College of Engineering

Ph.D. In Computational Data Science and Engineering

Mission

The PhD in Computational Data Science and Engineering (CDSE) is an interdisciplinary graduate program designed for students who seek to use advanced computational methods to solve large problems in diverse fields ranging from the basic sciences (Physics, chemistry, mathematics, etc.) to sociology, biology, engineering, and economics.

The mission of the Department of Computational Data Science and Engineering  is to graduate professionals who (a) have expertise in developing novel computational methodologies and products, and/or (b) have extended their expertise in specific disciplines (in science, technology, engineering, and socioeconomics) with computational tools

Admission Requirements 

Admissions decisions reflect an evaluation of the applicant’s potential to engage in graduate coursework and independent and original investigations. Applicants must use the Graduate School admission portal. Admission is granted for a specific semester or summer term, and any change in the admission date must be requested in writing and approved by the School of Graduate Studies.

Degree Requirements

For admission to the Ph.D. in Computational Data Science and Engineering, the applicant must have a Master of Science or of Engineering degree in computational, computer, or data science or engineering, or in science, engineering, business, economics, technology or in a field allied to computational data sicence and engineering with a minimum GPA of 3.00/4.00. Other possibilities are for direct admission to the PhD or for admission to an accelerated MS/PhD in CDSE. Please contact us for more detail.

Graduate School requirements

Applicants to the Ph.D. Program must comply with the requirements for admission as specified by the School of Graduate Studies for all similar programs. In particular, they must comply with:

  1. The TOEFL and GRE examination requirements;
  2. Requirements regarding official transcripts for all college-level academic work;
  3. Requirements regarding Letters of Recommendation; and
  4. Completing an Application and paying all application fees

Other Requirements

  1. The Applicant shall provide a “Statement of Purpose” in the context of pursuing the Ph.D. in Computational Science and Engineering.
  2. An applicant requesting financial aid is strongly encouraged to provide a resume.


Ph.D. Degree Requirements

Post-BS Option

Total credit hours: 62

  • Pass 12 credit hours as core courses: CSE 702, 703, 801, 804
  • Pass 27 credit hours of elective courses from engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, economics, business, agricultural science, or other courses approved by the CDSE Department, with approval of Advisor
  • Pass the Doctoral Seminar (CSE 992: 1 credit hour) twice for a total of 2 credit hours.
  • Take 15 credits of Dissertation-CSE 997
  • Pass 6 additional credit hours to complete the 62 credit hour requirement. These credit hours can be from Dissertation-CSE 997, Continuation of Dissertation-CSE 999, Supervised Teaching-CSE 993, Supervised Research-CSE 994, or approved graduate level courses, with approval of Advisor
  • At least 26 credit hours should be 800-999
  • Pass Qualifying Exam, Preliminary Exam, and Dissertation Defense
  • Maintain appropriate GPA

Post-MS Option

Total credit hours: 44

  • Pass 24 credit hours of elective courses from engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, economics, business, agricultural science, or other courses approved by the CDSE Department, with approval of Advisor
  • Pass the Doctoral Seminar (CSE 992: 1 credit hour) twice for a total of 2 credit hours.
  • Take 15 credits of Dissertation-CSE 997
  • Pass 3 additional credit hours to complete the 44 credit hour requirement. These credit hours can be from Dissertation-CSE 997, Continuation of Dissertation-CSE 999, Supervised Teaching-CSE 993, Supervised Research-CSE 994, or approved graduate level courses, with approval of Advisor
  • At least 26 credit hours should be 800-999
  • Pass Qualifying Exam, Preliminary Exam, and Dissertation Defense
  • Maintain appropriate GPA

Qualifying Written Examination Requirements

 The successful Ph.D. candidate must pass a Qualifying Examination administered by the Department in the four core courses CSE 702, CSE 703, CSE 801, CSE 804.

Research and Dissertation Requirements

Major Advisor: Initially the Director of the Ph.D. Program will serve as an Academic Advisor for all new students entering the Program. Each student in the Ph. D. Program is expected to select a Major Advisor by the beginning of the second year with the approval of the Department Chair. The Major Advisor must hold a tenure or tenure-track full-time faculty position at the university, and shall subsequently act as the Academic Advisor as well.

Composition of Ph.D. Committee: A Ph.D. Advisory Committee will consist of a minimum of five (5) graduate faculty with the Major Advisor as its chairperson. The Ph.D. Advisory Committee will be recommended by the Major Advisor, with input from the student, to the Chair of Computational Data Science and Engineering, for approval by the Dean of Graduate Studies. The Committee shall supervise the student’s Program, administer dissertation review and approval, and finally recommend the awarding of the degree.

Plan of Study: Upon the student’s selection of a research area, the Ph.D. Advisory Committee shall review the student’s prior transcripts, evaluate and recommend any transfer credits, and provide advice to the student. The student shall subsequently prepare a Plan of Study for approval by the Ph.D. Advisory Committee, the Chair of the CDSE Department and the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.

Oral Defense of Dissertation Proposal (Preliminary Examination): The dissertation proposal is submitted to the student’s Major Advisor and the Ph.D. Advisory Committee for review. The committee will make recommendations as needed. The proposal must be orally defended by the candidate before the Advisory Committee, and it must be approved by the Committee, and the student can proceed further with his/her research.

Candidacy for Ph.D. in Computational Data Science and Engineering: Admission to candidacy for Ph.D. in Computational Data Science and Engineering shall require compliance with all existing Graduate School policies, and shall occur after the student has successfully passed the Qualifying Examination and the Preliminary Examination.

Final Oral Examination: The final oral examination is scheduled after the dissertation is complete except for such revisions as may be necessary as a result of the examination, but not earlier than the semester or its equivalent after admission to candidacy, and not before all required course work has been completed or is in progress.

Dissertation: The doctoral dissertation presents the results of the student’s original investigation in the field of major interest. It must be a contribution to knowledge, be adequately supported by data and be written in a manner consistent with the highest standards of scholarship. Publication is expected.

Other Requirements

Grade Point Average: The student must successfully complete the approved Plan of Study with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.

Residency Requirements: For the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree, the student is expected to be registered for graduate work for at least four semesters beyond the Master of Science. At least two residence credits must be secured in continuous residence (registration in consecutive semesters) as a graduate student at the university.