OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY

COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

Computer Science Department - 218 MSCS - Stillwater, OK 74078 - 1053

Telephone (405) 744 1053 - fax (405) 5744 9097

FALL 2009-2010
 EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE

Computers are an integral part of our daily lives. The personal computer and the Internet have made
computers available to almost everyone. It would be difficult to think about a world without computers
today.
There are two important parts to a computer. One is the hardware-the computer itself, the monitor,
keyboard, and printer. The second part is the software-these are the written series of instructions called
the computer program. A computer cannot run without these instructions. The Computer Science degree
gives you the background to learn programming and computing skills to prepare you for this second area.
Most jobs in the computer science area require a proficiency in mathematics. Other traits are thinking
logically, persistence, and enjoying exacting, analytical work. Computer Science is an exciting and
continually changing field. This means continually updating skills and knowledge. Employers are looking
for graduates who are technically competent in computer science, who have good communication skills,
and who work well with others.

Career Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for computer scientists, computer engineers, and system
analysts are expected to be the top fastest growing occupations through the year 2006. As technology
becomes more sophisticated, organizations will need to adopt and integrate these technologies. As a
result, employment of computing professionals is expected to increase rapidly, with many advancement
opportunities for those working in the field.
All varieties of companies, both large and small, are looking for employees with computer skills.
Computing skills can be combined with other interest areas such as business, natural or social sciences,
math, or statistics. The main types of companies that hire computer science graduates include: software
manufactures, hardware manufacturers, telecommunications, oil and gas, retail, health, research,
transportation, accounting, government, education, electrical, and many others.

Career Opportunities
The jobs that are available are varied and each company has different job titles and needs. However, a list
of the most frequently used job titles are:
Applications Programmer, Scientific or Business Computer Programmer
Systems Programmer Systems Analyst
Software Engineer Computer Graphics
Communication and Network Specialists Professor/Teacher
Database Programmer Security Specialist
Technical Writer End User Training and Support
Consultant Multimedia Programmers and Specialists Webmasters and Web Designers

1. Bachelor of Science Degree

Information Related to the Bachelor's Degree
Related occupations
Computer engineering graduates focus on the design of computer hardware and peripheral devices.
Computer information systems (MIS or CIS) graduates focus on the application of computers in a
business environment. These professionals are the people who put equipment and software to work to
assist the end user in making appropriate business decisions. These people may use more application
software such as a database or spreadsheet.

2
Management Information Systems

Management Information Systems focuses on business applications of computing, including analysis,

development, implementation, evaluation, and management. This degree is also in the College of
Business. The major prepares students for professional careers as MIS professionals with an emphasis on
both breadth and depth. Both applications of information technology and understanding of data
communication and information flows among the functional areas of business are emphasized. The
continuing integration of the computer and information technology in all aspects of business and the
critical need for responsive management information systems has created a strong demand for graduates
with expertise in both information systems and business administration.

The first two years of study involve foundations coursework in mathematics, statistics, and computer
science as well as English, accounting, economics, psychology and other courses intended to develop a
broad educational background. The junior and senior years focus on specialized courses in information
systems and computer applications in business, including programming, database management, expert
and decision support systems, systems analysis and design, data communications, management science
methods, enterprise resource planning and electronic commerce. The balanced coverage of both technical
and business topics prepares MIS graduates to understand the information needs required for complex
decisions and organizations for which information systems are developed, and to create value for their
organizations.

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The undergraduate Electrical and Computer Engineering program at Oklahoma State University prepares
each graduate for a life-long professional career. It is offered in the College of Engineering. During the
first two years, students complete a carefully designed pre-engineering program consisting of
mathematics, physical sciences, engineering sciences, and selected courses in the humanities and social
sciences. During the final two years of the program, each student concentrates his or her study on
electrical and computer engineering subjects and can elect from the following areas: computer
engineering, electronics, energy systems, communications, control systems, electro-magnetic, solid state
devices, optics, and network theory/signal processing. Specific elective courses must be selected to assure
that the design experience is integrated throughout the curriculum. The design experience is integrated
throughout the program, leading to two major design courses at the senior level.

A special program option in computer engineering is offered by the School of Electrical and Computer
Engineering. This option is design for students with a strong interest in computers and design to gain a
full understanding of both the electronic hardware and the programming software aspects of modern
computer systems.

Electronics Technology with Computer Emphasis

Electronics Technology differs from the engineering degree in that technologists and technicians are
concerned with the accomplishment of practical objectives through the application of proven techniques,
methods, and procedures. They are specialists in the state-of-the-art methodology rather than the original
and creative design and development of engineers. This degree is in the College of Engineering.
Engineering technology includes that group of technical occupations directly related to engineering in
which one utilizes both technical knowledge and manual skills to develop the concepts and plans of
engineers. This degree is more application oriented with more emphasis on laboratory skills. Students in
this degree will have courses from Computer Science. These students find jobs in automation, robotics,
and artificial intelligence, design draftsman, quality control technologist.

Program Details

Degree Sheet for Bachelor of Computer Science

Total Hours 120, Minimum Overall Grade Point Average 2.00

3
 General Education Requirements 38 hours Major Requirements 54 hours
English
Minimum GPA 2.50 with minimum grade of "C"
Composition & ENGL 1113 or 1313; and
6 in each course
Oral 1213 or 1413 or 3323
Communication
CS 2433
American History HIST 1103 CS 3363, 3443, 3513, 3613, 3653
6
and Government POLS 1113 CS 4323, 4343, 4883

Analytical & ENGL 3323 or BCOM 3113 or BCOM 3223 or

CS 1113
Quantitative 7 SPCH 3723
MATH 2144
Thought (A)
MATH 2163, 3013
Humanities (H) 6 Courses designated (H)
Natural Sciences 9 hours from upper-division CS electives (CS
4 Courses designated (NL)
(N) 4113 may not
Social & be used for this requirement)
Behavioral 6 Courses designated (S)
Sciences 9 hours from upper-division courses in the
following areas:
International
- Course designated (I)
Dimension (I)
Business
Scientific Computer Science (CS 4113 may not be used for
- Course designated (L)
Investigation (L) this
requirement)
Controlled
3 SPCH 2713 Engineering
Electives
Mathematics
Natural Sciences
Statistics

College/Departmental A minimum grade of “C” and a minimum GPA

Requirements 21 hours of 2.5 in
MATH 2144, 2153, CS 1113 and 2133 required
to declare the major.

Orientation 1 A & S 1111 Electives 7 hours

Arts and 3 _____________

Humanities
17 CS 2133, MATH 2153,
STAT 4033, (8) hours of
Natural & laboratory science, Hours from upper- or lower-division courses to
Mathematical courses must be a complete required total.
Sciences sequence e.g.
CHEM1314, 1515;
PHYS1114, 1214

Other Requirements:
- Foreign Language Proficiency: Must have 2 years of same language in high school or take 10 hours of a
foreign language in college.

- Upper Division General Education: 6 hours of upper division general education outside major prefix.
- Upper Division Credit: Total hours must include at least 48 hours in courses numbered 3000 or above.
- Hours in One Prefix: Hours in one prefix in excess of 48 will be added to the minimum total of 120
required for graduation.

4
 Students will be held responsible for degree requirements in effect at the time of matriculation (date of
first enrollment) and any changes that are made, so long as these changes do not result in semester credit
hours being added or do not delay graduation.
Transfer students from another university or two-year college who qualify for full admission into OSU,
or students transferring into the Computer Science Department from another Oklahoma State University
College or Arts and Sciences Department can be admitted as a Computer Science major providing they
meet the following standards:
• must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 and
• must have taken and maintained a 2.5 GPA for the following courses, with no course grade less
than “C” in CS 1113 , CS 2133, MATH 2144, MATH 2153

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science: Four year Plan, 2009-2010

5
6
 2. Master of Science Degree
The guidelines on this web site describe departmental requirements for the Master of Science degree
program in Computer Science (CS) at Oklahoma State University. Admission requirements are also
included.

These guidelines are those of the Computer Science Department. Certain other regulations are imposed
by the Oklahoma State University Graduate School and are described in the Oklahoma State University
Catalog. It is the student's responsibility to satisfy all requirements of the Computer Science Department
and the Graduate College.

Graduate students are expected to participate in the professional activities of the department. This
includes attending seminars and colloquia, and suggesting improvements in curriculum and teaching.

Requirements for Admission

In addition to the requirements listed in the Catalog, students must satisfy the following requirements:

1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university;

2. Either a "B" average or better during the last two years of studies or a substantial demonstration
of mature performance in an industrial environment;
3. A TOEFL score of 550 (213 on-line) or better for international students;
4. Successful completion of an 8-hour calculus sequence;
5. An undergraduate major in computer science or significant course work or work experience in
computer science.

A student well prepared for M.S. study should have a good background in mainstream computer science.
This includes experience with procedural programming languages (e.g., Ada, C, C++, Java, Pascal, or
Smalltalk), and non-procedural languages (e.g., Lisp, Prolog, or ML); background in computer
architecture or assembly language, data structures, operating systems, software engineering, and related
mathematics (e.g., mathematical logic, discrete mathematics, and calculus). A student who lacks
experience in some of these areas may be admitted with deficiencies listed.

Deadlines for application to CS graduate study are March 1 for fall semester and August 1 for spring
semester. The application cannot be considered until all of these materials are received by the department.
Send all application materials to the Graduate College.

M.S. Degree Requirements

A. Thesis Option:
1. The thesis option plan for a M.S. degree requires a minimum of 30 credit hours of
graduate-level course work. The course work must include:
a. core courses - 12 credit hours - 5113, 5313, 5323, and 5413;
b. elective courses - 12 credit hours of which at most 3 hours may be from outside
the CS Department; and
c. M.S. thesis research courses- 6 credit hours.
The student must receive a grade of "B" or better for each course used to satisfy the
above requirements. However, up to a maximum of two "C" grades will be accepted, if
they are offset by "A" grades in other courses. Only one "C" is accepted in a core course,
7
 and it must be offset by an "A" in a core course. All grades in prerequisite courses must
be "B" or better.
CS 4323, 4343, and 4154 cannot be put on any plan of study of a Computer Science
graduate student. This means that required prerequisites and certain other courses can no
longer be counted as electives toward a graduate degree in Computer Science at OSU.
For a course from any OSU department other than Computer Science to be included on a
plan of study for a Computer Science graduate student, the course must carry graduate
credit and be numbered 5000 or higher.
2. Prior to enrolling in the 17th hour of course work, a student must select a graduate
faculty member from within the department to serve as the student's principal advisor.
The principal advisor helps the student formulate an advisory committee. The advisory
committee is a group of three graduate faculty members (including the principal advisor);
the committee may include up to one faculty member from outside the department. The
committee members approve the student's Plan of Study and give final approval for the
student's degree. The advisory committee must approve the student's performance on the
Oral Qualifying Exam and the Final Oral Exam. The advisory committee can be changed
by the student by submitting a new plan of study before the Oral Qualifying Exam. After
the exam, any changes in the committee must be approved by the Graduate Committee.
a. Oral Qualifying Exam: The oral qualifying examination is not an examination in
the true sense of the word, but a proposal for the work to be completed for the
M.S. thesis. The student provides a written proposal and presents it orally to the
committee. The written proposal should be delivered to all committee members at
least one week prior to the presentation. It is the student's responsibility to
schedule a public presentation at a mutually agreeable time and to reserve a room.
The advisory committee determines whether the scope of the proposed research is
appropriate for a thesis. A majority of the committee members must approve the
proposed research. Committee members signify their approval by signing the M.S.
Thesis Approval Form which can be obtained from the department. The
committee chairman outlines suggested changes on the form. A copy of the M.S.
Thesis Approval Form becomes part of the student's departmental file.
b. Final Oral Exam: A final oral examination is given by the student's advisory
committee. The student presents the thesis and answers questions regarding the
work. The written thesis must be delivered to all committee members at least one
week prior to the presentation. The presentation must be at least sixty days after
the Oral Qualifying Exam. It is the student's responsibility to schedule a public
presentation at a mutually agreeable time and to reserve a room. Only the
presentation portion is open to the public. The public may ask questions on the
presentation. After the presentation, committee members may ask additional
questions over material related to the thesis. If the student fails, a second attempt
cannot be retaken in less than one month after the failed examination, nor more
than twelve months after the failed examination. A third attempt is not allowed.
The examination form, obtained from the Graduate College, must be signed and
returned to the Graduate College, and a copy must be filed in the department.
A. Non-Thesis Option:
1. The non-thesis option plan for a M.S. degree requires a minimum of 36 credit hours of
graduate-level course work. The course work must include:
a. core courses - 18 credit hours - 5113, 5313, 5323, 5413, 5423, and 5513;
b. elective courses - 18 credit hours of which at most 6 hours may be from outside
the CS Department
The student must receive a grade of "B" or better for each course used to satisfy the
above requirements. However, up to a maximum of two "C" grades will be accepted, if
they are offset by "A" grades in other courses. Only one "C" is accepted in a core course,
8
 and it must be offset by an "A" in a core course. All grades in prerequisite courses must
be "B" or better.
CS 4323, 4343, and 4154 cannot be put on any plan of study of a Computer Science
graduate student. This means that required prerequisites and certain other courses can no
longer be counted as electives toward a graduate degree in Computer Science at OSU.
For a course from any OSU department other than Computer Science to be included on a
plan of study for a Computer Science graduate student, the course must carry graduate
credit and be numbered 5000 or higher.
1. Prior to enrolling in the 17th hour of course work, a student must select a graduate
faculty member from within the department to serve as the student's principal advisor.
The principal advisor helps the student formulate an advisory committee. The advisory
committee is a group of three graduate faculty members (including the principal advisor);
the committee may include up to one faculty member from outside the department. The
committee members approve the student's Plan of Study and give final approval for the
student's degree.
a. Creative Component: The advisory committee must approve the student's
performance on the creative component. The student is required to give a public
presentation of the creative component. It is the student's responsibility to
schedule a public presentation at a mutually agreeable time and to reserve a room.
b. Final Oral Exam: A final oral examination is given by the student's advisory
committee. The committee members may ask questions over material covered in
both core courses and in all courses listed on the Plan of Study and in all
prerequisites for these courses. If the student fails, a second attempt cannot be
retaken in less than one month after the failed examination, nor more than twelve
months after the failed examination. A third attempt is not allowed. The
examination form must be completed by the committee and filed with the
department.

Unresolved Issues
Any issues not covered on this web site shall be resolved by the departmental Graduate Committee in
consultation with the graduate faculty of the Computer Science Department.

Financial Aid for Graduate Students in Computer Science

Several teaching and research assistantships are available each semester.
Stipends for half-time assistantships for graduate students are $10,017 for the academic year (nine
months). Recipients qualify for in-state tuition rates.
Some graduate students are employed by other departments on campus as research assistants or as
programmers. Opportunities arise at various times throughout the year for qualified applicants. Some of
these jobs carry in-state tuition rates, but most do not.

Contact Information

Send any requests for more information to:

All e-mail addresses in the Computer Science Department are of the form:
userid "AT" cs.okstate.edu

Use the appropriate userid listed below and replacing "AT" by an @ sign.
userid = csgradinfo
For information about the status of applications, applicants should send e-mail to the Graduate College:
grad-i@okstate.edu or telephone 405-744-6368.
9
 3. Philosophy Doctor Degree
The Ph.D. Program in the Computer Science (CS) Department at Oklahoma State University provides
Graduate students with the opportunity to concentrate in selected areas of Computer Science.

Entrance Requirements

1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited university;

2. Proficiency in computer related mathematics, including at least 10 hours beyond calculus.
3. A grade point average of 3.5 or higher.
4. Course work in theoretical foundations of computing, operating systems design and
implementation, organization of programming languages, and computer organization with grades
of "B" or better; a student who does not meet this requirement, but otherwise qualifies for
admission, may be admitted with deficiencies listed.
5. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE): Applicants must take the general test. The GRE subject exam
in computer science is recommended but not required.
6. A TOEFL score of 550 (213 on-line) or better for international students;
7. Three letters of reference from individuals competent to judge the applicant's potential to
complete the Ph.D.

Individuals may strengthen their applications with supporting materials such as a strong transcript, higher
GPA, strong recommendation letters, and/or written support from members of the Computer Science
Department Graduate Faculty.
Students who have master's degrees in other areas will be admitted based on their potential to perform
Ph.D. level work as perceived by the committee on graduate admissions. Requirements for admission in
this case are similar to the entrance requirements stated above, but are adapted to individual cases by the
committee on graduate admissions.
Deadlines for application to CS graduate study are March 1 for fall semester, August 1 for spring
semester.
Send letters of reference to Graduate Secretary, Computer Science Department, 219 MSCS, Oklahoma
State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078. Send all other materials to the Graduate College.

Course Guidelines for PhD Students

Restrictions on courses that can be included in the Computer Science Plan of Study are

- CS 4323, 4343, and 4154 cannot be put on any plan of study of a Computer Science graduate student.
This means that required prerequisites and certain other courses can no longer be counted as electives
toward a graduate degree in Computer Science at OSU.
- For a course from any OSU department other than Computer Science to be included on a plan of study
for a Computer Science graduate student, the course must carry graduate credit and be numbered 5000 or
higher.

Each doctoral student must satisfy the following requirements

A. Course guidelines:

10
 1. 15 credits (the core) including 5113, 5313, 5323, 5413, and 5513.
2. 12 credits (the specialty) in one area at the 6000 level, excluding 6000 (dissertation research).
3. 6 credits in one area of CS at the 6000 level outside of the major specialty.
4. 18-39 credits (electives): These must include the sequences corresponding to the area in which
the dissertation will be written, these may be any approved graduate level courses of which at
least 9 hours are from CS courses.
5. 18-30 credits (dissertation research) of 6000.
6. 60 hours beyond a master's degree or 90 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree.
B. Emphasis in the program is placed on development of competence rather than total course hours:
Only minimum course hour requirements are listed in this document.
C. Dissertation:
The dissertation must describe the results of the candidate's research which is an original contribution to
knowledge in the computing field.
D. Ph.D. program examinations:
Ph.D. students are required to pass a diagnostic examination, a comprehensive examination, a qualifying
examination, and a final oral examination. These examinations are described in detail in the next section
of this document.
E. Deviations from any of these requirements may be granted by the graduate faculty.

Description of Ph.D. Examinations

A. PhD Diagnostic Exam guidelines: The student's Ph.D. committee (also known as the Ph.D. dissertation
committee) will be in charge of the Diagnostic Examination for each Ph.D. student.

The committee will give the student one expository research question, which may involve analysis,
programming, and/or computation as well as a literature search. This question must not be based on the
student's previous master's degree thesis work, if any, or on the student's professional experience.

The student will be given two weeks to prepare a research presentation dealing with the given topic. At
the end of the two weeks, the student will make a half-hour presentation of her/his findings. The
committee will then question the student on the topic of the presentation.

Depending on the student's undergraduate and master's degree institutions, the field of her/his master's
degree, her/his GPA, her/his pursuit of a Ph.D. degree after a master's degree or directly after a bachelor's
degree, any discontinuity in her/his higher education, etc., at the discretion of the Ph.D. committee there
might be oral questions over the OSU M.S. core courses and their prerequisites following the
presentation. The student will be notified well in advance as to whether or not her/his Diagnostic
Examination shall involve course work questions.

The presentation part of the Diagnostic Examination is a public event and it must be announced at least
five days before it is held.

The result of the Diagnostic Examination will be a grade of "Pass" or "Fail" given for the entire
presentation as well as the oral examination, as applicable.

The student will have two chances to pass the Diagnostic Examination.

For a student entering the Ph.D. program with a master's degree already earned in Computer Science or a
closely related area, the Diagnostic Examination must be taken within one calendar year. For a student

11
entering the Ph.D. program without such a master's degree, this examination must be taken within one
year of having completed twenty-four hours of course work beyond the bachelor's degree.

B. PhD Comprehensive Exam guidelines: Each student's Ph.D. committee will be in charge of the
Comprehensive Examination for the student.

The student shall submit to her/his Ph.D. committee at least one paper published in a peer-reviewed and
refereed journal or conference (or an official letter or e-mail showing the acceptance of such a paper) in
an area not necessarily the same as the dissertation. The student must be the sole author or the principal
author of the paper. The results will be presented for a period of 30 to 45 minutes. The Dissertation
Committee will judge the results of the paper as well as the quality of the targeted journal or conference.

The results of the Comprehensive Examination will be a "pass" or a "fail" given for the entire
presentation as well as the oral examination, as applicable.

The student will have two chances to pass the Comprehensive Examination.

C. The Ph.D. student will conduct, or continue to conduct, her/his dissertation research and present a
prospectus/proposal. Officially, this constitutes the Qualifying Examination (as required by the Graduate
College).

D. The Ph.D. candidate will defend her/his dissertation. The timing constraints of the Graduate College
apply.

The oral presentation in parts A, B, and D are all open to the public, and will be announced to the faculty
and preferably to all graduate students and to the general public. Visitors will be permitted to ask
questions at the end of a presentation, then they will be excused before the committee proceeds to ask
further questions.

Unresolved Issues

Any issues not covered on this web site shall be resolved by the departmental Graduate Committee in
consultation with the graduate faculty of the Computer Science Department.

Financial Aid for Graduate Students in Computer Science

Several teaching and research assistantships are available each semester.

Stipends for half-time assistantships for graduate students are $10,017 for the academic year (nine
months). Recipients qualify for in-state tuition rates.
Some graduate students are employed by other departments on campus as research assistants or as
programmers. Opportunities arise at various times throughout the year for qualified applicants. Some of
these jobs carry in-state tuition rates, but most do not. Most Ph.D. students who apply for a teaching
assistantship receive one, usually in their first semester.

Contact Information
Send any requests for more information to:
All e-mail addresses in the Computer Science Department are of the form:
userid "AT" cs.okstate.edu
Use the appropriate userid listed below and replacing "AT" by an @ sign.
userid = csgradinfo

12
For information about the status of applications, applicants should send e-mail to the Graduate College:
grad-i@okstate.edu or telephone 405-744-6368.

13