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Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science
Program description.
The graduate programs in computer science offer intensive preparation in design, programming, theory and applications. Training is provided for both academically oriented students and students with professional goals in the many business, industrial and governmental occupations requiring advanced knowledge of computing theory and technology.
Courses and research opportunities are offered in a variety of subfields of computer science, including operating systems, computer architecture, computer graphics, pattern recognition, automata theory, combinatorics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, database design, computer networks, programming languages, software systems, analysis of algorithms, computational complexity, parallel processing, VLSI, virtual reality, internet of things, embedded and real-time systems, computational geometry, computer vision, design automation, cyber security, information assurance and data science.
The University maintains a large network of computer facilities including specialized computers for research within the program. In addition to computer science faculty, many other individuals at the University are involved in computer-related work in the physical and social sciences and in various areas of business and management. Computer science students with an interest in these important application areas may have opportunities to consult and work with talented faculty from a wide range of disciplines.
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the program seek academic positions at universities, as well as positions as researchers, senior software engineers, data scientists. Graduates often become industry experts in fields like cyber security, artificial intelligence, machine learning or natural language processing.
Marketable Skills
Review the marketable skills for this academic program.
Application Requirements
Test score required: Yes
Deadlines: University deadlines apply.
Other Application Requirements
Admission Option One
- Master’s degree in computer science or its equivalent
- GPA of at least 3.5
- GRE revised scores of at least 308, 153, 155 and 4 for the combined, verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing components, respectively, are advisable.
Admission Option Two
- A BS degree in related area that includes two semesters of calculus and linear algebra
- GPA of at least 3.5 in the last 60 semester credit hours
- GRE revised scores of at least 315, 156, 159 and 4 for the combined, verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing components, respectively, are advisable.
Applicants are admitted on a competitive basis.
Contact Information
Shyam Karrah Email: [email protected]
Dr. Ovidiu Daescu Interim Head Department of Computer Science Email: [email protected] Office: ECSS 3.904
Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science The University of Texas at Dallas, ECW41 800 W. Campbell Road Richardson, TX 75080-3021 [email protected]
engineering.utdallas.edu
cs.utdallas.edu
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Computer Science (Ph.D.)
Ph.d. computer science (doctoral).
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Program Overview
This program is the first in Texas to offer doctoral-level studies in computer science with business training. The emphasis on collaboration with industry and preparation for careers in academia, business, nonprofit organizations and government laboratories is a powerful driver for original research and innovative product development.
Course Work
The program can be taken both full-time and part-time. A total of 54 semester credit hours are required for a student entering with a master's degree and 78 with a bachelor's degree. Course work consists of breadth courses, including 7000-level courses from both concentrations (information management and software systems), and an introduction to a computer science research course. The remainder of the degree consists of the depth electives (7000-level courses from the student's concentration) and dissertation hours. Additional requirements include a qualifying exam, a comprehensive exam, and programming competency skills.
What Our Alumni Say
“I started at Texas State while working full-time because of the flexibility of taking graduate-level evening courses on the Round Rock Campus. I focused on my thesis while working in a research lab on the San Marcos Campus under the guidance of very supportive faculty members.ˮ
— Lee B. Hinkle, M.S. ’16, Computer Science, current student
Program Details
Graduate students consistently win national, regional and industry awards, including National Science Foundation Graduate Research Program Fellowships, Council of Southern Graduate Schools Outstanding Thesis awards, and IBM’s Master the Mainframe contests.
Program Mission
The mission of the Department of Computer Science is to advance the knowledge of computer science and technology through education, research and service for the betterment of society. The program focuses on key areas of applied computing of national priority:
- computer security and networking
- data analytics and management
- high-performance computing
- edge computing
- informatics and smart health
- software engineering
The curriculum emphasizes building complementary and interdisciplinary technical skills in applied computing and equipping students with non-technical skills that are essential to navigating multiple career paths.
Career Options
Program faculty.
The department has the following main research areas: computer security and networking, data analytics and management, high-performance computing, human-computer interaction, informatics and smart health, Edge Computing, and software engineering. With expenditures of $1.5 million in recent years, research activities have increased several-fold, leading to numerous faculty accolades, including a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), several NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Awards, Department of Energy (DOE) grants, and multiple Facebook and Google awards.
Contact us for general questions about your application, funding opportunities, and more. If you have specific questions after reviewing the program details, contact the program's graduate advisor.
Doctoral Program Director Dr. Anne Hee-Hiong Ngu [email protected] 512.245.3409 Comal (CMAL) , Room 311C
Advisor Support Karen Hollensbe [email protected] 512.245.3409 Comal (CMAL) , Room 211B
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Application Process
Review requirements, submit application, upload documents, check status, application deadlines.
This program's deadline is firm. This type of deadline means the application and other application requirements must be submitted by the program's specified deadline day.
Admission Requirements
The items required for admission consideration are listed below. Additional information for applicants with international credentials can be found on our international web pages .
Application
- Completed online application
Review important information about the online application.
Application Fee
- $55 Nonrefundable application fee, OR
- $90 Nonrefundable application fee for applications with international credentials
Review important information about application fees.
Transcripts & GPA
Applicants with a bachelor's and master's degree
- baccalaureate degree in computer science or related field from a regionally accredited university (Non-U.S. degrees must be equivalent to a four-year U.S. Bachelor’s degree. In most cases, three-year degrees are not considered. Visit our International FAQs for more information.)
- master's degree in computer science or related field from a regionally accredited university master's degree from a regionally accredited university. (Non-U.S. degrees must be equivalent to a U.S. Master’s degree. Master’s degrees following a three-year Bachelor’s degrees may not be equivalent; please contact Graduate Admissions if you are unsure.)
- a copy of an official transcript from each institution where course credit was granted
- competitive GPA, which typically means an overall GPA of 3.3 or higher, in all completed graduate course work.
Applicants with a bachelor's degree only
- baccalaureate degree in computer science or related field from a regionally accredited university
- a 3.0 overall GPA or a 3.0 GPA in your last 60 hours of undergraduate course work (plus any completed graduate courses)
Review important information about transcripts. Official transcripts, sent directly from your institution, will be required if admission is granted.
Test Scores
- official GRE (general test only) required with competitive scores in the verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning sections
Approved English Proficiency Exam Scores
Applicants are required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score that meets the minimum program requirements below unless they have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent from a country on our exempt countries list .
- official TOEFL iBT scores required with a 85 overall
- official PTE scores required with a 57 overall
- minimum individual module scores of 6.0
- official Duolingo scores required with a 115 overall
- official TOEFL Essentials scores required 9.5 overall
This program does not offer admission if the scores above are not met.
Review important information about official test scores.
Documents & Other Requirements
- Applicants are independently reviewed and ranked by each member of the admissions committee based on a defined set of criteria. Those that are top-rated will be contacted for an interview via Skype or phone and asked a pre-determined set of questions. Based on the results of the interviews, the committee will rank the applicants again to determine the final list for admission.
- three letters of recommendation submitted directly from professionals who are qualified to assess your academic abilities
- written statement of research interests and goals
- Since admission to this thesis-/dissertation-based program requires an intent to mentor letter (an agreement from one of our faculty members to supervise your research project) as part of the application process, we strongly recommend that applicants contact potential mentors by sending their CV and research interests and securing that agreement prior to submitting an admission application. The department cannot guarantee that a suitable mentor will always be available.
Review important information about documents.
Additional Information
- Application Decisions
- International Applicants
- Reapplication Process
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