Grad Student Handbook

Graduate Student Handbook
Department of Computer Science & Engineering

Texas A&M University
August 23, 2012
Note: This information was compiled from the Department of Computer Science & Engineering website and is
distributed by the Computer Science and Engineering Graduate Student Association. This document is non-binding
and should not be considered a substitute for meeting with the Graduate Advising Ofce.
Contents
1 About this Handbook 1
2 Graduate Program Contacts 1
3 The Department 1
4 Graduate Faculty 1
5 Admission 1
5.1 Application Process and Deadlines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
5.2 Entrance Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
5.3 Evaluation Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
5.4 Contents of Your Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
6 Courses 5
7 Degree Programs 6
7.1 Computer Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
7.2 MCS and MEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
7.3 MSCS and MSCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
7.4 PhDCS and PhDCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
8 Procedural Milestones 7
8.1 M.C.S. and M.E.N. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
8.1.1 MCS Degree Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
8.1.2 MEN Degree Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
8.1.3 MCS and MEN Degree Plan Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
8.1.4 MCS and MEN Final Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
8.2 M.S.C.S. and M.S.C.E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
8.2.1 MSCS and MSCE Advisory Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
8.2.2 MSCS Degree Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
8.2.3 MSCE Degree Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
8.2.4 MSCS and MSCE Advisory Committee and Degree Plan . . . . . . . . . . 12
8.2.5 Thesis Proposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
8.2.6 Final Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
8.2.7 Thesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
8.3 Ph.D. in Computer Science and Ph.D. in Computer Engineering . . . . . . . . . . 13
8.3.1 Ph.D. Annual Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
8.3.2 Ph.D. in Computer Science and Ph.D. in Computer Engineering Advisory
Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
8.3.3 Ph.D. in Computer Science Degree Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
8.3.4 Ph.D. in Computer Engineering Degree Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
8.3.5 Ph.D. in CE and Ph.D. in CS Advisory Committee and Degree Plan . . . . 15
8.3.6 Qualier Exam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
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8.3.7 Preliminary Exam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
8.3.8 Dissertation Proposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
8.3.9 Final Examination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
8.3.10 Dissertation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
8.4 Information for All Graduate Degrees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
8.4.1 Degree Plan Restriction and Clarications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
8.4.2 Applying for Graduation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
9 Financial Support 20
9.1 Fellowships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
9.1.1 Departmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
9.1.2 College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
9.1.3 University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
9.1.4 External . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
9.2 Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
9.3 Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
9.4 Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
9.4.1 Bush Foundation Travel Grant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
9.4.2 Ofce of Graduate Studies Research and Presentation Grants . . . . . . . . 26
9.4.3 Graduate Student Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
9.5 Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
10 Program Requirements 26
10.1 Grade Point Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
10.2 Registration Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
11 Graduate Student Life 27
11.1 Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
11.1.1 Computer Science and Engineering Graduate Student Association . . . . . 27
11.1.2 Aggie Women in Computer Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
11.1.3 Texas Aggie Game Developers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
11.1.4 Texas Aggie Computing Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
11.1.5 Upsilon Pi Epsilon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
11.2 Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
12 Texas A&M University Code of Honor 29
Appendices 31
A Course List 31
B PhD Review Procedures 40
B.1 Review Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
B.2 Student and Advisor Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
B.3 Faculty Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
B.4 Notication and Student Response Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
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B.5 Improvement Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
B.6 Consequence of an Unsatisfactory Rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
B.7 Dismissal Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
B.8 B.S. to Ph.D. Satisfactory Progress Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
B.9 Related M.S. to Ph.D. Satisfactory Progress Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
C Forms 46
C.1 Travel Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
C.1.1 Travel & Leave (T&L) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
C.1.2 Travel Worksheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
C.2 PhD Review Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
D PhD Preliminary Exam Procedures 52
E Dissertation Defense Procedures 54
F Frequently Asked Questions 56
F.1 General Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
F.2 Qualifying Exam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
F.3 Advisory Committee and Degree Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
F.4 Funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
F.5 Registration Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
F.6 Internships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
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1 About this Handbook
This document is a non-binding summary of the graduate programs in the Department of Com-
puter Science and Engineering. Prospective graduate students should be familiar with appropriate
requirements in the latest version of this document and the current Texas A&M University grad-
uate catalog. Links to other relevant information are included at the end of this document and
on the graduate program webpages(http://www.cse.tamu.edu/academics/graduate). The degree
requirements and all other information are subject to change without notice. Students who enroll at
Texas A&M University will be allowed to graduate under the degree requirements in effect during
their rst semester. Every effort will be made to honor such obligations, although reasonable sub-
stitutions may sometimes be required. Always consult with the Graduate Advising Ofce before
making any changes to course enrollment, degree plan, or any other requirements.
2 Graduate Program Contacts
Prospective graduate students with questions after reading this document, please contact: grad-
admissions@cse.tamu.edu.
Current graduate students in the Department with questions after reading this document, please
contact: grad-advisor@cse.tamu.edu.
3 The Department
The computer science programs at Texas A&M began in 1962 and the department was formed
in 1983. Today, the Department includes 37 tenured and tenure-track faculty, 5 lecturers, several
research faculty, and approximately 350 graduate students and 650 undergraduate majors. The
Department offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in Computer Science and, jointly with the
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, in Computer Engineering.
4 Graduate Faculty
A complete list of faculty in the Department that can serve on Advisory Committees for gradu-
ate degrees at Texas A&M University is available online (http://www.cse.tamu.edu/people/faculty)
along with their research interests (http://www.cse.tamu.edu/research/interests). Additional infor-
mation is available in each faculty members personal webpage and lab webpages
(http://www.cse.tamu.edu/research/groups).
5 Admission
5.1 Application Process and Deadlines
Applications for graduate study should be completed online (www.applytexas.org). Application
fees, deadlines, required documentation, test scores, and other requirements are explained in the
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materials associated with the application. The application deadline for fall (September) ad-
mission is January 1 of that year, for full consideration for all departmental fellowships and
assistantships. In order to avoid delays in admission processing, we strongly recommend you sub-
mit your initial application by November 1. Test scores and letters can arrive later; the general
application deadline for these is March 1 for fall (September) admission and August 1 for spring
(January) admission. All deadlines apply to both international and U.S. applications. Admission to
the Department is very competitive and there are a limited number of openings available each year.
Applications are typically not processed until they are complete, so make sure that all materials
(e.g. letters, test scores) are submitted soon after the deadline. There are a number of fellow-
ships, scholarships and assistantships that are awarded by the Department and the University each
year to the most competitive applicants. Applications received by January 1 or soon thereafter
for fall (September) admission will receive full consideration for all such opportunities. There are
relatively few fellowships and assistantships awarded for spring (January) admission. Read the
Texas A&M Admissions application instructions (http://admissions.tamu.edu/graduate); interna-
tional students should read the Admissions sections relevant to them. The Department also has
a frequently-asked questions and answer list (http://www.cse.tamu.edu/academics/graduate/faq-
admissions). The following is the step-by-step procedure for applying:
1. Create an application in the ApplyTexas system (www.applytexas.org).
(a) Choose the option Texas A&M University from the dropdown list. (You can also apply
to other Texas public universities with this system).
(b) If you are applying to the computer science program, select Computer Science as
the major. If you are applying to the computer engineering program, select Computer
Engineering as the major.
If you are applying to Computer Engineering, then you also need to select the de-
partment, Computer Science and Engineering (CSCE) or Electrical and Computer
Engineering (ECEN). (The ApplyTexas web site may still list computer science as
CPSC).
The degree program is not considered in the admission process, so if you select
the wrong program do not be concerned. This can be changed after admission. We
will not change it before admission.
(c) You will be required to pay the admission fee. The fee CANNOT be waived. Do not
send us emails requesting a fee waiver.
(d) Do NOT enter names of recommenders or statement of purpose (SOP) even if you are
prompted to do so. You will do this later. If you did enter your recommenders or SOP
in ApplyTexas, this is okay, but we will not look at them.
2. Your application will be forwarded by the ApplyTexas system to Texas A&M Admissions.
This may take several days, particularly during holidays or busy times.
(a) TAMU Admissions will email you your university identication number (UIN). (The
UIN is sometimes referred to as a student identication number or SID). In the past it
has taken as long as three weeks to receive your UIN, but more recently it has come
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within a few days. You must wait patiently for it before you can proceed to the next
step. Do not email the department asking for your UIN.
(b) You use your UIN to create your ofcial email (Neo) account. Your user name for this
account is referred to as your NetID. Email regarding admissions is sent to this account.
You may have it forwarded to another location.
3. Have your test scores and ofcial transcripts of previous degrees sent to TAMU Admissions;
see their website for the precise procedure. Do not send test scores and ofcial transcripts
directly to the department. GRE and TOEFL (if needed) test scores must be sent directly
from the Educational Testing Service to Texas A&M University (Code 6003, NO department
code); the scores must be from test dates that are within ve years for the GRE and within
two years for the TOEFL at the time of application. You can upload unofcial scores to the
department to speed up our application review process, but you cannot be ofcially admitted
without ofcial scores.
4. With your NetID and password, you will be able to access the Applicant Information System
(http://applicant.tamu.edu), and edit your application information. Do NOT enter names of
recommenders or a statement of purpose into AIS. If you did enter recommenders into AIS,
do not enter them into the Department admission system (apply2.cse.tamu.edu), as we do
not want your recommenders to get two requests.
5. TAMU Admissions will electronically send your application data to the Department. This
may only occur every few weeks if it is long before the application deadline, then daily
as the deadline gets closer. TAMU Admissions may not perform data transfers during the
roughly two weeks of vacation just prior to January 1. If you submitted your application in
late December, do not be concerned about this delay. Applying earlier will avoid this delay.
6. You will receive an email to start using apply2.cse.tamu.edu. This will be the only admission
system you use for the remainder of the application process. When you receive this email,
do the following:
(a) Enter ofcial email addresses of all your recommenders (i.e. university email address).
(b) Upload your statement of purpose.
(c) Select areas of research interest.
(d) Upload resume and other relevant documents, such as publications.
By submitting your data in apply2.cse.tamu.edu, the Department can start working on your
application immediately. Information you submit to may be delayed in getting to us. Your
recommenders will receive an email with a link to click to upload their letter. Recommen-
dation letters mailed or emailed to us will be discarded. Often we hear that international
recommenders did not receive an email from us. This is likely due to mail problems on their
end, such as spam lters. In apply2.cse.tamu.edu you can ask that the recommender email
be resent.
7. Once the recommendations, test scores and transcripts are received by the Department, your
application will be complete. Note that AIS may still show your application as incomplete.
Use apply2.cse.tamu.edu to determine the status of your application with the Department.
3
8. You will be informed about the application decision via email. Decisions for PhD students
are typically made by the end of February, while MS student decisions are typically made
by the end of March, for fall admissions.
9. We do not respond to emails asking questions that are answered in this brochure or in the
Graduate Admissions FAQ web pages (http://www.cse.tamu.edu/academics/graduate/faq-
admissions). Do not contact Department faculty until you have carefully studied their web
site and read their papers, so you can explain in detail why you think there is a good potential
research match.
5.2 Entrance Requirements
Applicants must fulll the requirements for admission to graduate studies as specied in the gradu-
ate catalog and must hold a bachelors degree, ideally in computer science, computer engineering,
or a related eld, or equivalent experience. Undergraduate preparation should include:
Data structures and analysis of algorithms.
Operating systems, compilers, and database systems.
Digital design and computer systems architecture.
Several high-level programming languages.
Mathematics including calculus, linear algebra, and discrete mathematics.
Students are responsible for all course prerequisites. While most undergraduate courses cannot
be applied toward graduate degrees, graduate students may take them to ensure they have the
appropriate preparation. Students are encouraged to discuss their background with the Graduate
Advisor if they have questions. All applicants are required to take the general Graduate Record
Examination (GRE). Students who do not have a traditional background are encouraged to take
the GRE subject test in computer science. Applicants whose native language is not English are
required to submit proof of English prociency. Please refer to the Graduate Admissions webpage
(http://admissions.tamu.edu/nondegreeseeking/gettingin/reqDocuments/graduate.aspx) for require-
ments (e.g., TOEFL, IELTS). TAMU Admissions determines whether your countrys language is
English.
5.3 Evaluation Criteria
All applications are reviewed by the Departments Graduate Admissions Committee. The criteria
used in evaluation of applicants for admission to graduate study in computer science and engineer-
ing include:
academic performance on previous degrees,
GRE scores and, if applicable, TOEFL scores,
relevant background,
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letters of recommendation,
the applicants statement of purpose, and
other relevant information.
The Admissions Committee is primarily interested in determining your potential to perform re-
search.
5.4 Contents of Your Application
Statement of Purpose (SOP): The Department does not have any specic requirements for the
one-page SOP. However, the Admissions Committee would like to see a discussion of the following
issues: why you want to pursue graduate studies in CSE, why you are interested in Texas A&M,
and most importantly, your research interests, your background for working in this area, and a
description of your research plan (if any). Your SOP should not recall your earliest remembrances
of exposure to a computer or provide a general academic background.
Letters of Recommendation: The preferred source of letters of recommendation is the faculty
who advised you in research projects and who taught your most advanced computing courses. We
are most interested in assessments of your research potential and scholarly aptitude, and your rank
and performance in the courses they taught you. If you cannot obtain enough letters from your
current or previous professors, then you may also include letters from employers. However, you
should understand that in most cases such a letter will not be given the same weight as letters from
your professors.
Resume/Curriculum Vitae: We strongly recommend that you include a brief resume (curriculum
vitae) addressing university academics and closely related professional activities. The information
in the resume is often more useful than what appears in the ofcial application.
Other Items: If you are applying before graduating from your current degree program, indicate
current and planned courses for which grades will not be on your transcripts. If you have peer-
reviewed technical publications in international conferences and journals, then you may include
them with your application materials.
Things to Avoid: Please do not include information about secondary school performance, testing,
or other pre-university studies. Do not submit copies of class projects or publications that did not
appear in peer-reviewed international venues. If you feel you have additional material that is very
important, then please place it on a webpage and submit the URL. You may include URLs that
enable access to descriptions of your university programs but please do not include syllabi. Do not
contact Department faculty until you have carefully studied their web site and read their papers, so
you can explain in detail why you think there is a good potential research match.
6 Courses
The list of graduate courses offered by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering
(CSCE) is available online and in Appendix A. Additional courses may appear in the University
Graduate Catalog, but those are no longer taught.
5
When determining the courses to take for your degree program, be aware that not all of these
courses are offered every year. The breadth courses (604, 605, 606, 613, 614, 627, 629 and 655)
will normally be offered every year, except CSCE 605 which is offered every other year. The more
specialized graduate courses are offered every two years. However, there are some courses that are
taught even less frequently than every two years. Few or no CSCE graduate courses are offered
in the summer. There are usually several CSCE 689 Special Topics courses offered each fall and
spring semester, and students are encouraged to be exible in their course planning so that they can
take advantage of these courses. An approximate two-year schedule of graduate course offerings
is available on the graduate program webpages.
A listing of the courses annotated with a condensed catalog description follow in Appendix A.
All courses assume an undergraduate computer science or computer engineering background as
prerequisite. The instructor may waive these prerequisites.
7 Degree Programs
Advanced study in computer science and computer engineering provides students with the skills
to design and utilize modern computer systems. The Department encourages both fundamental
research in computing and interdisciplinary research. Research projects in diverse areas offer stu-
dents a wide range of opportunities to gain experience while completing requirements for advanced
degrees. Signicant computational facilities, networks, and other resources are available to support
student research.
Graduate studies in the Department can lead to the following degrees:
Master of Computer Science (MCS)
Master of Engineering in Computer Engineering (MEN)
Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS)
Master of Science in Computer Engineering (MSCE)
Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhDCS)
Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Engineering (PhDCE)
Graduate students will be advised by the Graduate Advisor until they have formed an Advisory
Committee and have an approved degree plan. Advisory Committee details are included with the
description of each degree in this section. Appointments with the Graduate Advisor can be made
by calling +1-979-845-4087 or sending email to grad-advisor@cse.tamu.edu
7.1 Computer Engineering
The Computer Engineering programs provide opportunities for students with interests in computer
engineering to focus their studies more directly in this area. Degrees in computer engineering
paralleling the computer science degrees are offered: a professional, terminal course-work only
masters degree (MEN), a research masters degree (MSCE), and a PhD degree (PhDCE).
6
The Computer Engineering program is jointly administered by the Department of Computer
Science and Engineering (CSCE) and by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
(ECEN). Each department has slightly different requirements for the various computer engineering
degrees and hence students are cautioned to ensure that they are following the guidelines appropri-
ate for their home department. Also, there are faculties in both departments that are designated as
computer engineering faculty; see ce.tamu.edu for a listing of all Computer Engineering faculty in
both departments. Note that the degree requirements listed on ce.tamu.edu are for Electrical and
Computer Engineering, NOT Computer Science and Engineering.
7.2 MCS and MEN
The Master of Computer Science (MCS) and Master of Engineering in Computer Engineering
(MEN) should be thought of as professional, terminal degrees. These degrees do not include a
thesis, project, or nal examination.
MCS and MEN students will have a default advisory committee consisting solely of the Grad-
uate Advisor as chair.
7.3 MSCS and MSCE
The Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS) and Master of Science in Computer Engi-
neering (MSCE) are research degrees. A thesis and nal examination (thesis defense) are required.
Students who complete the MSCS or MSCE may le a Letter of Intent requesting admission to the
PhD program.
7.4 PhDCS and PhDCE
The Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhDCS) and Doctor of Philosophy in Computer
Engineering (PhDCE) are research degrees. A dissertation and nal examination (dissertation
defense) are required. Students may enter the PhDCS or PhDCE with either a Bachelors or a
Masters degree.
8 Procedural Milestones
This section outlines the major steps, and deadlines for completing them, that should be completed
for the various degrees:
MCS and MEN (non-thesis masters degrees)
MSCS and MSCE (thesis masters degrees)
PhDCS and PhDCE
The Department has additional procedures or requirements that students are responsible for fol-
lowing and which are documented on the Departments graduate program webpages.
As noted below, many of the steps have associated Ofce of Graduate Studies (OGS) forms that
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need to be submitted. These forms are available on the OGS website. In all cases, the student is
responsible for lling out the form before bringing it to the Graduate Advising ofce for Depart-
mental approval. OGS forms are PDF templates, and students must TYPE in all entries before
printing out the form (this includes the faculty member names, which appear below the signature
lines). Hand-written forms are not accepted. MS and PhD students should also obtain the sig-
natures of their committee members (but not the Department Head) before bringing the forms to
the advising ofce. Do not take these forms to the department head or associate head. The
Graduate Advising staff will submit approved forms to OGS.
8.1 M.C.S. and M.E.N.
8.1.1 MCS Degree Plan
Requirements for the MCS degree include:
At least 18 credit hours of graded CSCE graduate coursework (excluding CSCE 681, 684,
685, 691).
Three breadth CSCE courses, one selected from each of these sets: Theory (627, 629),
Systems (605, 613, 614) and Software (604, 606, 655). These must be passed with a grade
of B or better. These count toward the requirement of 18 hours of graded CSCE graduate
coursework.
At most one approved three-credit 400 level CSCE undergraduate course. See Section 4.4.
This course does NOT count towards the 18 hours of CSCE graded graduate coursework.
Up to 6 credit hours of non-CSCE graded graduate coursework (excluding 681, 684, 685,
691).
1 credit hour of CSCE 681 (Graduate Seminar).
Up to 3 credit hours of CSCE 685 (Directed Studies).
A total of at least 30 credit hours satisfying the above requirements.
The major steps, and deadlines for completing them, required for the MCS degree is outlined
in Section 8.1.3. Section 8.4.1 lists restrictions on the courses that can be used on the degree plan,
as well as other common questions/issues. For additional information and clarication, please see
the graduate caand the Departments graduate program webpages.
8.1.2 MEN Degree Plan
Requirements for the MEN degree include:
At least 12 credit hours of graded CSCE graduate coursework (excluding CSCE681, 684,
685, 691).
At least 6 credit hours of graded ECEN graduate coursework that is not cross-listed with
CSCE (excluding ECEN 681, 684, 685, 691).
8
At least 6 credit hours of graded elective graduate coursework (excluding 681, 684, 685, and
691). This may include CSCE, ECEN, or other approved graduate courses.
At most one approved three-credit 400 level CSCE or ECEN undergraduate course. See
Section 4.4. This course does NOT count towards the 12 hours of CSCE graded graduate
coursework.
Up to 3 credit hours of CSCE 685 (Directed Studies).
A total of at least 30 credit hours satisfying the above requirements.
The major steps, and deadlines for completing them, required for the MEN degree is outlined
in Section 8.1.3. Section 8.4.1lists restrictions on the courses that can be used on the degree plan,
the graduate catalog and the Departments graduate program webpages.
8.1.3 MCS and MEN Degree Plan Information
MCS and MEN students must le an approved degree plan.
OGS Forms: Degree Plan. Degree plans are led online (http://ogsdpss.tamu.edu).
Departmental Procedures: No.
Deadline: By the end of the rst semester after the student has completed 9 credit hours (nor-
mally their second semester). Students have a registration hold preventing them from registering
for later semesters until their degree plan has been approved.
The MCS and MEN degrees allow at most one approved three-credit 400 level CSCE under-
graduate elective course to be used on the degree plan.
Required courses for the CS or CE undergraduate degree at TAMU are not permitted for
graduate credit; these include 462, 482 and 483.
Only the following CSCE 400 level courses may be taken for graduate credit: 410, 434, 441,
443, 444, 452, 463, and 465. These courses cannot be used if the student took an equivalent
course for their own previous degree(s).
The MEN degree allows at most one approved three-credit 400 level ECEN undergraduate elective
course to be used (instead of the 400 level CSCE course, not in addition to).
Only the following ECEN 400 level courses may be taken for graduate credit: 420, 421, 444,
447, 448, 455, 474, 468, 475 and 478. These courses cannot be used if the student took an
equivalent course for their own previous degree(s).
At most 12 credit hours of transfer credit can be used on a degree plan. Transfer credit must be
approved by the Graduate Advisor, and transcripts must be sent to Admissions.
9
8.1.4 MCS and MEN Final Examination
Final Examination. The oral nal exam for the MCS and MEN is waived. Once the student
les for graduation and appears on the graduation list, the department automatically submits the
Request for Exemption from Final Examination form to OGS. Students must le for graduation by
the ofcial deadline (typically the end of the second week of the semester) in order to ensure that
the Final Exam exemption is led on time Failure to le for graduation on time will result in
failure to graduate that semester.
8.2 M.S.C.S. and M.S.C.E.
This section lists the major steps that must be completed for the MSCS and MSCE degrees. Much
of this information is taken from the Steps to Fulll Masters Degree Requirements on the OGS
website. Information about Department procedures is available on the graduate programwebpages.
As noted above, many of the steps have associated OGS forms that need to be submitted. These
forms are available on the OGS website. In all cases, the student is responsible for lling out the
form and getting the signatures of all committee members (but NOT the Department Head) before
bringing the form to the Graduate Advising ofce for Departmental approval. The Advising staff
will submit the forms to the OGS.
8.2.1 MSCS and MSCE Advisory Committee
The student must select an Advisory Committee Chair from the Departments graduate faculty.
The student may also have a Co-Chair, who could be from any department. (A committee has
either one Chair or a Chair and a Co-Chair.)
The Chair and the student work together to select the remainder of the Advisory Committee.
The Advisory Committee for the Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS) consists of at
least three members from the Texas A&M graduate faculty (the Chair counts as a member). There
must be at least one member from another department and there must be a majority from the
Department. Note that all faculty members with full joint appointments in the Department will be
considered as Departmental faculty when evaluating the composition of the committee. Faculty
who hold courtesy appointments will count as outside members of the committee. The Graduate
Advising ofce can provide information on which faculty hold joint appointments.
The Advisory Committee can have supplemental members who are not members of the Texas
A&M graduate faculty (and hence do not count when evaluating the composition of the com-
mittee). Supplemental members are usually added because they have some special expertise that
is relevant to the students research topic. These members must sign the Thesis or Dissertation
Approval Form and they must sign exam forms for any oral exam they choose to attend. Such
members are added by Special Appointment requests. Check with the Graduate Advising ofce
for more information.
After the student and Chair agree on a tentative Advisory Committee, the student will then
meet with each prospective committee member to determine whether this committee assignment
is agreeable, and then le a degree plan.
10
8.2.2 MSCS Degree Plan
The degree plan should be completed by the student in consultation with the Chair and the Advisory
Committee. Requirements for the MSCS degree include:
685, 691).
Systems (605, 613, 614) and Software (604, 606, 655). These must be passed with a grade
of B or better. These count toward the requirement of 18 hours of graded CSCE graduate
coursework.
At most one approved three-credit 400 level CSCE undergraduate course. See Section 4.4.
This course does NOT count towards the 18 hours of CSCE graded graduate coursework.
At most 6 credit hours of non-CSCE graded graduate coursework (excluding 681, 684, 685,
691).
4 to 7 credit hours of CSCE 691 (Research).
Up to 3 credit hours of CSCE 685 (Directed Studies). The combination of 685 and 691
cannot exceed 7 credit hours.
A total of at least 32 credit hours.
The major steps, and deadlines for completing them, required for the MSCS degree is outlined in
Section 8.2.4. Section 8.4.1 lists restrictions on the courses that can be used on the degree plan,
8.2.3 MSCE Degree Plan
The degree plan should be completed by the student in consultation with the Co-Chairs and the
Advisory Committee. Requirements for the MSCE degree include:
685, 691).
At least 6 credit hours of graded elective graduate coursework (excluding 681, 684, 685, and
691). This may include CSCE, ECEN, or other approved graduate courses.
At most one approved three-credit 400 level CSCE or ECEN undergraduate course. See
Section 4.4. This course does NOT count towards the 12 hours of CSCE graded graduate
coursework.
11
4 to 7 credit hours of CSCE 691 (Research).
Up to 3 credit hours of CSCE 685 (Directed Studies). The combination of 685 and 691
cannot exceed 7 credit hours.
A total of at least 32 credit hours.
The major steps, and deadlines for completing them, required for the MSCE degree is outlined in
Section 8.2.4. Section 8.4.1 lists restrictions on the courses that can be used on the degree plan,
8.2.4 MSCS and MSCE Advisory Committee and Degree Plan
MSCS and MSCE students must form an Advisory Committee and le an approved degree plan.
OGS Forms: Degree Plan. Degree plans are led online (http://ogsdpss.tamu.edu).
Deadline: By the end of the rst semester after the student has completed 9 credit hours (nor-
mally their second semester), and no later than 120 days prior to submission of the Request for
Final Examination (thesis defense) to OGS. Students have a registration hold preventing them
from registering for later semesters until their degree plan has been approved.
The MSCS and MSCE degrees allow at most one approved three-credit 400 level CSCE under-
graduate elective course to be used on the degree plan.
Required courses for the CS or CE undergraduate degree at TAMU are not permitted for
graduate credit; these include 462, 482 and 483.
Only the following CSCE 400 level courses may be taken for graduate credit: 410, 434, 441,
443, 444, 452, 463, and 465. These courses cannot be used if the student took an equivalent
course for their own previous degree(s).
The MEN and MSCE degree allows at most one approved three-credit 400 level ECEN undergrad-
uate elective course to be used (instead of the 400 level CSCE course, not in addition to).
Only the following ECEN 400 level courses may be taken for graduate credit: 420, 421, 444,
447, 448, 455, 474, 468, 475 and 478. These courses cannot be used if the student took an
equivalent course for their own previous degree(s).
At most 12 credit hours of transfer credit can be used on a degree plan. Transfer credit must be
approved by the Graduate Advisor, and transcripts must be sent to Admissions.
8.2.5 Thesis Proposal
The student must submit a Master of Science thesis proposal as described in the graduate catalog.
OGS Forms: Proposal Title Page
Other Materials: PDF of the Proposal
12
Departmental Procedures: Yes, documented on web pages.
Deadline: The thesis proposal cannot be submitted before the degree plan and it must be sub-
mitted to the Graduate Advising ofce at least 5 weeks before the Final Examination (thesis de-
fense). Precise submission deadlines for graduation in a particular semester are listed on the OGS
calendar.
8.2.6 Final Examination
The student must pass a nal oral examination given by the Advisory Committee as described in
the graduate catalog. The part of the nal examination that is related to the presentation of the
students research is public (thesis defense).
OGS Forms: Request for Final Examination
Deadlines: The Request for Final Examination must be received by the Graduate Advising
ofce at least 3 weeks before the exam. Final exam deadlines are listed on the OGS calendar
(usually about 8 weeks before graduation).
8.2.7 Thesis
The student must submit a Master of Science thesis as described in the graduate catalog and on the
OGS website.
OGS Forms: Thesis Approval Form
Deadline: The approved thesis cannot be submitted until the Final Examination has been
passed and it must be submitted within one year of the Final Examination. Thesis submission
deadlines are listed on the OGS calendar (usually about 6 weeks before graduation). See the The-
sis Clerk website (http://thesis.tamu.edu) for more details.
8.3 Ph.D. in Computer Science and Ph.D. in Computer Engineering
This section lists the major steps that should be completed for the PhD in computer science or in
computer engineering. Much of this information is taken from the Steps to Fulll Preliminary
Exam and Steps to Fulll Doctoral Degree Requirements on the OGS website. Information
about Department procedures is available on the graduate program webpages.
As noted below, many of the steps have associated OGS forms that need to be submitted. These
forms are available on the OGS website. In all cases, the student is responsible for lling out the
form and getting the signatures of all committee members (but NOT the Department Head) before
bringing the form to the advising ofce for Departmental approval. The Graduate Advising staff
will submit the forms to the OGS.
8.3.1 Ph.D. Annual Review
All doctoral students in the department are reviewed annually by the entire faculty. The purpose
of the Ph.D. student annual review procedure is to encourage and motivate Ph.D. student research,
and to provide additional mentoring for graduate study. The student is required to prepare and le
13
certain materials for this review by the announced deadline, typically in mid-April. Details are
provided in the Ph.D. Student Annual Review Procedure and in Appendix B.
8.3.2 Ph.D. in Computer Science and Ph.D. in Computer Engineering Advisory Committee
The student must select an Advisory Committee Chair from the Departments graduate faculty.
The student may also have a Co-Chair, who could be from any department. (A committee has
either one Chair or a Chair and a Co-Chair.)
The Chair and the student work together to select the remainder of the Advisory Committee.
The Advisory Committee for the PhD in Computer Science (PhDCS) consists of at least four
members from the Texas A&M graduate faculty (the Chair counts as a member). There must be
at least one member from another department and there must be a majority from the Department.
Note that all faculty members with full joint appointments in the Department will be considered
as Departmental faculty when evaluating the composition of the committee. Faculty who hold
courtesy appointments will count as outside members of the committee. The Graduate Advising
ofce can provide information on which faculty hold joint appointments.
The Advisory Committee can have supplemental members who are not members of the Texas
mittee). Supplemental members are usually added because they have some special expertise that
is relevant to the students research topic. These members must sign the Thesis or Dissertation
Approval Form and they must sign exam forms for any oral exam they choose to attend. Such
members are added by Special Appointment requests. Check with the Graduate Advising ofce
for more information.
After the student and Chair agree on a tentative Advisory Committee, the student will then
meet with each prospective committee member to determine whether this committee assignment
is agreeable, and then le a degree plan.
8.3.3 Ph.D. in Computer Science Degree Plan
Committee. Requirements for the PhDCS degree include:
At least 30 credit hours of graded graduate coursework (excluding 681, 684, 685, and 691).
Systems (605, 613, 614) and Software (604, 606, 655). These must be passed with a grade of
B or better. These count toward the requirement of 30 hours of graded graduate coursework.
At most 6 credit hours of approved non-CSCE graded graduate coursework (excluding 681,
684, 685, 691). This counts towards the requirement of 30 hours of graded graduate course-
work.
1 to 2 credit hours of CSCE 681 (Graduate Seminar).
At least 18 credit hours of CSCE 691 (Research). Normally the number of CSCE 691 hours
will be increased to meet the required total number of credit hours.
14
A total of at least 96 credit hours (or at least 64 credit hours if the student has a prior,
approved and related masters degree).
At most 32 credit hours from other graduate degree programs (e.g., an MSCS) can be applied to
the PhD degree. 8.3.5 and 8.4.1 lists restrictions on the courses that can be used on the degree plan,
8.3.4 Ph.D. in Computer Engineering Degree Plan
Committee. Requirements for the PhDCE degree include:
At least 30 credit hours of graduated graduate coursework (excluding 681, 684, 685, 691).
685, 691).
At least 12 credit hours of graded elective graduate coursework (excluding 681, 684, 685,
and 691). This may include CSCE, ECEN, or other approved graduate courses.
1 to 2 credit hours of CSCE 681 (Graduate Seminar).
At least 18 credit hours of CSCE 691 (Research). Normally the number of CSCE 691 hours
will be increased to meet the required total number of credit hours.
A total of at least 96 credit hours (or at least 64 credit hours if the student has a prior,
approved and related masters degree).
At most 32 credit hours from other graduate degree programs (e.g., an MSCE) can be applied to
the PhD degree. 8.3.5 and 8.4.1 list restrictions on the courses that can be used on the degree plan,
8.3.5 Ph.D. in CE and Ph.D. in CS Advisory Committee and Degree Plan
PhD students must form an Advisory Committee and le an approved degree plan.
OGS Forms: Degree Plan. Degree plans are led online.
Deadline: By the end of the students third semester (excluding summer), and at least 90 days
prior to the preliminary exam. The precise deadline prior to the preliminary exam is listed on the
OGS calendar.
At least 6 credit hours of graded CSCE graduate coursework (excluding 681, 684, 685, and
691) must be taken at Texas A&M University in College Station. Thus, even if a student appears
to satisfy all coursework requirements by a previous graduate degree or from transfer credit, they
will still be required to take at least two graded graduate CSCE courses at Texas A&M.
15
8.3.6 Qualier Exam
All students who started the PhD program in Fall 2010 or later are required to pass the PhD Qual-
ifying Exam (Qual) by the end of their fourth regular semester (i.e., Spring or Fall). A maximum
of two attempts are allowed to pass the Qual.
The exam is a two-hour oral exam conducted by a committee of three faculty members. The
student selects one of the following areas for the exam: (1) Theory/Algorithms, (2) Software, (3)
Systems, (4) Human-Computer Systems and lnformation, or (5) Intelligent Systems and Robotics.
The committee is formed by the Graduate Advisors ofce subject to the following constraints: two
members must belong to the area selected by the student, and the third member must not belong to
the selected area. The students academic advisor, GAR supervisor(s) or 691 instructor(s) may not
serve on the committee. Additionally, faculty may opt out if they feel there is a conict of interest.
Exactly two weeks prior to the exam, the committee assigns a reading list to the student that
may serve as a basis for discussions during the exam. This reading list will be relatively short (e.g.,
three research papers), but the nature and scope of the exam is in no way limited by the reading
list. The exam provides an opportunity to test a student on the understanding of concepts and the
ability to think analytically on a range of topics. The students performance on the exam will be
evaluated on the following criteria:
1. knowledge of fundamental concepts,
2. ability to integrate knowledge across domains,
3. problem solving ability,
4. communication skills, and
5. contemporary knowledge and awareness of research topics;
The committee determines whether the student has passed or failed the Qual by a majority vote.
The committee prepares a report that summarizes the students performance on each of the evalu-
ation criteria. The faculty will discuss the Qualifying Exams of all students in a faculty meeting
prior to nalizing the results.
The following is the Qual timeline:
1. Advising announces Quals (via email)
2. Student states intention to take the Qual, selects their research area, and uploads a 500-word
statement of their research interests into OSIS, this statement may be used by the committee
to select the reading materials and direct the discussion in the exam.
3. Advising forms committee in OSIS
4. Advising holds information session with students registered to take the Qual (week 1)
5. Committee chair schedules exam (date, time and room) in OSIS in consultation with the
student and the rest of the committee
6. Reading list issued in OSIS to student
16
7. Committee holds exam
8. Committee chair uploads report in OSIS
9. Faculty meeting to review results
10. Decision letter issued in OSlS
NOTES: You are not allowed to bring refreshments to the quals, except for your own consumption.
You are also not allowed to discuss the contents of your reading assignments with your committee;
such discussion is the purpose of the qual and should take place during the exam.
8.3.7 Preliminary Exam
The student must pass the Preliminary Examination given by the Advisory Committee as described
in the graduate catalog. The Preliminary Exam consists of written and oral portions. Each commit-
tee member administers a written exam during the 3 weeks prior to the common oral examination.
OGS Forms: Preliminary Exam Checklist, Report of the Preliminary Exam
Departmental Procedures: Yes, documented on web pages and in Appendix D.
Deadline: Eligibility requirements and deadlines for scheduling and reporting on PhD Prelim-
inary Exams are documented on the graduate program webpages and in Appendix D. Roughly, the
Preliminary Exam is typically held at about the time that the degree plan coursework requirements
are completed, and it cannot be taken in the same semester that the degree plan is led or that the
student plans to defend.
8.3.8 Dissertation Proposal
The student must submit a Ph.D. dissertation proposal as described in the graduate catalog. An
electronic copy in PDF format of the proposal approved by the committee must be emailed to
the advising ofce (grad-advisor@cse.tamu.edu) before the student brings the Proposal Title Page
(http://ogs.tamu.edu/forms/current/prop.pdf), already signed by the committee, to the advising of-
ce for the Department approval signature. (The dissertation proposal may be presented at the
oral preliminary exam, or at a separate proposal presentation, at the discretion of the Advisory
Committee.)
If the dissertation research will involve human subjects, animals, infectious biohazards, or
recombinant DNA, then the student must check with the Research Compliance Division to ensure
that they have met all compliance responsibilities. A copy of the appropriate approved research
compliance approval form must be submitted with the research proposal. See the IRB FAQ for
information on how to submit the necessary approval forms to the Research Compliance Division
(http://researchcompliance.tamu.edu/).
The department has no additional requirements for the proposal beyond that it be approved by
the students advisory committee (as shown by the submission of the signed Proposal Title Page)
and that it meets any OGS requirements. Thus, students should consult with their advisor for
guidance on preparing their proposal. As a rule of thumb, most proposals are about 10 pages long
(single spaced) and include a description of the problem to be studied, an overview of the related
work, a brief summary of any preliminary results, and a description of the research objectives and
the planned approach.
17
OGS Forms: Proposal Title Page (http://ogs.tamu.edu/forms/current/prop.pdf)
Other Materials: PDF of the Proposal Deadline: The department requires that the Pre-
liminary Exam be passed before the proposal can be submitted. The university requires that the
proposal be submitted to the Graduate Advising ofce at least 5 weeks before the Final Examina-
tion. (This is a decrease - it used to be 14 weeks before the defense.) Precise deadlines are listed
on the OGS calendar (http://ogs.tamu.edu/calendar).
8.3.9 Final Examination
The student must pass the Final Examination (dissertation defense) given by the Advisory Com-
mittee as described in the graduate catalog. A nal examination is required, which includes a
public presentation of the candidates research.
OGS Forms: Request for Final Examination, Report of Final Exam (sent to Graduate Advising
by OGS)
Departmental Procedures: Yes, documented on web pages and in Appendix E.
Deadlines: Eligibility requirements for scheduling and reporting on PhD Final Exams (disser-
tation defenses) are documented in the graduate catalog. The Final Examination cannot be held
until all coursework on the degree plan has been completed. The Request for Final Examination
must be received by the Graduate Advising ofce at least 3 weeks before the exam. Final exam
deadlines are listed on the OGS calendar (usually about 8 weeks before graduation).
8.3.10 Dissertation
A PhD Dissertation as described in the graduate catalog and on the OGS website. The ability to
perform independent research must be demonstrated by the dissertation. The dissertation must
be the original work of the candidate. While acceptance of the dissertation is based primarily on
its scholarly merit, it must also exhibit creditable literary workmanship. (Please see the graduate
catalog for further details.) The Department expects the student to submit a research paper to at
least one refereed journal or conference prior to the dissertation defense.
After the dissertation has been approved by the students committee, the student should submit
the following items to the advising ofce:
an electronic copy of the dissertation in pdf format submitted by email to
grad-advisor@cse.tamu.edu,
a hardcopy of the dissertation approval page, already signed by the committee (but not the
Department Head), and
a hardcopy of an article from the journal model.
The advising ofce will obtain the Department approval signature and then notify the student to
submit the approval page and the journal model to the thesis ofce. The student will be notied by
email after the dissertation has been approved by the department. Then, the student should submit
an electronic copy (PDF format) of the dissertation to the Thesis Ofce (http://thesis.tamu.edu/submittal/).
OGS Forms: Approval Form (http://thesis.tamu.edu/forms/approval.html)
Deadlines: Dissertation submission deadlines are listed on the OGS calendar (usually about 6
weeks before graduation). The dissertation cannot be submitted until after the Final Examination
18
has been passed. Final corrected copies of the dissertation must be accepted by the thesis clerk no
later than one year after the nal examination or within the 10-year time limit, whichever occurs
rst. Failure to do so will result in the degree not being awarded.
8.4 Information for All Graduate Degrees
8.4.1 Degree Plan Restriction and Clarications
There are some restrictions on the courses that can be used on degree plans. Some of the most
common issues are noted below. Some of these are Ofce of Graduate Studies requirements and
some are Departmental requirements. Unless otherwise noted, the restrictions apply to all graduate
degrees offered by the Department. For additional information and clarication, please see the
graduate catalog and the Departments graduate program webpages.
Courses used for one degree cannot be used to reduce the number of credit hours required for
another degree, and courses that are apparently the same cannot both be used for credit. An
exception is that a previous related masters degree can be used to reduce the total number
of hours required for the PhD degree from 96 to 64. The masters degree certicate must be
received by Admissions prior to ling a 64 credit hour PhD degree plan.
Graded graduate courses used for a previous degree can be used to reduce the number of
graded graduate courses that need to be taken for the current degree. Typically, the student
replaces the credit hours that would have been used for courses with CSCE 691 credit hours.
For example, if a PhD student took 24 hours of graded graduate coursework as part of a MS
degree from our department, then they would le a 64 hour PhD degree plan and it would
only need to have 6 credit hours (i.e., 2 courses) of graded graduate coursework on it to reach
the 30 hours required of a PhD. Similarly, if a student took a graduate computer architecture
course at another university, and received a grade of A or B, then this could be used to satisfy
the Systems breadth requirement. The Graduate Advisor must approve any courses taken at
another university that will be used to meet current degree requirements.
All normally-graded courses on a degree plan must be taken for a letter grade, rather than
S/U grade. Courses such as CSCE 681, 684 and 691, that are normally graded S/U, can be
used on a degree plan as S/U. In particular, CSCE 685 must be taken for a letter grade to be
used on a degree plan.
Graduate service courses offered by the department cannot be used on degree plans for grad-
uate credit. These include CSCE 601, 602, 603, 611 and 612.
Stacked courses (two courses taught at the same time in the same room) cannot both be taken
for credit. For example, CSCE 433 (Complexity) and CSCE 627 are currently stacked. So
a student who had CSCE 433 as an undergrad cannot use CSCE 627 on a graduate degree
plan.
Due to their overlap in content, CSCE 625 (Articial Intelligence) cannot be used on degree
plans if the student has previously taken CSCE 420 (Articial Intelligence); the same applies
to courses that are too similar at the 400 and 600 level. Similarly, ECEN 651 and CSCE 614
19
(Computer Architecture); and ECEN 602 and CSCE 463 (Networking); cannot both be taken
for credit.
CSCE 684 (Professional Internship) does not count towards the total hours required on a
degree plan. Any CSCE 684 hours must be in addition to the minimums required on the
degree plan. Each internship must be listed as a separate CSCE 684 on the degree plan, for 1
credit. Each student may have a maximum of 3 hours of CSCE 684. CSCE 691 (Research)
or CSCE 685 (Directed Studies) cannot be used for professional internships.
At most 12 credit hours of courses taken in post baccalaureate non-degree (G6) status at
Texas A&M can be used on the degree plan; this requires approval of the Graduate Advisor.
The university will not approve degree plans that contain an excessive number of credit
hours beyond the minimum required for the degree (e.g. 30 for MCS/MEN, 32 for MS,
64/96 for PhD). To meet this excess rule, the department will permit one course plus 684
credits beyond the minimum. Students can still take additional courses beyond the degree
plan, but these cannot be added to the degree plan.
ECEN 691 credits cannot be included in degree plans.
8.4.2 Applying for Graduation
Students need to submit an Application for Graduation via howdy.tamu.edu in order to graduate.
Deadline: Normally in the rst 1-2 weeks of the semester. Late application will be allowed for
an additional fee until later in the semester. Precise deadlines are listed on the OGS calendar.
9 Financial Support
There are a number of fellowships, scholarships, and assistantships available within the Depart-
ment of Computer Science and Engineering. PhD students receive the highest priority for De-
partmental assistantships, fellowships and scholarships. Most faculty award their research assis-
tantships similarly. Assistantship positions require an average of 20 hours of work per week.
Assistantships include 9 credit-hours of tuition and fees. Students with assistantships are eli-
gible for University health insurance coverage and a portion of their monthly premium is paid
by the employer. Information on health insurance premiums and coverage is available online
(http://ogs.tamu.edu/current/graduate-insurance).
9.1 Fellowships
Unless they are a sponsored student, all applicants are automatically considered for university and
departmental fellowships, scholarships and assistantships. You do not need to separately apply for
nancial support with your application. Applicants who are not admitted with nancial support
can apply for it at apply2.cse.tamu.edu. Applications for nancial support are reviewed by the
Departments Assistantship and Awards Committee. Note that international applicants do not need
to submit nancial support data to International Student Services until after they are admitted.
20
9.1.1 Departmental
Information about awards and scholarships and fellowships, that are administered by the depart-
ment, college or university can be found on the scholarship and fellowship page
(http://www.cse.tamu.edu/academics/scholarships). This includes descriptions of the awards, a
listing of previous recipients, and information about how to apply for them.
In addition to the scholarships that are listed there, the department often awards a number of
additional $1000 scholarships that qualify the recipient for in-state tuition. Students can apply
for these scholarships by submitting a teaching assistantship (GAT) and scholarship application
(http://apply2.cs.tamu.edu/) and indicating that they are interested in a scholarship.
Since the department can receive additional monies during the year, sometimes awards are
made on short notice. Students should be sure to keep their application up to date to ensure they
receive full consideration for all awards.
9.1.2 College
Updated information can be found at: http://engineering.tamu.edu/graduate/funding/college-fellowships.
National Excellence Fellowship
National Excellence Fellowship provides opportunities for doctoral research in all areas of
engineering and engineering-related disciplines. This fellowship will provide $40,000 (Level
I Award) or $15,000 (Level II Award) annually for four years, which includes a stipend and
tuition/fee allowance. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident pursuing an
engineering or engineering-related Ph.D. with the intent of pursuing an academic career.
Award: $40,000 (Level I Award), $15,000 (Level II Award)
Citizenship requirements: U.S. citizen or permanent resident
Apply: National Excellence Fellowship website (http://engineering.tamu.edu/graduate/nef)
Email Jennifer Broaddus (jbroaddus@tamu.edu) or call 979-845-7200
TEES Fellowship for Spanish Speakers
The Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) Fellowship Fund is designed to help
Spanish-speaking students complete their education. The TEES Fellowships are available
on a competitive basis to Ph.D. students in the Dwight Look College of Engineering who
speak, read and write Spanish and English uently. A limited number of $1,000 fellowships
will be awarded per academic year.
Award: $1,000
Citizenship requirements: None
Apply: Email Matthew Pariyothorn (mattp@tamu.edu) or call 979-845-7200
21
9.1.3 University
For more up-to-date information on fellowships, please see the Ofce of Graduate Studies website
( http://ogs.tamu.edu/current-students/fellowships-awards/fellowships/).
Ethel Ashworth-Tsutsui Memorial Awards (Women)
The research award was established to honor women graduate students who have demon-
strated excellence in research. Nominees must be women graduate students currently en-
rolled in a graduate program at Texas A&M University. They must have completed at least
two semesters of graduate study at Texas A&M and be enrolled for at least six semester
credit hours during the semester in which they are nominated. Nominations may be made by
the candidate or by a Texas A&M faculty member.
The mentoring award was established to honor women graduate students, post-docs and
research staff who take action to encourage and support women graduate students at Texas
A&M. Graduate student nominees must have completed at least two semesters at Texas
A&M and currently be enrolled.
Award: $500
Apply: http://outreach.science.tamu.edu/ethel.asp
Pathways to the Doctorate
This program provides an assistantship to students from A&M System schools to pursue
a graduate education at Texas A&M University and in doing so, build relationships with
faculty in the department. A mentorship to the student is required of each faculty member.
Award: $20,000 assistantship grant for one year
Apply: http://ogs.tamu.edu/ogs-help-center/tutorial/merit-fellowship-nominations
AFS Graduate Merit Fellowship
This highly competitive fellowships funds $25,000 in the rst year, support for health insur-
ance costs and additional funds to support the completion of a masters or doctoral degree.
Award: $25,000
Graduate Diversity Fellowship
Established to attract students with a proven record of success in a diverse environment,
the Graduate Diversity Fellowship provides signicant funding each year: $13,000 annual
stipend, $5,000 annually for tuition and fees and a graduate assistantship, which pays a
minimum of $7,000 per year and includes a health insurance option. The total award package
for the Graduate Diversity Fellowship for two years is more than $50,000.
22
Award: $13,000
Gramm Doctoral Fellowship
This fellowship is available only to currently enrolled doctoral students at Texas A&M Uni-
versity and recognizes scholarly excellence. The Gramm Fellowship was established to pro-
mote, encourage and reward outstanding teaching and research by doctoral students whose
command of their respective disciplines exemplies the meaning of scholar mentor in the
highest sense.
Award: $5,000
Apply: Contact your department graduate advising ofce
George W. Kunze Prize Fellowships
The Kunze Prize provides a stipend to a doctoral student nearing completion of their de-
gree program. Students must be nominated by their departments, and the nomination is
then forwarded to the college dean and subsequently to the Ofce of Graduate Studies. The
nominees shall have superior academic achievement and on or more publications in a ref-
ereed journal(s) in national or international stature. The nominees shall demonstrate good
citizenship through contributions to the university and/or the community.
Award: $1,000
Lechner Graduate Grant
The Lechner Graduate Grant was established to support new/incoming graduate students at
Texas A&M University.
Award: $500 to $1,500
Dissertation Fellowship
The Dissertation Fellowship was established to support new/incoming graduate students at
Texas A&M University.
Award: $15,000
Apply: http://ogs.tamu.edu/current-students/fellowships-awards/fellowships/dissertation-
fellowship-application/
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9.1.4 External
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) helps ensure the vitality of the
human resource base of science and engineering in the United States and reinforces its diver-
sity. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-
based masters and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions. Fellows share
in the prestige and opportunities that become available when they are selected. Fellows
benet from a three-year annual stipend of $30,000 along with a $10,500 cost of education
allowance for tuition and fees, opportunities for international research and professional de-
velopment, and the freedom to conduct their own research at any accredited U.S. institution
of graduate education they choose.
Award: three-year annual stipend of $30,000 along with a $10,500 cost of education
allowance for tuition and fees
Citizenship requirements: be a US citizen, US national, or permanent resident
Deadline: generally mid-November, with notication in May
Apply: http://www.nsfgrfp.org/
Department of Energy Ofce of Science Graduate Fellowship
The DOE SCGF is a three-year award, providing partial tuition support, an annual stipend for
living expenses, and a research allowance for full-time graduate study and thesis/dissertation
research at a U.S. academic institution. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and either a rst or
second year graduate student, or an undergraduate senior at the time of applying, and must
be pursuing or plan to pursue graduate study and research in areas relevant to the science
programs supported by the DOE Ofce of Science. Applications are subject to rigorous peer
review by external experts based on established merit review criteria.
Award: three-year annual stipend of $35,000 along with a $10,500 cost of education
allowance for tuition and fees and a $5,000 research allowance
Citizenship requirements: U.S. citizenship
Deadline: generally at the beginning of January, with notication in May
Apply: http://scgf.orau.gov/
National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship
The National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship is a highly
competitive, portable fellowship that is awarded to U.S. citizens and nationals who intend
to pursue a doctoral degree in one of fteen supported disciplines. NDSEG confers high
honors upon its recipients, and allows them to attend whichever U.S. institution they choose.
NDSEG Fellowships last for three years and pay for full tuition and all mandatory fees, a
monthly stipend, and up to $1,000 a year in medical insurance.
24
Award: three-year annual stipend of $31,000 along with full tuition and fees and a
$1,000 medical insurance allowance
Citizenship requirements: citizens or nationals of the United States
Deadline: generally at the beginning of September, with notication in April
Apply: http://ndseg.asee.org/
Science, Mathematics & Research for Transformation Scholarship
The Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Ser-
vice Program is an opportunity for students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree
in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines to receive a full
scholarship and be gainfully employed upon degree completion.
Award: three-year annual stipend of $25,000 to $38,000 along with full tuition and fees
and a $1,200 medical insurance allowance
Citizenship requirements: U.S. citizen at time of application
Deadline: generally in mid-December, with notication in March
Apply: http://smart.asee.org/
9.2 Teaching
Teaching assistantships are awarded by the department. International students who are not native
English speakers must pass the Texas A&M English Language Institute English Language Pro-
ciency Exam (ELPE) administered by the English Language Institute (http://eli.tamu.edu/) on
campus at Texas A&M to qualify as teaching assistants. All students holding department teaching
assistantships are required to pass the ELPE or otherwise be certied in English by the end of their
rst academic year.
To apply for a teaching assistantship (GAT), you should submit a GAT application. You should
update it each semester if you want to keep your application active.
9.3 Research
Research assistantships are offered by faculty. Inquiries about these opportunities may be initiated
by individual faculty members or by applicants. If you intend to contact a faculty member, rst
study their website and read their research publications, so that you can be certain there is mutual
research interest.
9.4 Travel
9.4.1 Bush Foundation Travel Grant
The foundation provides travel grants to each of the colleges at Texas A&M University for un-
dergraduate and graduate students. The grant is awarded to the student to support travel to con-
ferences, research projects, study, or internship in the United States or abroad. Students should
25
contact their academic departments for more application information, which is typically due dur-
ing each fall semester.
Award: $500
9.4.2 Ofce of Graduate Studies Research and Presentation Grants
The Graduate Student Research and Presentation Grant Program is supported by funds provided
to OGS by The Texas A&M Association of Former Students. The purpose of the program is to
support graduate student research or travel by reimbursing students for certain expenses. Awards
are limited to $400 maximum. In special cases, proposals for undergraduate research projects will
be considered. Please apply at least one month before the scheduled Presentation/Research to give
us enough time to process your applicaiton.
Award: maximum of $400 per degree
Apply: http://ogs.tamu.edu/funding-information/grants/
9.4.3 Graduate Student Council
Award: maximum of $500 per academic year
Apply: http://gsc.tamu.edu/travelawards
9.5 Other
Additional positions are available in other campus departments where students can work as pro-
grammers, systems analysts, web developers and computer operators. Some of these positions are
graduate assistantships that qualify for the same benets (such as in-state tuition) as Departmental
assistantships. Arrangements with other departments are made by the student. Additional postings
of jobs outside the Department are available online at Jobs for Aggies. Access to this site may be
restricted until after you have registered for courses.
10 Program Requirements
Graduate students must fulll the residence and scholastic requirements for graduate study as spec-
ied by the University. In addition, the Department has these requirements:
26
10.1 Grade Point Requirements
Two grade point averages (GPA) are computed for graduate students at Texas A&M University,
the GPA of all courses listed on the degree plan and the cumulative GPA. The cumulative GPA
includes all graded graduate (600 level) and advanced undergraduate (300 and 400 level) course
work completed at Texas A&M that has not been applied towards a prior degree.
To be in good academic standing, both the degree plan GPA and the cumulative GPA must be
at least 3.000. A student whose grades drop below this level is considered to be scholastically
decient and will be placed on departmental probation. Students that are scholastically decient
may have a registration hold placed on them, and, by university regulations, will not be allowed to
graduate, schedule nal exams (defenses), preliminary exams, etc. Scholastic deciency may also
result in the loss of fellowships or scholarships.
Each graduate assistant funded by the Department must maintain a GPA of 3.25 in both the
degree plan GPA and in the cumulative GPA. A graduate assistant whose grades drop below this
level may lose their assistantship. PhD students who are rated Unsatisfactory in the annual PhD
review are not eligible for departmental assistantships or scholarships for the next academic year.
10.2 Registration Requirements
The University and the Department both have registration requirements and students must satisfy
them both. The number of hours that a student is required to be registered depends on the semester
(e.g., usually fewer hours are required in the summer than in fall or spring semesters) and the stu-
dents individual situation including factors such as whether they have an assistantship, completion
status, and (if applicable) visa status. These rules are subject to change and should be reviewed
before each registration. Updated information and clarications can be found on the graduate
program webpages.
11 Graduate Student Life
11.1 Organizations
11.1.1 Computer Science and Engineering Graduate Student Association
CSEGSA is the graduate student association for the Department. The goals of this association are:
Provide graduate students in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering with the
means to express their opinions and address issues with policies that deal with the department
as a whole.
Promote and enhance interactions among students, faculty, and staff.
Foster a climate in which all graduate students in the department feel a sense of community
and belonging.
Work to enhance the reputation and prestige of the Department of Computer Science and
Engineering at the local, national, and international levels.
27
All graduate students in the department are members of the association and are encouraged to
attend events and meetings.
website: csegsa.cse.tamu.edu
email: csegsa@cse.tamu.edu
11.1.2 Aggie Women in Computer Science
AWICS is an organization for all women (students and faculty) in Computer Science at Texas
A&MUniversity. AWICS is an ACM-Wchapter. Our activities include socializing, mentoring, and
professional development. AWICS has regular study breaks and recreational events, administers
a peer-mentoring program for our members, and maintains an electronic mailing list and a web
page. AWICS also has various other special events and programs throughout the year.
website: awics.cs.tamu.edu
email: awics@cse.tamu.edu
11.1.3 Texas Aggie Game Developers
TAGD was formed at Texas A&M University, College Station, over the Summer of 2003 by a
group of students who all shared a similar passion, making video games. Realizing that getting
a job in the games industry with solely a degree in Computer Science was simply not realistic,
this organization was established by Jacob Foshee to help students learn and gain experience in
game development. Over the years, TAGD has evolved its ways of learning, gaining experience
and setting priorities for its members to be coherent with the present and the future expectations of
the industry.
website: tagd.cs.tamu.edu
11.1.4 Texas Aggie Computing Society
Since 1973, the Texas A&M Computing Society has been dedicated to fostering an environment
for students to explore, engage and advance the art, science, engineering, and application of infor-
mation technology. As the student chapter of both the Association of Computing Machinery and
IEEE Computer Society, TACS encourages and supports professional development by sponsoring
industry speakers and providing numerous networking opportunities. In addition, TACS focuses
on personal growth and continued learning with venues like the ACM International Collegiate
Programming Contest, Techapaloozas, and Student Research Competitions. We also help com-
puter science students with regular class reviews, project hosting, and provide means for student
concerns to be brought to the faculty and staff.
Undergraduate and graduate students welcome to join.
website: tacs.tamu.edu
11.1.5 Upsilon Pi Epsilon
The mission of Upsilon Pi Epsilon is to recognize academic excellence at both the undergraduate
and graduate levels in the Computing and Information Disciplines.
website: upetamu.tamu.edu
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11.2 Resources
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
3112 TAMU
College Station, TX USA 77843-3112
Ofce of Admissions
0200 TAMU
tel: +1-979-845-1060; fax: +1-979-458-1018
email: international-admission@tamu.edu
email: graduate-admission@tamu.edu
International Student Services
1226 TAMU
tel: +1-979-845-1824; fax: +1-979-862-4633
email: iss@tamu.edu
Ofce of Graduate Studies
1113 TAMU
tel: +1-979-845-3631; fax: +1-979-845-1596
email: ogs@tamu.edu
Graduate Advisor
3112 TAMU
tel: +1-979-845-4087; fax: +1-979-862-3684
email: grad-advisor@cse.tamu.edu
email: grad-admissions@cse.tamu.edu
url: http://www.cse.tamu.edu/academics/graduate
On-line tuition and fee information (Student Business Services)
12 Texas A&M University Code of Honor
For many years Aggies have followed a Code of Honor, which is stated in this very simple verse:
29
An Aggie does not lie, cheat or steal or tolerate those who do.
The Aggie Code of Honor is an effort to unify the aims of all Texas A&M men and women
toward a high code of ethics and personal dignity. For most, living under this code will be no
problem, as it asks nothing of a person that is beyond reason. It only calls for honesty and integrity,
characteristics that Aggies have always exemplied.
The Aggie Code of Honor functions as a symbol to all Aggies, promoting understanding and
loyalty to truth and condence in each other.
30
Appendices
A Course List
CSCE 601. Programming with C and Java. (3-0). Credit 3. Survey of the C and Java
programming languages, including principles of procedural and object-oriented languages;
multi-disciplinary applications including business, Internet and engineering problems. Pre-
requisite: Graduate classication.
CSCE 602. Object-Oriented Programming, Development and Software Engineering.
(3-0). Credit 3. Teaches students Object-Oriented Programming in C++; software engi-
neering techniques presented to teach how to build high quality software; semester project
gives quasi-real-world experience with issues such as requirements capture and object-orient
development. Prerequisite: CSCE 601 or approval of instructor; graduate classication.
CSCE 603. Database Systems and Applications. (3-0). Credit 3. Introduction to the
concepts and design methodologies of database systems for non-computer science majors;
emphasis on E. F. Codds relational model with hands-on design application. Prerequisite:
CSCE 601; graduate classication. Credit will not be given for both CSCE 310 and 603.
CSCE 604. Programming Languages. (3-0). Credit 3. Study in the design space of
programming languages, covering language processing, formalisms to describe semantics of
programming languages, important concepts found in current programming languages, and
programming paradigms.
CSCE 605. Compiler Design. (3-0). Credit 3. Advanced topics in compiler writing; parser
generators and compiler-compilers; dynamic storage and scope resolution; data owanalysis
and code optimization. Prerequisite: CSCE 434.
CSCE 606. Software Engineering. (3-0). Credit 3. Development of advanced concepts
in software engineering; software development environments as a mechanism for enhancing
productivity and software quality; the classication, evaluation and selection of method-
ologies for environments; rapid prototyping and reusability concepts; articial intelligence
techniques applied to software engineering. Prerequisite: CSCE 431 or approval of instruc-
tor.
CSCE 608. Database Systems. (3-0). Credit 3. Database modeling techniques; expressive-
ness in query languages including knowledge representation; manipulation languages data
models; physical data organization; relational database design theory; query processing;
transaction management and recovery; distributed data management. Prerequisite: CSCE
310 or 603.
CSCE 610. Hypertext/Hypermedia Systems. (3-0). Credit 3. Comprehensive coverage
of Hypertext/Hypermedia; basic concepts and denitions; fundamental components, archi-
tectures and models; problems and current solutions; design and implementation issues; and
research issues. Prerequisites: CSCE 310 or 603; CSCE 313.
31
CSCE 611. Operating Systems and Applications. (3-0). Credit 3. Review of computer
architecture hardware/software evolution leading to contemporary operating systems; basic
operating systems concepts; methods of operating systems design and construction; algo-
rithms for CPU scheduling memory and general resource allocation; process coordination
and management; case studies of several operating systems; quality-of-services of operating
systems and their impact on applications. Prerequisite: CSCE 311; graduate classication.
Credit will not be given for both CSCE 410 and 611.
CSCE612. Applied Networks and Distributed Processing. (3-0). Credit 3. Fundamentals,
including network design and protocol analysis, in the context of computer communications;
the course mixes fundamentals with both programming and pragmatic views of engineering
issues; it includes network architecture as well as principles of network engineering; focus
is on applying principles of layered architecture to analyzing real networks; lab exercises fo-
cus on protocol understanding and programming; knowledge of UNIX and C programming
helpful, but not required. Prerequisite: Graduate classication. Credit will not be given for
both CSCE 463 and 612.
CSCE 613. Operating Systems. (3-0). Credit 3. Analysis of algorithms in computer oper-
ating systems; sequencing and control algorithms supporting concurrent processes; schedul-
ing algorithms to minimize execution times and mean ow times; algorithms for allocating
tasks to processors; allocation of memory (virtual and real); direct access device schedules;
auxiliary and buffer storage models. Prerequisite: CSCE 313 or 611.
CSCE 614. Computer Architecture. (3-0). Credit 3. Reviews of von Neumann architec-
ture and its limitations; parallel computer structures and concurrent computation; pipeline
computers and vectorization methods; array processors, multiprocessor architectures and
programming; dataow computers. Prerequisite: CSCE 350.
CSCE 615. Distributed Component Architecture. (3-0). Credit 3. Introduce general
techniques and approaches of software architecture (e.g., architecture style, ADL, ADME,
UML, DSSA, distributed component and middleware); software life cycles; investigate dis-
tributed component architecture (COBRA, COM/DOM, JavaBeans) as specic examples of
architecture for in-depth knowledge. Prerequisite: Knowledge of at least one object-oriented
language (e.g., C++, Java); graduate classication.
CSCE 617. Co-Design of Embedded Systems (CODES). (3-0). Credit 3. Co-design
methodologies of hardware-software systems; models of computation (MOC), system speci-
cation, co-simulation, synthesis, and verication; hardware-software implementation; core-
based systems and interfaces, performance analysis and optimization; system on chip, power
aware design. Prerequisites: CSCE 462 or equivalent, CSCE 410 and graduate classication.
CSCE618. Resilient Computer Systems. (3-0). Credit 3. Impact of reliability on computer
and network system design; stochastic models of reliability and availability in fault-tolerant
systems; hardware, software and system interaction, system design for testability, isolation
and recovery. Prerequisite: CSCE 321 or 410. Cross-listed with ECEN 618.
32
CSCE 619. Networks and Distributed Computing. (3-0). Credit 3. Computer network
concepts including network architecture, layering, protocols, packet switching and virtual
circuits; performance evaluation and design considerations for local area networks; packet
distributed networks; satellite networks. Prerequisite: CSCE 463 or 612.
CSCE 620. Computational Geometry. (3-0). Credit 3. Design and analysis of algorithms
for solving geometrical problems; includes convex hull problems, Voronoi diagrams, range
searching and proximity problems. Prerequisite: CSCE 311. Cross-listed with VIZA 670.
CSCE 622. Generic Programming. (3-0). Credit 3. The generic programming approach to
design and systematic classication of software components, techniques for achieving cor-
rectness, efciency, and generality of algorithms, data structures, and memory management,
methods of structuring a library of generic software components for maximum usability are
practiced in a signicant design and implementation project. Prerequisite: CSCE 221.
CSCE 623. Parallel Geometric Computing. (3-0). Credit 3. Parallel computer architec-
tures and algorithms for solving geometric problems raised in VLSI design, pattern recogni-
tion and graphics; advanced research results in computational geometry including convexity,
proximity, intersection, geometric searching and optimization problems. Prerequisite: CSCE
221 or ECEN 350. Cross-listed with ECEN 623.
CSCE 624. Sketch Recognition. (3-0). Credit 3. Analysis, implementation, and compar-
ison of sketch recognition algorithms, including feature-based, vision-based, geometrical,
timing-based, and path-based recognition algorithms. Methods for combing these recogni-
tion methods for greater accuracy, using known AI techniques, are also examined. Prerequi-
site: Graduate classication.
CSCE 625. Articial Intelligence. (3-0). Credit 3. Basic concepts and methods of arti-
cial intelligence; Heuristic search procedures for general graphs; game playing strategies;
resolution and rule based deduction systems; knowledge representation; reasoning with un-
certainty. Prerequisite: CSCE 221.
CSCE626. Parallel AlgorithmDesign and Analysis. (3-0). Credit 3. Design of algorithms
for use on highly parallel machines; area-time complexity of problems and general lower
bound theory; application (of these concepts) to articial intelligence, computer vision and
VLSI design automation. Prerequisite: CSCE 221.
CSCE 627. Theory of Computability. (3-0). Credit 3. Formal models of computation
such as pushdown automata; Turing machines and recursive functions; unsolvability results;
complexity of solvable results. Prerequisite: CSCE 433.
CSCE 628. Computational Biology. (3-0). Credit 3. Introduction to computational bi-
ology; formulations of biology problems as computational problems; computational ap-
proaches to solve problems in genomics and proteomics. Prerequisite: Graduate classi-
cation or approval of instructor. Cross-listed with BICH 628.
33
CSCE 629. Analysis of Algorithms. (3-0). Credit 3. Concrete algorithm design and analy-
sis; abstract models to analyze the complexity of problems; NP-Completeness; approxima-
tion and probabilistic algorithms. Prerequisite: CSCE 411.
CSCE 631. Intelligent Agents and Multi-Agent Systems. (3-0). Credit 3. Languages
used in articial intelligence with emphasis on LISP and PROLOG; environments for pro-
gramming in these languages; practice using these environments in the solution of articial
intelligence problems. Prerequisite: CSCE 420 or 625.
CSCE 632. Expert Systems. (3-0). Credit 3. Basic concepts for building expert systems;
inference strategies; applications and case studies; techniques for knowledge acquisition;
use of existing tools for building expert systems. Prerequisite: CSCE 420 or 625.
CSCE 633. Machine Learning. (3-0). Credit 3. Machine learning is the study of self-
modifying computer systems that can acquire new knowledge and improve their own per-
formance; survey machine learning techniques, which include induction from examples,
conceptual clustering, explanation-based learning, exemplar learning and analogy, discov-
ery and genetic algorithms. Prerequisite: CSCE 420 or 625.
CSCE 634. Intelligent User Interfaces. (3-0). Credit 3. Intersection of articial intelli-
gence and computer-human interaction: emphasis on designing and evaluating systems that
learn about and adapt to their users, tasks, and environments. Prerequisite: Graduate classi-
cation and approval of instructor.
CSCE 636. Neural Networks. (3-0). Credit 3. Basic concepts in neural computing; func-
tional equivalence and convergence properties of neural network models; associative mem-
ory models; associative, competitive and adaptive resonance models of adaptation and learn-
ing; selective applications of neural networks to vision, speech, motor control and planning;
neural network modeling environments. Prerequisites: Math 304 and 308 or approval of
instructor.
CSCE 637. Complexity Theory. (3-0). Credit 3. Deterministic, non-deterministic, alter-
nating and probabilistic computations; reducibilities; P, NP and other complexity classes;
abstract complexity; time, space and parallel complexity; and relativized computation. Pre-
requisites: CSCE 627 or approval of instructor.
CSCE 639. Fuzzy Logic and Intelligent Systems. (3-0). Credit 3. Introduces the basics
of fuzzy logic and its role in developing intelligent systems; topics include fuzzy set theory,
fuzzy rule inference, fuzzy logic in control, fuzzy pattern recognition, neural fuzzy systems
and fuzzy model identication using genetic algorithms. Prerequisite: CSCE 625 or approval
of instructor. Cross-listed with MEEN 676.
CSCE 640. Quantum Algorithms. (3-0). Credit 3. Introduction to the design and anal-
ysis of quantum algorithms; basic principles of the quantum circuit model; gives a gentle
introduction to basic quantum algorithms; reviews recent results in quantum information
processing. Prerequisite: CSCE 629 or approval of instructor.
34
CSCE 641. Computer Graphics. (3-0). Credit 3. Representations of 3-dimensional ob-
jects, including polyhedral objects, curved surfaces, volumetric representations and CSG
models; techniques for hidden surface/edge removal and volume rendering; illumination
and shading; anti-aliasing; ray tracing; radiosity; animation; practical experience with state-
of-the-art graphics hardware and software. Prerequisite: CSCE 441. Cross-listed with VIZA
672.
CSCE 643. Seminar in Intelligent Systems and Robotics. (3-0). Credit 3. Problems,
methods and recent developments in intelligent systems and robotics. This course may be
taken at multiple times for credit as content varies. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
CSCE 644. Cortical Networks. (3-0). Credit 3. The architecture of the mammalian cere-
bral cortex; its modular organization and its network for distributed and parallel processing;
cortical networks in perception and memory; neuronal microstructure and dynamical sim-
ulation of cortical networks; the cortical network as a proven paradigm for the design of
cognitive machines. Prerequisites: CSCE 420 or CSCE 625 and 636 and graduate classi-
cation.
CSCE 645. Geometric Modeling. (3-0). Credit 3. Geometric and solid modeling con-
cepts. Freeform curves and surfaces (splines and Bezier) with their relational, intersectional
and global mathematical properties. Parametric representation of solids, topology of closed
curved surfaces, boundary concepts and Boolean/Euler operators. Construction and display
of curves and surfaces, and solid models. Prerequisite: CSCE 441 and 442 or equivalent.
Cross-listed with VIZA 675.
CSCE 646. The Digital Image. (3-2). Credit 4. Tools and techniques for generation,
handling and analysis of two dimensional digital images; image representation and storage;
display, media conversion, painting and drawing; warping; color space operations, enhance-
ment, ltering and manipulation. Prerequisite: VIVA 653 or approval of instructor. Cross-
listed with VIZA 654.
CSCE 647. Image Synthesis. (3-2). Credit 4. Principles of image synthesis from 3-D scene
descriptions; includes local and global illumination, shading, shadow determination, hid-
den surface elimination, texturing, raster graphics algorithms, transformations and projects.
Prerequisite: VIZA 653 or approval of instructor. Cross-listed with VIZA 656.
CSCE 648. Computer Aided Sculpting. (3-2). Credit 3. Mathematical and artistic prin-
ciples of 3-D modeling and sculpting; includes proportions, skeletal foundation, expression
and posture, line of action; curves, surfaces and volumes, interpolation and approximation,
parametric and rational parametric polynomials, constructive solid geometry, and implicit
representations. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor. Cross-listed with VIZA 657.
CSCE 649. Physically-Based Modeling. (2-2). Credit 3. Physical simulation as used in
choreography, geometric modeling, and the creation of special effects in computer graphics:
a variety of problems and techniques explored which may include particle-methods, mod-
eling and simulation of exible materials, kinematics and constraint systems. Prerequisite:
Approval of instructor. Cross-listed with VIZA 659.
35
CSCE 653. Computer Methods in Applied Sciences. (3-0). Credit 3. Classical and mod-
ern techniques for the computational solution of problems of the type that traditionally arise
in the natural sciences and engineering; introductions to number representation and errors,
locating roots of equations, interpolation, numerical integration, linear algebraic systems,
spline approximations, initial-value problems for ordinary differential equations and nite-
difference methods for partial differential equations. Prerequisite: CSCE 442 or MATH 417;
graduate classication.
CSCE 654. Supercomputing. (3-0). Credit 3. Principles of high-performance scientic
computing systems, vectorization, advanced FORTRAN programming on supercomputers,
numerical methods for supercomputers, performance measuring of supercomputers, multi-
tasking. Prerequisites: CSCE 614.
CSCE 655. Human Centered Systems and Information. (3-0). Credit 3. A foundation
course in human centered systems and information; understanding and conceptualizing inter-
action; design and prototyping methodologies; evaluation frameworks; visual design using
color, space, layering, and media; information structuring and visualization; animation and
games; individual and team programming projects. Prerequisite: Graduate classication or
CSCE 436 or 444 or approval of instructor.
CSCE 656. Computers and New Media. (3-0). Credit 3. This class investigates the
potential and realized impact of computers in the design of newmedia, explores the variety of
relationships between authors and readers of interactive materials, and explores the inuence
of media design and content expressed. Prerequisite: Graduate classication.
CSCE 658. Randomized Algorithms. (3-0). Credit 3. This course gives an introduction
to randomized algorithms; selected tools and techniques from probability theory and game
theory are reviewed, with a view towards algorithmic applications; the main focus is a thor-
ough discussion of the main paradigms, techniques, and tools in the design and analysis of
randomized algorithms; a detailed analysis of numerous algorithms illustrates the abstract
concepts and techniques. Prerequisite: Graduate classication.
CSCE 659. Parallel/Distributed Numerical Algorithms and Applications. (3-0). Credit
3. A unied treatment of parallel and distributed numerical algorithms; parallel and dis-
tributed computation models, parallel computation of arithmetic expressions; fast algorithms
for numerical linear algebra, partial differential equations and nonlinear optimization. Pre-
requisite: CSCE 653; MATH 304. Cross-listed with ECEN 659.
CSCE 660. Computational Linear Algebra. (3-0). Credit 3. Techniques in matrix compu-
tation: elimination methods, matrix decomposition, generalized inverses, orthogonalization
and least-squares, eigenvalue problems and singular value decomposition, iterative meth-
ods and error analysis. Prerequisite: CSCE 442 or equivalent or MATH 417 or equivalent.
Cross-listed with MATH 660.
CSCE 661. Integrated Systems Design Automation. (3-0). Credit 3. VLSI design sys-
tems and their levels of abstracting; algorithms for general VLSI design and implementation;
computer aided design tools and principles; physical and logical models. Prerequisite: Grad-
uate classication.
36
CSCE 662. Distributed Processing Systems. (3-0). Credit 3. Principles and practices of
distributed processing; protocols, remote procedure calls; le sharing; reliable system de-
sign; load balancing; distributed database systems; protection and security; implementation.
Prerequisite: CSCE 313 and 463 or CSCE 612.
CSCE 663. Real-Time Systems. (3-0). Credit 3. Taxonomy of real-time computer systems;
scheduling algorithms for static and dynamic real-time tasks; hard real-time communications
protocols; programming languages and environments for real-time systems; case studies
of real-time operating systems. Prerequisites: CSCE 313 and 463 or 611, or approval of
instructor.
CSCE665. Advance Networking and Security. (3-0). Credit 3. Security aspects of various
network protocols including investigation and tool development using live machines and
networks. Prerequisites: Graduate classication and approval of instructor.
CSCE 666. Pattern Analysis.(3-0). Credit 3. Introduction to methods for analysis, classi-
cation and clustering of high dimensional data in Computer Science applications. Course
contents include density and parameter estimation, linear feature extraction, feature subset
selection, clustering, Bayesian and geometric classiers, non-linear dimensionality reduction
methods from statistical learning theory and spectral graph theory, Hidden Markov models,
and ensemble learning. Prerequisites: MATH 222, MATH 411 (or equivalent) and graduate
classication.
CSCE 667. Collaborative Systems and Models.(3-0). Credit 3. Collaborative systems
support group activities over computer networks; emphasis on human factors, system design
is different from traditional systems; overviews existing research efforts to address various
design issues; state-of-the-art knowledge and how to implement collaborative applications.
Prerequisites: CSCE 310 or 603, 313 or 611, a program language (C++/JAVA) and CSCE
436 or 671 or 672 or approval of instructor and graduate classication.
CSCE 668. Distributed Algorithms and Systems.(3-0). Credit 3. Introduction to funda-
mental algorithmic results in distributed computing systems; leader election, mutual exclu-
sion, consensus, logical time and causality, distributed snapshots, algorithmic fault tolerance,
shared memory, clock synchronization. Prerequisites: CSCE 411 or equivalent; approval of
instructor.
CSCE 669. Computational Optimization. (3-0). Credit 3. Combinatorial theory of poly-
topes as a tool for the solution of combinatorial optimization problems; applications to max
ow, matching and matroids; geometric interpretation of the results indicating the profound
role that polyhedral combinatorics play in the design and complexity of approximation algo-
rithms. Prerequisites: CSCE 629.
CSCE 670. Information Storage and Retrieval. (3-0). Credit 3 Representation, storage,
and access to very large multimedia document collections; fundamental data structures and
algorithms of information storage and retrieval systems; techniques to design and evaluate
complete retrieval systems, including cover of algorithms for indexing, compressing, and
querying very large collections. Prerequisites: CSCE 310 or 603 or approval of instructor;
graduate classication.
37
CSCE 671. Computer-Human Interaction. (3-0). Credit 3. Comprehensive coverage
of Computer-human Interaction (CHI) including history, importance, design theories, and
future direction; modeling computer users and interfaces, empirical techniques for task anal-
ysis and interface design, and styles of interaction. Prerequisites: Graduate classication.
CSCE 672. Computer Supported Collaborative Work. (3-0). Credit 3. Covers design,
implementation and use of technical systems that support people working cooperatively;
draws from the research area of Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) and in-
cludes current theoretical, practical, technical and social issues in CSCW and future direc-
tions of the eld. Prerequisite: CSCE 671 or 610 or approval of instructor.
CSCE 673. Information, Secrecy, and Authentication I. (3-0). Credit 3. Preliminaries;
probability, information, entropy, signals, channels; group-theoretic view of messages; con-
temporary secrecy and digital signature systems; one-time pads, DES, RSA, DSS, wheels,
LFSR-based systems; analog scramblers; key exchange, key management, secret sharing,
access structures; measures of security. Prerequisites: Graduate classication and approval
of instructor. Cross-listed with MATH 673.
CSCE 674. Information, Secrecy, and Authentication II. (3-0). Credit 3. Classical and
recent attacks; login, compression, error control, and genetic codes; nite and innite codes;
matrices, graphs, duals, groups, morphisms, composites, products, rates, and classication of
codes; the confusion/diffusion/arithmetic/calculus extension of Shannons two design prim-
itives. Prerequisites: MATH 673; graduate classication and approval of instructor. Cross-
listed with MATH 674.
CSCE 675. Digital Libraries. (3-0). Credit 3. Surveys current research and practice in
Digital Libraries, which seek to provide intellectual access to large-scale, distributed digi-
tal information repositories; current readings from the research literature which covers the
breadth of this interdisciplinary area of study. Prerequisite: graduate classication in com-
puter science.
CSCE 680. Testing and Diagnosis of Digital Systems. (3-0). Credit 3. The theory and
techniques of testing VLSI-based circuits and systems, and design for testability. Prerequi-
sites: CSCE 321 or ECEN 350 or equivalent; ECEN 220 or 248 or equivalent. Cross-listed
with ECEN 680.
CSCE 681. Seminar. (1-0). Credit 1. Reports and discussion of current research and of
selected published technical articles. May not be taken for credit more than once in masters
degree program nor twice in PhD program.
CSCE 684. Professional Internship. Credit 1. Training under the supervision of practicing
computer professionals in settings appropriate to the students professional objectives, away
from Texas A&M University campus. Prerequisites: Approval of the department head and
one semester of graduate work completed.
CSCE 685. Directed Studies. Credit 1 to 12. Research problems of limited scope designed
primarily to develop research technique.
38
CSCE 689. Special Topics in... Credit 1 to 4. Selected topics in an identied area of
computer science. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
CSCE 691. Research. Credit 1 or more. Research for thesis or dissertation.
39
B PhD Review Procedures
The Ph.D. review procedure consists of the following main steps:
1. Annual progress report and other materials completed by the Ph.D. student. Dates vary by
year, but the deadline is typically near the end of the spring semester.
2. Annual evaluation form completed by advisor (if one exists) and other faculty (dates vary by
year, but typically near the end of the spring semester). This does not require any action by
the student.
3. Review of the students by the entire faculty in mid-May.
4. Notication letter to the student and advisor by early June. Possible outcomes are: Satisfac-
tory, Needs Improvement, or Unsatisfactory.
5. Improvement Process: Initiated for students who receive Needs Improvement or Unsatisfac-
tory ratings.
6. Dismissal Procedure: Initiated for students who receive two consecutive Unsatisfactory rat-
ings.
B.1 Review Criteria
Minimum requirements are that the student must comply with all academic rules, regulations, and
time lines set forth by the Ofce of Graduate Studies and the Department of Computer Science
and Engineering. These include, but are not limited to, maintaining acceptable degree plan and
cumulative grade point ratios (GPRs), formation of an advisory committee and ling a degree
plan, completing required course work, passing the Preliminary Exam, submitting a dissertation
proposal, and passing the Final Exam (dissertation defense), all within allowable time limits. A
student who has committed academic misconduct must complete the remedial actions required of
the misconduct review process. These are all required actions.
In addition to meeting minimum requirements, students must demonstrate Satisfactory perfor-
mance, based on faculty expectations. To provide guidance to students and faculty, descriptions
of ranges of Satisfactory progress for students entering with a bachelors degree or with a related
masters degree are provided below.
A student will likely be rated Needs Improvement if they fall below these ranges, and they will
likely be rated Unsatisfactory if they fall signicantly below these ranges. It is important to note
however, that the ranges provided are only guidelines and they should be adjusted accordingly
based on each students individual circumstances. For example, a student may join in mid-year, a
student may come with a different background and need additional foundation courses, a student
may initially focus on research and defer course work, or a student may go on an internship. The
actual evaluation will take into account all the information available to the faculty.
The department will collect overall performance statistics, these statistics will be used to rene
our guidelines.
40
B.2 Student and Advisor Reports
The student is required to prepare and le the materials listed below by the announced deadline,
typically near the end of the spring semester. Failure to submit the required materials will result in
a rating of Unsatisfactory for that year. Reports must be submitted at http://osis.cs.tamu.edu (only
available behind the TAMU rewall or using VPN, students and faculty login using their TAMU
NetID (neo) login and password).
An on-line academic progress report form. It includes documenting progress on required
milestones, e.g., identifying an advisor, ling degree plan, completing course work with
acceptable cumulative and degree plan GPRs, passing Preliminary Exam, submitting disser-
tation proposal, passing Final Exam, and submitting dissertation to the thesis ofce. For each
requirement that has not yet been completed, the student will be asked to provide a tentative
date by which they plan to complete that requirement. If the student does not have a degree
plan on le yet, then they will be asked to provide the names of at most 3 professors that
they are considering as potential advisors.
An annual report describing in detail the students progress towards their Ph.D. degree in
the last year, or since the date the student entered the Ph.D. program, whichever is more
recent. This report must include a list of the papers the student has had published, accepted
or submitted to conferences or journals limited to the period covered by the annual report.
Acceptance ratios or percentages should be included for conference papers. (The report must
be in PDF or PLAIN TEXT format and a template is provided in Appendix C.)
A current vitae (CV). The CV must include a complete listing (all years) of all the stu-
dents published, accepted or submitted conference and journal papers. Acceptance ratios
or percentages should be included for conference papers. Examples of CVs can be found
by searching the Web using the term curriculum vitae, or by asking your advisor. (The CV
must be in PDF or PLAIN TEXT format.)
Complete and accurate documents are critical for a successful Ph.D. review. The students advisor,
if they have one, will provide their evaluation of the students performance as Satisfactory, Needs
Improvement, or Unsatisfactory and will provide written comments. Additionally, other faculty
will have an opportunity to provide input on the student.
The materials submitted by the student, their advisor, and other faculty will be available for
review by the entire faculty.
B.3 Faculty Review
All Ph.D. students will be evaluated by the faculty at their annual retreat, typically held in mid-
May. The evaluation by the faculty is based on the following information:
1. Students academic record. This includes courses, preliminary exam, Ph.D. proposal, etc.
2. The materials submitted by the student as part of the annual review process (e.g., academic
progress form, annual report, and CV).
41
3. Evaluations submitted by the students advisor (if the student has an advisor) and other fac-
ulty.
4. Faculty discussion. The discussion will presumably include direct knowledge of the faculty
about the student; and the students performance as compared to faculty expectations.
B.4 Notication and Student Response Processes
After the faculty evaluation, each student will receive a rating (Satisfactory, Needs Improvement,
or Unsatisfactory) and additional feedback regarding their degree progress and the criteria used for
evaluation. Results will be available in the Ph.D. Reviewor Degree Information sections of the One
Stop Information Service (OSIS) at http://osis.cs.tamu.edu (VPNis required for off-campus access,
students and faculty login using their TAMU NetID (neo) login and password). Notication that
results are available will be distributed electronically to the students departmental email
account. It is the students responsibility to read their email regularly.
In the case of a rating of Needs Improvement or Unsatisfactory (that is not a 2nd consecutive
Unsatisfactory rating), the notication letter will include specic feedback explaining the evalu-
ation, and what actions the student must take to improve to Satisfactory performance before the
next Ph.D. Student Annual Review.
If a student disagrees with their rating, they may provide a written response that will be placed
in their departmental record. This statement may include whatever justication or explanation of
extenuating circumstances that the student may wish to provide. This statement will be available
during future annual Ph.D. reviews and in any future dismissal proceedings.
B.5 Improvement Process
Students who are rated as Needs Improvement or Unsatisfactory (that is not a 2nd consecutive
Unsatisfactory rating) must complete the following improvement process (IP) within four weeks
of the date when notication of Ph.D. review results was sent to their departmental email account.
This deadline applies even if the student is away from campus, e.g., on an internship, or if they are
not registered for the summer.
Students will complete the improvement process with a mentor. If the student has led a degree
plan, then their mentor will be their advisor. The Graduate Advisor will be the mentor for students
that have not yet identied an advisor. Students that have identied an advisor (including students
changing advisors), but who have not yet led a degree plan with that advisor, have the option of
going through the process with their identied advisor (preferred) or with the Graduate Advisor
(or, when changing advisors, their previous advisor).
The improvement process includes the following steps. This process can be completed re-
motely using email and/or conference calls as necessary if the student or their advisor is out of
town. All improvement process materials should be submitted using OSIS athttp://osis.cs.tamu.edu
(VPN is required for off-campus access, students and faculty login using their TAMU NetID (neo)
login and password).
1. The student should develop a performance improvement plan with their identied IP mentor.
This plan must include steps and a time line for achieving Satisfactory progress over the next
42
year. Students completing the process with the Graduate Advisor as their mentor should for-
mat their improvement plans according to this template (http://www.cse.tamu.edu/academics/graduate/improve-
template).
2. The performance improvement plan should be submitted by the student to OSIS, and ap-
proved in OSIS by the students identied IP mentor.
3. After the performance improvement plan is approved by the IP mentor, the advising ofce
will schedule an appointment for the student and their IP mentor to meet with the Department
Head, or designate, to discuss the students performance and the plans for improving it.
4. The Department Head will decide whether and when all tasks in the improvement plan of
a student are successfully completed. The recommendation by the IP mentor will be taken
into account for this decision.
B.6 Consequence of an Unsatisfactory Rating
A student with an Unsatisfactory rating will in general not be eligible for departmental support
until all tasks specied in the improvement plan have been successfully completed.
B.7 Dismissal Procedure
Two consecutive Unsatisfactory ratings from the annual Ph.D. review constitute unsatisfactory
progress toward the Ph.D. degree and lead to the dismissal procedure. All materials relating to
the dismissal procedure should be submitted using the One Stop Information Service (OSIS) at
http://osis.cs.tamu.edu (VPN is required for off-campus access, students and faculty login using
their TAMU NetID (neo) login and password). The procedure is as follows:
1. Astudent who receives two consecutive Unsatisfactory ratings will be informed in the annual
review notication letter (available in the OSIS system as described above) that the dismissal
procedure has been initiated. The students advisory committee, if it exists, will also be
notied.
2. The student can submit a written statement and supportive materials arguing why they should
not be dismissed. The student may include written statements and materials from the advi-
sory committee.
3. The statements and materials must be submitted via OSIS within 4 weeks of notication.
4. The Graduate Advisory Committee (GAC) will then consider the case, taking the students
record, statements and materials into consideration, and will submit a written recommenda-
tion to the Department Head. Normally, the GAC will make the recommendation within two
weeks after receiving the statements and materials.
5. If an advisory committee exists, its members may submit written recommendations to the
Department Head within four weeks of the notication of the student.
43
6. The Department Head will make the nal decision about the dismissal of the student from
the graduate program. Normally, the Department Head will make the decision within two
weeks after receiving the recommendations of the GAC and advisory committee.
7. If the student is dismissed, they may appeal to the Graduate Appeals Panel (http://ogs.tamu.edu/incoming-
students/student-forms-and-information/graduate-appeals-panel-process/) per university rules
(http://student-rules.tamu.edu/rule59).
B.8 B.S. to Ph.D. Satisfactory Progress Guidelines
Below are recommended guidelines for judging the progress of a full-time Ph.D. student admit-
ted directly to the Ph.D. program with a B.S. Note there may be signicant variation from these
depending on the students individual circumstances, and in this case the schedule below should
be adjusted accordingly. For example, a student may join in mid-year, a student may come with a
different background and need additional foundation courses, a student may initially focus on re-
search and defer course work, or a student may go on an internship. The expectations for part-time
Ph.D. students are scaled appropriately.
The notation B+i means the i-th year after the B.S. degree.
Year B+1 The student is expected to nd an advisor, to complete several core courses (or
foundational courses in the case of CE majors), to start their research. The student may le
a degree plan.
Year B+2 The student is required to le a degree plan (by the end of their third semester). The
student is expected to complete most of their course requirements. Some progress in research
should be documented (for instance, submission of a paper to a conference or journal).
Year B+3 The student is expected to complete their course work. The student is expected to
complete their preliminary exam. The student should have tangible research results, such as
refereed publications in recognized outlets. The student is expected to complete their Ph.D.
proposal.
Year B+4 The student is strongly expected to complete their Ph.D. proposal. The student
must have made substantial progress towards the completion of the Ph.D. dissertation. There
should be evidence that the candidate has produced original, signicant research contribu-
tions. Lack of publications will be an indicator of inadequate progress.
Year B+5 The student should complete and defend the dissertation.
Year B+6 The student is strongly expected to complete and defend the dissertation.
B.9 Related M.S. to Ph.D. Satisfactory Progress Guidelines
Students may enter the full-time Ph.D. program with widely varying Masters degree backgrounds.
The assumption made here is that the student completed a broad Masters degree (often from an-
other school) and is not already in a specic research activity. These are the suggested goals for
44
each year for Satisfactory progress for a full-time Ph.D. student. Note there may be signicant vari-
ation from these depending on the students individual circumstances, and in this case the schedule
below should be adjusted accordingly. For example, a student may join in mid-year, a student may
come with a different background and need additional foundation courses, a student may initially
focus on research and defer course work, or a student may go on an internship. The expectations
for part-time Ph.D. students are scaled appropriately.
The notation M+i means the i-th year after completing the Masters Degree.
Year M+1 The student should be familiar with the CSE faculty and their research activities
such that agreement with an advisor can be nalized quickly. The student should (nearly)
complete course work, start their research, and is expected to le a degree plan. Progress
in research should be documented (for instance, submission of a paper to a conference or
journal). A student may engage in more research and correspondingly less course work.
Year M+2 The student must le a degree plan (by the end of the third semester). The student
should complete all course work. The student is expected to complete their preliminary
exam. The student must have tangible research results, such as refereed publications in
recognized outlets. The student should submit their dissertation proposal.
Year M+3 The student must have made substantial progress towards completion of the Ph.D.
dissertation. There should be evidence that the candidate has produced original, signicant
research contributions. Lack of publications will be an indicator of inadequate progress.
Year M+4 Expected to complete and defend dissertation.
Year M+5 Strongly expected to complete and defend dissertation.
45
C Forms
C.1 Travel Documents
NOTES:
Travel & Leave Form
Available at: http://www.cse.tamu.edu/department/groups/accounting/tl
For your rst reimbursement, you will need to have a W-9 tax form on le before the
T&L can be processed.
Before travel, ll out the Travel & Leave form, but only the sections marked STU-
DENTand sign
Next, take that sheet to your advisor so that they can ll out the ADVISOR section
and sign.
For foreign travel, you will need to attach a day-to-day itenerary.
Registration, hotel, airfare, and rental car can be booked by Valerie Sorenson. See steps
below.
1. Fill out Travel & Leave (this form).
2. Find ights, hotel, etc. booking information.
3. Send booking information to Valerie.
If you book your own registration, airfare, etc. it will not be reimbursed until AFTER
travel is complete.
Travel Worksheet
Available at: http://www.cse.tamu.edu/department/groups/accounting/tlworksheet
After travel, ll out the Travel Worksheet.
Tape ORIGINAL (not copied) receipts to 8.5x11 paper.
46
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STUDENT (if presenting, include the title of the paper/poster/talk)

STUDENT
STUDENT
STUDENT
STUDENT
STUDENT STUDENT
STUDENT
Submit by Email Print Form
STUDENT
STUDENT
STUDENT
ADVISOR
ADVISOR
C.1.1 Travel & Leave (T&L)
Department of Computer Science and Engineering Travel Expense Worksheet
Employee Name
Departure Date Departure Time Return Date Return Time
Cities traveled to and from:
Date (enter date) Expense Total
Hotel (room rate only)
Transportation:
Airfare
Rental Car
Gas
Taxi/Shuttle
Personal Car Miles (total
@ $0.555 per mile)
Meals: (at conversion
rate if needed)
Blank Field
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Daily Total (at conversion
rate above)
Other Travel Expenses:
Lodging Taxes
Registration
Parking
Tolls
Other(list):
Daily Total
Date Day Description of Travel and Business and Business Activities
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Special Circumstances or Other Comments:
C.1.2 Travel Worksheet
PhD Student Annual Review Progress Report
May XXXX
Your Name
Progress on coursework and other ocial milestones. Instructions (delete when done):
Briey describe when you started your PhD, who you are working with as an advisor
1
, and who
the members of your committee are. Please also use the table below to list all the courses youve
taken. If you have poor grades (close to or below 3.0 GPR), you need a detailed description of how
you plan to bring them up quickly.
Course Number Course Title Semester Grade
e.g CSCE 620 Computational Geometry Fall 2009 A
Please describe the status of all other required milestones in the PhD program, including whether
youve completed them or when you plan to complete them. Please provide specic dates, at least
for the next immediate milestone.
Degree plan
2
Qualier
3
Preliminary exam
4
Proposal
Final examination
5
Dissertation
Improvement plan
6
ELPE
7
Research. Instructions (delete when done): Briey introduce your overall research area (e.g.,
robotics) and the more specic subarea (e.g., swarm intelligence). Describe the research youve
worked on since the previous annual review. This should include both your dissertation research and
other things you may have worked on either with your group or with others, e.g., on an internship.
Research problem 1. Describe the main objective of this project, your contributions to the
eort, who you worked with, outcomes of the eort, and future directions.
Research problem 2. Same as above
...
Research problem N. Same as above
1
C.2 PhD Review Form
Peer-Reviewed Publications. Instructions (delete when done): List the publications youve au-
thored or coauthored, and indicate whether they are published, accepted or under review. You may
include all previous publications, but please underline those youve completed this year. Include ac-
ceptance ratios when known. Do not include papers in preparation; those should go under goals for
next year. Examples:
1. David M. Blei, Andrew Y. Ng, and Michael I. Jordan, Latent Dirichlet allocation, Journal
of Machine Learning Research, 3, 993-1022, 2003. (21% acceptance rate).
2. Jessica Davies, George Katsirelos, Nina Narodytska, and Toby Walsh, Complexity of and
Algorithms for Borda Manipulation, in Proc. AAAI, 2011 (To Appear; 25% acceptance rate).
3. Scott A. Sandford, Apples and Oranges - A Comparison, submitted to Annals of Improbable Research.
(110% acceptance rate).
Other Publications, Posters & Technical Reports. Also list other publications, including
technical reports, poster presentations, etc. As before, you can include all previous publications, but
please underline those youve completed this year. Examples:
1. Technical report 1 (authors, title, TR number)
2. Technical report 2
3. Poster 1 (authors, title, venue, dates, location)
4. Poster 2
Professional Activities. Instructions (delete when done): Describe any mentoring activities
(e.g., for new students in your group) or service to the department or student organizations (e.g.,
CSEGSA, AWICS). List any professional memberships (IEEE, ACM, etc.), any peer reviewing
youve done for conferences and/or journals, any conferences/events youve attended, etc.
Goals for the next year. Instructions (delete when done): Describe what you expect to achieve
in the next year, including coursework, degree requirements (e.g., quals, prelim, etc.), and publica-
tions. Goals should be specic, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound.
Here are some good examples:
Goal 1 (degree requirements): I intend to take the qualier exam in the Systems area during
spring 2013. To prepare for it, I will do the following: XXX, YYY, ZZZ.
Other examples: I will le my degree plan by dd-mm-yy / assemble my committee by
dd-mm-yy / take the preliminary exam by dd-mm-yy / pass CSCE 6xx during Fall 201x
and receive a letter grade of A as part of the conditional pass for my qualier exam, etc.
Goal 2 (research). I intend to do research on XXX; explain the specic problem(s) youll be
working on, what you will have to do to solve them (e.g., experimental work, system building,
t heorem proving), how they relate to your dissertation, etc.
2
Goal 3 (publications): I intend to submit a paper to ICML, which is due on XXX. The subject
of the paper is YYY. To complete this goal, I need to do the following: XXX, YYY, ZZZ.
This work is important for my research because...
Goal 4 (professional activities). I intend to attend XXX conference / review papers for YYY
conference / mentor students (list names if available, or where these students come from).
And here are some bad examples:
Goal 1. I intend to submit a good paper to a well-known conference.
What conference? On what topic? When is it due? How are you going to prepare? How
does this relate to your PhD research?
Goal 2. I intend to learn more about [some topic].
Why is this topic important? How are you going to learn about it? How are you going
to measure whether you learned anything? How do you intend to use what you learned?
How many hours are you going to devote to this eort?
Goal 3. I intend to take golf, adult swimming, and an easy stats class.
3
D PhD Preliminary Exam Procedures
As part of the degree requirements for the Ph.D. in Computer Science or Computer Engineering,
students must pass the Preliminary Examination given by the Advisory Committee as described in
the graduate catalog. The Preliminary Exam consists of written and oral portions. Each committee
member is scheduled to administer a written exam during the approximately 3 weeks prior to
the common oral examination. The format of the oral exam is exible and is determined by the
students Advisory Committee. In the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, it is
common for students to present their dissertation proposal at the oral prelim. In this case, the
student will typically provide the advisory committee members with a draft of the proposal several
weeks before the prelim. Students should discuss the format of their oral exam with their advisor
well before scheduling the prelim.
Listed below are the procedures to be followed for Preliminary Exams in the Department of
Computer Science and Engineering. Much of this information is taken from the Steps to Fulll
Preliminary Exam on the Ofce of Graduate Studies (OGS) website (http://ogs.tamu.edu).
Deadline: The Preliminary Exam is typically held at about the time that the degree plan course-
work requirements are completed. The rst written examination must be scheduled at least 90 days
after an approved degree plan is led and it must be taken at least 14 weeks before the defense.
Eligibility: To be eligible to schedule the Preliminary Examination, the student must meet the
following requirements:
By University regulations, at the end of the semester in which the exam is given, there can
be at most 6 hours of course work (excluding 691 hours) remaining on the degree plan.
The cumulative and degree plan GPRs must both be at least 3.00 (excluding transfer courses).
All English prociency requirements must be satised prior to scheduling the preliminary
examination.
Students must be registered in the University in the semester or summer term in which the
preliminary examination is taken.
Procedures: Listed below are the steps that should be followed in scheduling and administering
Preliminary Examinations for PhD degrees in the Department of Computer Science and Engineer-
ing.
1. The student and the Chair(s) of the Advisory Committee should complete the Preliminary
Exam Checklist (http://ogs.tamu.edu/les/2011/06/preliminarexam.pdf). This is to verify
the students eligibility to take the Preliminary Exam (important otherwise the exam may
need to be repeated). If different courses were taken than are listed on the degree plan,
then the appropriate OGS petitions (http://ogs.tamu.edu/incoming-students/student-forms-
and-information/) can be led to make the necessary changes.
Deadline: 3 weeks before the exam.
2. The student should consult with their Advisory Committee and select a mutually agreeable
date and time for the oral portion of the Preliminary Exam, and all committee members
should schedule or waive the written portion. The time span from the rst written to the
52
oral exam should be about 3 weeks. All Advisory Committee members should attend the
oral. If one of the members cannot attend the oral examination, he or she must nd an
appropriate substitute. Only one substitute is allowed, and there can be no substitute for the
chair. Normally two hours should be reserved for the oral preliminary exam. The student is
responsible for ensuring that a room is reserved for the oral prelim; the advising ofce can
help with this if needed.
3. After the students eligibility to take the preliminary exam has been veried and all members
of the Advisory Committee have agreed to the exam schedule (typically several weeks before
the exam), then the student should complete (as much as possible) the following OGS forms
and bring them to advising ofce:
Preliminary ExamChecklist (http://ogs.tamu.edu/les/2011/06/preliminarexam.pdf). This
formshould be fully completed and signed. The advising ofce will retain it and submit
it to OGS along with the result of the exam.
Report of the Preliminary Exam. This form should be completed with the names of the
student, the committee (and substitute if applicable), and the date of the prelim. The
advising ofce retain it until the date of the prelim and will provide it to the students
chair together with the students le on the date of the exam. The Advisory Committee
will complete this form at the conclusion of the exam.
4. The students advisor should return the Report of the Preliminary Exam to the advising
ofce immediately after the exam. The advising ofce will submit both the Preliminary
Exam Checklist and the Report of the Preliminary Exam to OGS. If they are not submitted
to OGS within 10 working days of the scheduled oral examination, then a failing grade is
recorded.
Deadline: Immediately after the exam (at the latest, within 10 working days of the exam).
53
E Dissertation Defense Procedures
As part of the degree requirements for the Ph.D. in Computer Science or Computer Engineering,
students must pass a nal examination given by their Advisory Committee as described in the
graduate catalog. The part of the exam that is related to the presentation of the students research
is public (the Dissertation Defense). The nal examination may not be administered before the
dissertation is available to all members of the students advisory committee in substantially nal
form, and all members have had adequate time to review the document. Final corrected copies of
the dissertation must be accepted by the thesis clerk no later than one year after the nal exami-
nation or within the 10-year time limit, whichever occurs rst. Failure to do so will result in the
degree not being awarded.
Listed below are the major steps that should be completed for Ph.D. Dissertation Defenses in
the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Much of this information is taken from the
graduate handbook and from Steps to Fulll Doctoral Degree Requirements
(http://ogs.tamu.edu/current/steps-doctoral.html) on the Ofce of Graduate Studies (OGS) website.
Final exam deadlines are listed on the OGS calendar (usually about 8 weeks before graduation).
To be eligible to schedule the Final Examination, the student must meet the following require-
ments:
An approved dissertation proposal and a PDF of the proposal must have been submitted to the
Graduate Advising ofce at least 5 weeks before Final Examination (dissertation defense).
(This is a decrease - it used to be 14 weeks before the defense.)
All course work on the degree plan must be completed with the exception of any remaining
CPSC 691 (Research) hours. This means all petitions to change the courses on the degree
plan must be led and approved before the exam can be scheduled.
The cumulative and degree plan GPRs must both be at least 3.00. There cannot be any
unabsolved grades of D, F, or U for any course listed on the degree plan. To absolve a
decient grade, the student must have repeated the course at Texas A&M University and
have achieved a grade of C or better.
All English prociency requirements must be satised prior to scheduling the examination.
Students must be registered in the University in the semester or summer term in which the
nal examination is taken.
Listed below are the steps that should be followed in scheduling and administering Final Exam-
inations (Dissertation Defenses) for PhD degrees in the Department of Computer Science and
Engineering.
1. The student and the Chair of the Advisory Committee should review the eligibility require-
ments for the Final Exam and ensure that the student has satised them all. If different
courses were taken than are listed on the degree plan, then the appropriate petitions should
be led to make the necessary changes; all such petitions must be approved by OGS before
the exam can be scheduled.
Deadline: 3 weeks before exam.
54
2. The student should consult with their Advisory Committee and select a mutually agreeable
date and time for the defense. All advisory committee members should attend the nal
examination. If one of the members cannot attend the examination, he or she must nd an
appropriate substitute. The committee chair may not be substituted. (Note that the committee
member and not the substitute should sign the dissertation approval pages.) Normally two
hours should be reserved for the defense. The student is responsible for ensuring that a room
is reserved for the defense; the advising ofce can help with this if needed. If it is available,
defenses should be scheduled in Room 302 HRBB to enable a larger attendance.
3. The Request for Final Examination (http://ogs.tamu.edu/forms/faculty/ogsnalrequest.pdf)
must be received by the Graduate Advising ofce at least 3 weeks before the exam. An
electronic copy in plain text (ASCII) of the title and abstract of the dissertation must be
emailed to the advising ofce (grad-advisor@cs.tamu.edu) before the student brings the
Request for Final Examination, already signed by the Chair(s), to the advising ofce for the
Department approval signature. The advising ofce will submit the Request to OGS and
they will announce and publicize the defense.
4. The student should distribute a complete draft (nearly nal form) of the dissertation to the
advisory committee.
5. OGS will send the Graduate Advising ofce a Report of Final Exam before the exam. It
should be completed and signed by the Advisory Committee at the defense. The students
Chair should return the Report of Final Exam to the advising ofce and they will submit it
to OGS. If the Report of Final Exam is not submitted to OGS within 10 working days of the
scheduled examination, then a failing grade will be recorded.
Deadline: Immediately after the exam (at the latest, within 10 working days of the exam).
55
F Frequently Asked Questions
F.1 General Questions
Where can I nd the requirements for the graduate degrees offered by the Department of
Computer Science and Engineering?
Details about the various degrees offered by the department, their requirements, etc. can be
found in the body of this document.
Does the Department of Computer Science and Engineering have any guidelines for Final
Exams for Masters or PhD degrees? What about Preliminary Exams?
Yes. You can nd information about fullling these and other requirements for graduate
degrees on the graduate program webpages, as well as in the body of this document. Here
are some of the relevant links:
Requirements for Ph.D. Degrees in CS & CE Procedures for: Ph.D. Preliminary Ex-
ams, Ph.D. Dissertation Defenses, and the Annual Ph.D. Review
Requirements for M.S. Degrees in CS & CE (thesis masters degrees) Procedures for:
M.S. Thesis Defenses
Requirements for MCS and MEN Degrees (non-thesis masters degrees)
What do I need to do if I want to change the degree I am pursuing within the Department of
Computer Science and Engineering (e.g., from MCS to PhD, or from PhD to MCS)?
You will need to send an email to grad-advising@cse.tamu.edu with:
Name
UIN
Current Degree
Requested Degree
What do I need to do if I want to keep the degree the same (e.g., MS or PhD), but change
my major from computer science to computer engineering still within the Department of
Computer Science and Engineering, or vice versa?
If you have not yet led a degree plan, then, since you are not changing departments, you
can simply le a degree plan for the major you want and that will take care of it.
If you have already led a degree plan, then you would need to le an OGS Petition for
Change of Major, Degree or Department with the Graduate Advising ofce.
What do I need to do if I want to continue on for a PhD after obtaining a Masters degree
from CSE@TAMU?
You will need to send an email to grad-admissions@cse.tamu.edu with:
Name
56
UIN
Current Degree
Requested Degree
Do I need to do anything special if my research will involve human subjects, animals, etc?
Yes, if your research will involve human subjects, animals, infectious biohazards, or recom-
binant DNA, then you should check with the Research Compliance Division to ensure that
they have met all compliance responsibilities. You need to make sure that you receive the
necessary approvals before conducting the relevant research. When applying to the Research
Compliance Division, you should complete the approval form(s) and obtain all necessary
signatures except the Department Head signatures before bringing the form to the advising
ofce. The advising ofce will obtain the necessary departmental approval signatures for
you and then will submit the forms for approval for you. Be sure to give the advising ofce
a copy of the notication you receive back from the Ofce of Research Compliance.
F.2 Qualifying Exam
How to prepare for the Qual?
The purpose of the Qual is to test whether you can think on your own feet, which in turn
requires knowledge of the fundamentals in your area (e.g., computational complexity for
Theory/Algorithms, computer architectures for Systems). So the rst piece of advice is know
the fundamentals in your discipline. The second piece of advice is read the papers thoroughly
and critically. If you know your fundamentals, and you have a good understanding of the
reading assignments, then you will have condence going into the exam, and can respond
well to faculty questions. You can expect that your committee will ask questions to see how
you approach and reason about problems. The committee will give you hints to help you
work through a problem, so you dont get stuck because you forgot some fact.
What are considered fundamental topics?
Any student taking the Qual (regardless of area of specialization) is expected to have knowl-
edge of core concepts in Computer Science and Engineering. For the purpose of the Qual,
these concepts will be known as the Common Core. The Common Core topics are listed in
the attached document, along with reference textbooks and undergraduate classes that cover
these topics. The textbooks and classes are provided as a reference to help you prepare for
the exam; i.e., you are not expected to have taken those specic classes. In addition, you
are expected to have knowledge of advanced material in the area you selected for the exam.
These Area Core topics are also listed in the attached document.
How to prepare for the reading assignments?
The reading assignments serve as a starter to engage in a research discussion with the
members of your Qualier committee. You are expected to be able to describe, discuss and
critique the papers, relate them to your research area, point out aws (if any), constraints,
implicit assumptions, main contributions, broader impact and potential extensions of the
work. The following references may be of help when preparing your reading assignments:
57
How to Read an Engineering Research Paper, by W. Griswold (UCSD)
How to read a paper, by S. Keshav (U Waterloo)
How NOT to review a paper, by G. Cormode (AT&T Labs)
F.3 Advisory Committee and Degree Plan
What is an Advisory Committee and when do I need to form one?
The Chair of the students Advisory Committee usually has immediate supervision of the
students research. An Advisory Committee has either one Chair or a Chair and a Co-Chair.
The Chair must be a member of the Departments graduate faculty. For all degrees, a clear
majority of the members of the Advisory Committee must be from the department and at
least one committee member must be from another department (the Chair(s) count as mem-
bers). Advisory committees must have at least 3 members for Masters degrees and at least
4 members for Doctoral degrees. Note that all faculty with joint appointments in the de-
partment will be considered as departmental faculty when evaluating the composition of the
committee.
Advisory Committees can have supplemental members that are not members of the Texas
mittee). Supplemental members are usually added because they have some special expertise
that is relevant to the students research topic. These members must sign the Thesis or Dis-
sertation Approval Form and they must sign exam forms for any oral exam they choose to
attend. Such members are added by special appointment requests; check with the advising
ofce for more information.
The Advisory Committee needs to be formed before the degree plan can be submitted be-
cause all members for the committee sign the degree plan. Normally, masters students must
have a degree plan on le by the end of their second semester and PhD students must have
one on le by the end of their third semester.
What is a degree plan and when do I need to le one?
A degree plan lists the courses you plan to take to fulll the requirements for the degree
you are pursuing. It is signed by you and your Advisory Committee, signifying that you
accept those requirements and that your Advisory Committee accepts the responsibility of
guiding you during your studies. Normally, masters students must have a degree plan on le
by the end of their second semester and PhD students must have one on le by the end of
their third semester. Details about course requirements for the various degrees offered by the
department can be found in the Graduate Handbook.
Do I need to put anything on my degree plan if I want to do an internship or co-op?
Maybe. If you are an international student and you are interested in participating in an
internship or co-op during your graduate studies, then you should probably put 1-2 credit
hours of CPSC 684 (Professional Internship) on your degree plan so that you will be eligible
for Curricular Practical Training (CPT). You must list themseperately as 1 hour per semester,
with a maximum of 3 hours. If you do not nd an appropriate internship, then you can
58
petition to remove them from your degree plan later. Consult the internship and co-op FAQ
for additional information about internships and co-ops.
Are there any graduate CPSC courses that cannot appear on degree plans for graduate
degrees offered by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering?
Yes. CPSC 601, 602, 603, 611 and 612 cannot appear on degree plans for graduate degrees
in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering because they are service courses
offered by our department for graduate students in other departments.
Can any undergraduate courses appear on the degree plans for graduate degrees offered by
the Department of Computer Science and Engineering?
Yes and No. No undergraduate courses can be used on PhD degree plans. However, all Mas-
ters degrees offered by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering allow at most
one approved 400 level CPSC undergraduate course to be used on the degree plan. Courses
that cannot be used include courses apparently the same as courses the student took for their
own previous degree(s) and courses that are required for the CSE undergraduate degrees at
Texas A&M. The latter include CPSC 410 (Operating Systems), CPSC 420 (Articial Intel-
ligence), CPSC 431 (Software Engineering), CPSC 433 (Formal Languages and Automata),
CPSC 462 (Microprocessor Systems), and CPSC 483 (Computer Systems Design).
Can I use a course that I took at Texas A&M on my degree plan if I took a more or less
equivalent course at another institution?
No, not if that other course was used towards a previous degree. However, if you did not use
the other course towards a previous degree, then you could use the TAMU course towards a
TAMU degree. In this case, however, you should consider transferring the other course and
applying it directly towards your TAMU degree.
Can I use courses that I used towards a previous degree towards my current graduate degree?
Yes and No. In general, courses used for one degree cannot be used to reduce the number
of credit hours required for another degree. An exception is that a previous related Masters
degree can be used to reduce the total number of hours required for the PhD degree from
96 credits to 64 credits. However, graded courses used for a previous degree can be used to
reduce the number of graded courses that need to be taken for the current degree. Typically,
the student replaces the credit hours that would have been used for the courses with CPSC
691 credit hours.
For example, if a student pursuing a PhD in Computer Science took a graduate algorithms
course for a Masters degree at another institution, then the number of graded CPSC graduate
coursework hours that the student needs to take for the PhD is reduced by 3 hours and they
would already have satised the (CPSC 629, CPSC 627) core pair. As another example,
suppose a student obtained a MS in computer science from our department and that they
took 24 hours of graded graduate coursework as part of that degree. Then, they would le a
64 hour PhD degree plan and it would only need to have 6 credit hours (i.e., 2 courses) of
graded graduate coursework on it.
For more information, schedule a meeting with the Graduate Advisor.
59
Can I use courses I took at another university, but did not use for a degree, toward a graduate
degree at Texas A&M? How do I list them on my degree plan? What do I need to do to get
them transferred to TAMU?
Yes, in many cases you can use courses you took elsewhere toward a degree at Texas A&M.
The current Graduate Catalog limits transfer work for Masters students to 12 hours. While
the current Graduate Catalog provides no limitation on the number of hours that may be
transferred for Doctoral students, departmental regulations require that all PhD students take
a minimum of 6 credit hours of graded CPSC graduate coursework (excluding 681, 684, 685,
and 691) at Texas A&M University in College Station. In order to use a transfer course on
your degree plan, the course cannot have been used toward a previous degree, you must earn
a grade of B or better in it, and you must have been in degree-seeking status at either that
institution or at TAMU at the time the course was taken. Other restrictions are noted on the
OGS Transfer Work Factsheet.
Transfer courses should be listed together on your degree plan and identied with an asterisk.
For each course, list the department, course number and course title from the other institution
(do not list information about the equivalent course at TAMU) and note the institution in
parenthesis. If you have already taken the course, then list the grade you received (must be
an A or a B); grades received for transfer courses do not affect your TAMU GPR.
Credit will not be given for transfer courses until you (i) submit a degree plan which lists
them and (ii) submit an ofcial transcript from the other institution to the Ofce of Graduate
Admissions which includes the courses.
Is there a limit on the number 689 courses (Special Topics) that can be used on a degree
plan?
No. Effective Spring 2005, there is no longer a limit on the number of 689 hours allowed on
a degree plan. (Previously, at most 12 credit hours from a combination of 689 and transfer
courses could be used on Masters degree plans.)
How do I enter multiple 689 courses into my online degree plan?
The 689 courses you took may not be on the list of choices. With the online degree plan, the
student rst selects the 689 topic listed, even if that is not the topic they will use. Once the
689 is selected, another eld will pop up to enter the topic title. Repeat this process as many
times as necessary to enter all the different 689 topics that will appear on your degree plan.
Can I use courses taken as non-degree (G6) student towards a graduate degree?
Maybe. If at a later date, a post baccalaureate non-degree student is admitted to a grad-
uate degree program, with the approval of the students graduate advisory committee, the
department head, the college dean, and the Ofce of Graduate Studies, a maximum of 12
credit hours taken in post baccalaureate non-degree status may be used on a students degree
plan. The student should understand, however, that a college or a department may decide
whether or not to accept any G6 work toward the students graduate degree. (Previously, the
department did not allow courses taken in non-degree status to be used on graduate degree
plans.)
60
F.4 Funding
How can I apply for a teaching assistantship (GAT)?
You should submit a GAT application. You should update it each semester if you want to
keep your application active.
How can I apply for scholarships or fellowships that are administered by the department,
college, or university?
Information about awards and scholarships and fellowships, that are administered by the
department, college or university can be found on the scholarship and fellowship page. This
includes descriptions of the awards, a listing of previous recipients, and information about
how to apply for them.
In addition to the scholarships that are listed there, the department often awards a number
of additional $1000 scholarships that qualify the recipient for in-state tuition. Students can
apply for these scholarships by submitting a teaching assistantship (GAT) and scholarship
application and indicating that they are interested in a scholarship.
Since the department can receive additional monies during the year, sometimes awards are
made on short notice. Students should be sure to keep their application up to date to ensure
they receive full consideration for all awards.
What are out-of-state tuition waivers? How can I get one?
In some cases, students that are not Texas residents can obtain out-of-state tuition waivers
that enable them to pay in-state registration fees instead of the higher out-of-state registration
fees. Graduate assistants (GAT, GANT or GAR) with 50
In order to actually receive the out-of-state tuition waiver, eligible students must satisfy the
requirements listed on OGS website, which include among other things, full-time registria-
tion. Students that are employed in the department will have their tuition waiver automati-
cally processed for them. Students that are employed outside the department need to submit
an Out-Of-State Tuition Waiver Form to OGS by the listed deadlines (12th day of class in fall
or spring, or 4th day of class in the summer). This form is signed by the student, the Com-
puter Science Graduate Advisor, and by the employing department. Please bring a copy of
your offer letter describing your duties and pay rate when you bring the form to the advising
ofce for the approval.
F.5 Registration Requirements
What is considered full-time enrollment for a graduate student? Is is different in summer
than in the fall and spring semesters?
A graduate student is considered full-time if they are registerd for a minimum of:
9 semester credit hours during a fall or spring semester,
6 semester credit hours during a 10-week summer semester, or 3 semester credit hours
during a 5-week summer term (qualies as full-time registration during that 5-week
term only).
61
The summer semester is confusing because there is a 10-week term and two 5-week terms
that overlap it. This causes some strange situations. For example, if you register for 3 hours
in the 10-week term and 3 hours in one 5-week term, then you are not considered to be full-
time during the other 5-week term! Or, if you register only for the rst 5-week term, you
will not be able to defend your thesis/dissertation or take a prelim exam during the second
5-week term (this is true even if you took 6 hours during the rst 5-week term). So, make
sure your summer enrollment plans will satisfy whatever requirements you need. Generally,
the safe thing is to register for 6 hours for the 10-week term.
What are (continuous) registration requirements? Do the University and the department
have the same requirements?
The University requires all students in graduate degree programs to be in continuous regis-
tration until all requirements for the degree have been completed. This can be satised by
registering for at least one credit hour during the fall, spring and 10-week summer semesters.
Summer registration will not be required unless a student plans to take examinations, or use
University resources including any interaction with their graduate committee, during the
summer. The continuous registration requirement may be satised by registering either In
Absentia or In Residence. See the graduate catalog for more details on the university regis-
tration requirements.
What are the registration requirements for students with fellowships or graduate assis-
tantships (GAT, GANT, or GAR)? Is the summer different?
Students holding fellowships or graduate assistantships must be registered full-time during
the fall, spring and summer semesters in order to be paid during that semester. (It used to
be that some students on assistantships did not have to register during the summer. This
is no longer true.) Remember, full-time registration is also required for out-of-state tuition
waivers.
What are the registration requirements for students to qualify for out-of-state tuition waivers?
Students must be registered full-time to qualify for an out-of-state tuition waiver.
Are there different registration requirements for international students?
Important: Since each students situation can be unique, what is described below may not
apply to all students. Thus, each student should verify their situation with International
Student Services.
The University and department do not have any special or extra registration requirements
for international students. However, the students visa status may impose additional re-
quirements. Usually, international students must be full-time students during fall and spring
semesters, and they do not need to be registered in the summer unless they need to for aca-
demic reasons (e.g., defending, graduating) or if they have an assistantship (in which case
they must also be full-time in the summer according to registration requirements for assis-
tantships).
Students may qualify for a full course waiver during their last semester - but you should
be sure to check with International Student Services about the consequences if you do not
complete the degree in a semester of a full course waiver.
62
What are the circumstances under which a graduate student can be certied as full-time
even though they are registered for less than the number of hours required for full-time
enrollment? What do I need to do get approved for this?
Notes: (1) All students holding an assistantship or fellowship must be registered for the
number of credits required for full-time enrollment. The only exception applies to some
students in their last semester and is described here. (2) International Students must acquire
approval from the International Student Services Ofce. (3) If you believe that you meet the
requirements listed below, then contact the advising ofce to ask them to submit a request
for full-time certication on your behalf.
Students completing an internship or co-op experience for which academic credit is awarded
may be certied as full-time with less than the number of hours required for full-time enroll-
ment. Beginning in Fall 2005, students should register for CPSC 684 (Professional Intern-
ship); until then, CPSC 685 (Directed Studies) can be used instead.
Students in their last semester may be certied full-time with registation of less than the
number of hours required for full-time enrollment if they have completed ALL course work
on their degree plan or they are registered in the nal course(s) that will complete all course
work on the degree plan. This will be approved for one semester only.
Special situations applying to a students last semester:
I will nish all the requirements for my degree, but too late in the semester for me to
graduate that semester so I will ofcially graduate the next semester. Do I have to
register for the semester in which I will graduate?
No. But you must apply for graduation (this is a special type of enrollment that has no
credits and minimal fees).
I defended my thesis/dissertation, but the nal version of my thesis/dissertation will not
be deposited and approved by the thesis ofce before the start of the next semester. Do
I have to register?
It depends.
If your thesis/dissertation is approved by the thesis ofce by the last day to add courses
for the next semester, then you dont have to register for any courses but you must
apply for graduation (this is a special type of enrollment that has no credits and minimal
fees).
Otherwise, you are not considered to have satised all degree requirements, and you
are subject to the continuous registration requirement and you will have to enroll for at
least one credit in each subsequent semester until your thesis/dissertation is accepted
by the thesis ofce. Note that nal corrected copies of the thesis must be accepted by
the thesis clerk no later than one year after the nal examination. Failure to do so will
result in the degree not being awarded.
I will nish all my degree requirements before the end of the semester. Can I register
for less than full-time that last semester even though I have an assistantship?
The policy of the College of Engineering is that Ph.D. students receiving assistantships
can request permission to register less than full-time if they will nish all degree re-
quirements (e.g., defend and deposit approved thesis/dissertation with the thesis clerk)
63
in the rst half of the semester. In this case, the assistantship should be terminated when
all degree requirements are completed. This requires approval by the department, the
dean, and OGS.
Do courses taken from the English Language Institute count toward enrollment require-
ments?
No.
What is the difference between In Residence registration and In Absentia registration?
The cost of In Absentia registration is less than for In Residence registration. Students
normally register In Residence. In order to qualify for In Absentia registration, a student
must not have access to or use facilities or properties belonging to or under the jurisdiction
of The Texas A&M University System at any time during the semester or summer term for
which he or she is enrolled.
Is there a maximum number of hours that I can enroll in during any given semester? What
should I do if I want to enroll for more?
Yes, the maximum allowed number of hours for graduate students is 15 hours in a fall or
spring semester, 12 hours in a 10-week summer session, and 6 hours in a 5-week summer ses-
sion. If you have any questions about maximumhours, contact grad-advising@cse.tamu.edu.
F.6 Internships
How do I get an internship?
Students obtain internships like most other jobs - by applying in response to announcements,
from their advisors contacts, through the career center, etc. In many cases, companies and
national laboratories will have application deadlines early in the spring semester for summer
internships. Most, but not all, internships will be in the summer.
What are Co-ops and what is the difference from an internship?
Cooperative Education jobs are similar to internships. The main difference is that the em-
ployer has agreed to a set of rules that govern the employment, certain responsibilities in-
cluding mentoring the student, and good faith efforts to continuing employment of such
students.
Do I need to register when I am on an internship or co-op?
U.S. citizens and permanent residents on internships do not have to enroll during the summer,
but they need to register for at least one credit hour of CPSC 684 during fall and spring
semesters to satisfy the continuous registration requirement. Registration requirements are
similar for cooperative education students except they must also register in the summer.
(CPSC 684 will be available starting Fall 2005.)
International students can participate in internships and co-ops during their academic pro-
gramas Curricular Practical Training (CPT- http://international.tamu.edu/iss/employment/cptinfo.asp)
or Optional Practical Training (OPT- http://international.tamu.edu/iss/employment/optinfo.asp).
64
To be eligible for CPT, students usually need to have CPSC 684 (Professional Internship) or,
before fall 2005, CPSC 685 (Directed Studies), on their degree plan. During the internship
or co-op, the student should register for at least one credit hour of CPSC 684 (or, prior to
fall 2005, CPSC 685) during the summer and full-time during the fall and spring semesters.
Students on internships can request full-time certication for less than the number of hours
required for full-time enrollment when they are on internships and co-ops. Students should
check with International Student Services for information about CPT and OPT.
65

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