Introduction to Database Systems 3 credit(s)
CS 5890 - Topics in Computer Science 1-4 credit(s)
CS 6030 - High Performance Computing 4 credit(s)
CS 6890 - Topics in Computer Science (Topic) 1-4 credit(s)
CS 6050 - Computational Geometry: Algorithms and Applications 3 credit(s)
or
CS 7050 - Computational Geometry: Algorithms and Applications 3 credit(s)

Data Analytics

CS 5665 - Machine Learning for Data Science 3 credit(s)
CS 5890 - Topics in Computer Science 1-4 credit(s)
CS 6040 - Scientific Visualization for Data Science 3 credit(s)
CS 6080 - Time Series Data Mining (DELETED SUMMER 2024) 3 credit(s)
CS 6640 - Artificial Neural Networks 3 credit(s)
CS 6665 - Data Mining 3 credit(s)
CS 6820 - Interactive Information Visualization for Data Science 3 credit(s)
CS 6830 - Data Science in Practice 3 credit(s)
CS 6840 - Graph Mining 3 credit(s)
CS 6850 - Introduction to Data Analysis 3 credit(s)
CS 6890 - Topics in Computer Science (Topic) 1-4 credit(s)

Applications/Systems

CS 5140 - Human Factors in Computing 3 credit(s)
CS 5250 - Introduction to Cloud Development 3 credit(s)
and
CS 5260 - Developing Distributed Software Applications Using Cloud Services (DELETED 2/16/2024) 2 credit(s)
CS 5410 - Game Development 4 credit(s)
CS 5890 - Topics in Computer Science 1-4 credit(s)
CS 6110 - MultiAgent Systems 4 credit(s)
CS 6460 - Usable Privacy and Security 3 credit(s)
CS 6470 - Introduction to Interactive Virtual Reality 3 credit(s)
CS 6510 - Robot Intelligence 4 credit(s)
CS 6600 - Intelligent Systems 4 credit(s)
CS 6620 - AI Applications In Education 3 credit(s)
CS 6630 - Fuzzy Logic and its Application 3 credit(s)
CS 6680 - Computer Vision: Foundations and Applications 3 credit(s)
CS 6750 - Computing Education Research 3 credit(s)
CS 6890 - Topics in Computer Science (Topic) 1-4 credit(s)
Students who already have an MS degree may request a waiver for one or more breadth courses. The waiver should be requested along with the request to the department to evaluate their prior MS degree to determine the total number of required credits for the Ph.D. No breadth courses can be waived by courses taken as an undergraduate. If a student took a course at a different university and wishes to take the USU equivalent course, they may do so provided the course is not used as a waiver.

Depth Requirement

The depth requirement requires Ph.D. students to publish their research in peer-reviewed venues approved by the major professor before graduation. To schedule a Ph.D. defense, students need to either satisfy the depth requirement or provide a strong written justification to their Ph.D. committee for approval.

Research Requirements

Form a supervisory committee.
Pass a written and oral qualifying exam demonstrating depth of knowledge in the student’s area(s) of emphasis.
Successfully complete and defend a research proposal.
Publish research in peer-reviewed venues approved by the major professor.
Prepare a dissertation.
Successfully defend and submit the dissertation to the libarary.

Credit Requirements

Ph.D./CS beyond an MS (40-70 credits)

The department determines the total number of required credits depending on the coursework completed in the prior MS degree.

Required Courses (at least 19 credits)

1 credit of CS 6900 - Seminar (Typically taken the first Fall semester)
A minimum of 18 credits of CS 7970 - Dissertation Research (Typically taken after the first year)

Elective Courses (21-51+ credits)

A minimum of 12 credits of 6000-level courses taught within the department are required for graduation (CS 6XXX/7XXX courses) excluding CS 6250 and CS 7970 .

The remaining 9–39 credits required by the degree may be fulfilled by taking additional credits of graduate coursework at the 5000-level or above or additional credits of CS 7970 .

The following restrictions apply to the credits of elective coursework:

A maximum of 9 credits of 5000-level courses are allowed.
A maximum of 3 credits of CS 6250 are allowed.
A maximum of one course is allowed from the following list: CS 5950 , CS 6950 , or CS 7950 .
CS 6970 , CS 6990 , and CS 7990 are not allowed.
CS 5250 and CS 5260 must be taken together in the same semester to be allowed.
A maximum of 9 credits are allowed from outside the Computer Science department. Outside credits must be from ECE, MATH, STAT, PSC 6150 , or SOC 6150 and may not be from independent study, research, or continuing graduate advisement courses.

Ph.D./CS Beyond a BS (70 credits)

Required Courses (at least 19 credits)

1 credit of CS 6900 - Seminar (Typically taken the first Fall semester)
At least 18 credits of CS 7970 - Dissertation Research (Typically taken after the first year)

Elective Courses (minimum 51 credits)

A minimum of 18 credits of 6000-level courses taught within the department are required for graduation (CS 6XXX/7XXX courses) excluding CS 6250 and CS 7970 .

An additional 12 credits of graduate coursework at the 5000-level or above is also required (excluding CS 7970 ).

The remaining 21 credits required by the degree may be fulfilled by taking additional credits of graduate coursework at the 5000-level or above or additional credits of CS 7970 .

The following restrictions apply to the credits of elective coursework:

A maximum of 18 credits of 5000-level courses are allowed.
A maximum of 3 credits of CS 6250 are allowed.
A maximum of one course is allowed from the following list: CS 5950 , CS 6950 , or CS 7950 .
CS 6970 , CS 6990 , and CS 7990 are not allowed.
CS 5250 and CS 5260 must be taken together in the same semester to be allowed.
A maximum of 9 credits are allowed from outside the Computer Science department. Outside credits must be from ECE, MATH, STAT, PSC 6150 , or SOC 6150 and may not be from independent study, research, or continuing graduate advisement courses.