Admission Requirements
The Ph.D. admission requirements include demonstration of knowledge of computer science at the Master's degree level, as evidenced by the successful completion of appropriate coursework. Applicants to the Computer Science Ph.D. program are encouraged to submit GRE Computer Science subject test scores. In some cases, this might help compensate for gaps in Computer Science academic background.
Candidacy Requirements
Despite acceptance into the program, in order to be admitted to candidacy, student must:
6 courses (18 credits) from the Masters course group list, with at most 4 courses from a single Masters course group. No course applied towards an MS degree can be used to satisfy course distribution requirements for the Doctoral degree.
Thesis Credits
24 Credits
Total: 42 credits
Course Requirements for Students Matriculated Prior to Jan. 2009
Major Area
6 credits (course pairs list)
Minor Area I
6 credits (two courses from the course pairs list)
Minor Area II
6 credits (two courses from the course pairs list)
Ph.D. Thesis
24 credits
Total: 42 credits
The major and minor area course requirements for the Ph.D. degree are above and beyond the corresponding requirements for the MS degree, but may continue and deepen specializations begun at that level. The primary purpose of the major and minor courses is to provide breadth of knowledge. Therefore, students are encouraged to select courses from a variety of areas. Among all course pairs for the MS and Ph.D. combined, at most one pair may contain a course "piggybacked" onto a core course.
Students are required to report completion of each of these milestones according to the Procedures for Student Progress Through the Ph.D. Program.
Computational Mathematics Option
Requirements: (beyond a master's degree)
A. 18 Course Credits (6 courses)
91.515 Operating Systems
91.551 Computer Architecture
Four courses in advanced major/minor area electives chosen, under the direction of an advisor, from an approved list of courses
B. 24 Dissertation Credits
Supervised by faculty from the Mathematics and Computer Science Departments
C. Four Qualifying Exams
Computer Science: Two out of the following three:
1. Programming Languages - based on 91.531.
2. Algorithms - based on 91.503
3. Foundations - based on 91.502.
Mathematical Sciences
Two exams appropriate to the mathematical emphasis chosen.
Examples are:
1. Real Analysis - based on 92.501 and 92.502
2. One of
a) Probability and Mathematical Statistics based on 92.587, 92.588 and 92.591.
b) Optimization and Applied Probability based on 92.587, 92.572 and 92.585.
c) Differential Equations and Approximation.
d) Combinatorics and Number Theory.
Any student interested in this program should contact the Chair of the CS Department and/or the Chair of the Mathematics Department.
One University Avenue . Lowell, MA 01854 . 978-934-4000 - Contact Us
This is an OfficialPage/Publication of the University of Massachusetts Lowell