About PhD Program,
The Doctor of Philosophy in computer science requires completion of a minimum number of 72 s.h. of graduate credit, satisfactory performance on the qualifying exam, comprehensive exam and the proposal. and the production and formal defense of a written dissertation describing original research results. Students must maintain a cumulative g.p.a. of at least 3.00.
The Ph.D. program in computer science is a research-oriented degree. Students pursuing a Ph.D. in computer science (CS) are required to do original research in a subarea of CS with mentoring from a CS faculty advisor. Ph.D. students are expected to disseminate their research via conference and journal publications and presentations.The Ph.D. in CS emphasizes preparation for research and teaching in academic settings or for research in private, industrial, or government laboratories. If you are a prospective Ph.D. student, interested in applying to our Ph.D. program, visit the Graduate Admissions Process page.
Students should consult the Computer Science Graduate Student Handbook, for detailed information about Ph.D. requirements, such as required courses, examinations, and dissertation requirements.
Listed below are the general categories of coursework required to earn the degree; for more specific information on courses, curriculum, and requirements of the Doctor of Philosophy in computer science, visit the UI General Catalog.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
- A minimum 3.00 undergraduate grade point average on a 4.0 scale. Graduate students in recent years had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.60 for PhD applicants and 3.28 for MCS applicants.
- Admission to our graduate programs is based on a rigorous and competitive selection process, that considers undergraduate performance, standardized test scores, and letters of recommendation.
- Candidates are advised to apply directly to the program best suited to their academic goal. Students interested in pursuing research or academic careers should apply to the PhD program, while those seeking additional preparation, beyond their undergraduate training, for industrial careers should apply to the MCS program. Our department does not admit students directly to the MS program.
- Students applying to the PhD program need not have a master’s degree prior to admission. PhD candidates may opt to receive an MS or MCS degree while working towards the PhD, although there is no requirement to do so. Students who hold a master’s degree upon entering the PhD program may apply for transfer credit of their master’s courses towards the PhD program requirements.
- Students applying to the PhD program who are not selected for admission will automatically be considered for admission to the MCS program if they do not already hold a master’s degree.
PhD Funding Coverage,
All our PhD students receive teaching or research assistantships that fully cover tuition and additionally provide a stipend for living expenses. This support is guaranteed for a minimum of four years, given good academic standing. In recent years, many of our MCS students have also been funded through teaching or research assistantships.
Most of the financial support provided for graduate students in the Computer Science Department comes in the form of Teaching Assistantships or Research Assistantships. To learn about Teaching Assistantship opportunities, students are encouraged to contact Sheryl Semler. Research assistantship opportunities are typically made available by individual faculty. Please contact faculty you are interested in working with for more information about the availability of Research Assistant positions.
Several scholarships and fellowships are also available for graduate students of the Computer Science Department. Please check with your faculty advisor and monitor listings to learn of these opportunities.
Application Requirement,
- The completion of a four-year undergraduate degree (or its equivalent) from an accredited institution. (Students applying to the PhD program need not have a master’s degree prior to admission. Those who do may apply for transfer credit of those courses towards the PhD program requirements; see Transfer Credits.)
- A minimum 3.00 undergraduate grade point average on a 4.0 scale. Graduate students in recent years had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.60 for PhD applicants and 3.28 for MCS applicants.
- For applicants to the PhD and MCS programs, international or domestic, the Graduate Record Examination(GRE) General Test is not required but optional. Applicants who want their GRE scores to be included as part of their application may submit their scores. Applicants who do not include GRE scores will not be at any disadvantage on that account. The GRE General Test scores of PhD students admitted recently averaged 155 Verbal, 164 Quantitative and 4 Analytic Writing. GRE General test scores of MCS students admitted recently averaged 153 Verbal, 163 Quantitative and 3.5 Analytic Writing.
- The Graduate College requires a minimum TOEFLscore of 81 for Internet-based testing or a minimum IELTS score of 7.0 (with no section score lower than 6.0) for international applicants whose native language is not English. However, students with TOEFL scores below 100 on Internet-based testing are generally not admitted to Computer Science graduate programs. Exceeding these scores does not guarantee admission, and average scores of students who are awarded financial aid are significantly higher. All students submitting IELTS scores must also take an on-campus English Proficiency Evaluation prior to registration.
- Undergraduate and graduate transcripts, showing strong performance in the following key areas: In addition, we look for exposure to database programming and network programming
- Math foundations (calculus, discrete math, probability, numerical analysis, etc.)
- Programming (C, C++, Java) and programming language foundations
- Data structures and algorithms
- Software and hardware systems
- Three letters of recommendation and/or a recommendation form. Recommendations should be completed by persons who have direct knowledge of an applicant’s intellectual ability, motivation to study computer science, preparation for graduate school, creativity in research, capacity to work independently, and, if an international student, ability to speak and write English.
- A statement of purpose indicating that the applicant understands the nature of the graduate program for which s/he is applying, and to perhaps express interest in a particular area of computer science.
- A curriculum vitae or résumé.
NOTE: We regret that we are unable to evaluate any individual’s probability of admission prior to formal application beyond the information already presented here.
Application Deadline,
Jan 01, 2025
Application Fee,
- You must first submit the online application to the Graduate College and pay the $60 application fee by credit card ($100 for international applicants).
