The doctor of philosophy in computer science is above all a degree of quality that is not conferred simply for the successful completion of a specified number of courses or years of study. It is a degree reserved for students who demonstrate both a comprehensive understanding of computer science and an ability to do creative research.
As a doctoral student, you will produce a significant piece of original research, presented in a written dissertation and defended in an oral examination. The expected level of quality is such that conference or journal articles could be based on the research described in the dissertation.
Along the way, you will likely generate several other research papers, many of them co-authored with your dissertation advisor and other graduate students.
Degree Overview
To earn a doctorate in computer science, you must complete the requirements listed in the UO Catalog. Follow the catalog requirements that were in effect when you were admitted to the major.
The structure of the doctorate program is intended to facilitate learning how to do research. Throughout the program, you will take courses intended to build a foundation of knowledge that is essential for advanced research. You typically begin with a directed research project in your first year, working under the close supervision of a research advisor.
You then develop your knowledge of your research area and learn to identify and solve open problems with the help of your Dissertation Advisory Committee (DAC). This includes passing the Area Exam and becoming a doctoral candidate. You are then tasked with proposing a dissertation research topic and conducting the research, which culminates in the written dissertation and oral defense.
Division of Graduate Studies Policies
It is essential that all doctoral students be familiar with Slate and the Division of Graduate Studies policies through careful review of the Graduate Studies website. For example, you should note the Doctoral Policy and Procedures pertaining to time limit, residency, and continuous enrollment. If you have any questions about these matters, please consult with the Graduate Program Coordinator.
Milestone | Timeline | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
DRP Contract | Week 8 of spring term in first year | |
DRP Presentation | End of fourth quarter | End of sixth quarter |
DAC Creation | Immediately after completion of the DRP | |
Area Exam Study Plan | Within six months of DRP completion | |
Area Exam Presentation | End of seventh quarter | End of ninth quarter |
Dissertation Committee Creation | One month after completion of the Area Exam (no later than six months before dissertation defense) | |
Dissertation Proposal | Within six months of Area Exam completion | |
Dissertation Defense | Five to seven years in program | |
Directed Research Project
Each doctoral candidate must complete a directed research project (DRP) under the close supervision of a faculty member. The goals of the directed research project are twofold. One is to give you an early opportunity for research experience under the supervision of a faculty committee. The other is to give an early assessment of your research potential in the department's environment. To achieve these goals, you must complete the DRP in a timely fashion (see timeline).
The scope of a DRP should be somewhere between an undergraduate honors and a master's thesis. A desired result of a DRP is a publishable paper or a departmental technical report.
A DRP consists of the following components: literature review, research, possibly software artifact, written report in the form of the DRP final paper, public presentation of the results, and the exam by private questioning from the committee members.
The student will register for 4-6 credits of 601 Research during each of the terms in which the research will be conducted.
Formation of the DRP Committee
The student and the faculty sponsor agree on a project, committee members, timeline and deliverables. The DRP committee consists of the research advisor and two other computer science faculty members, one preferably outside the immediate project area. A faculty member of another department with a "participating" appointment in the Computer Science department can count as one of the two computer science members.
The DRP Contract
As a student, you write up a DRP contract that includes project description, DRP committee members, timeline and deliverables (about 2-4 pages), attach a copy of the Approval for The DRP Contract Form with signatures, and submit it to the GEC for approval by turning it in to the Graduate Program Coordinator. This form can be obtained from the Graduate Program Coordinator.
The DRP Paper
The DRP paper reports the results of the your research project in a professional format and style. Two weeks prior to the scheduled presentation, you must submit the paper and other deliverables to the DRP Committee.
The DRP Presentation and Questioning
As the student, in consultation with the research advisor, you must schedule the DRP presentation through the Graduate Program Coordinator who will confirm and notify the faculty and graduate students. The DRP presentation is a public talk given in the department. The DRP Committee and other faculty members will then privately question you. At the end of the exam, the DRP Committee agrees on the outcome of the DRP.
The possible outcomes of the DRP are:
- Pass, with distinction
- Pass
- Conditional pass, e.g., perform some remedial work pertinent to the project
- Fail
A conditional pass will have a specified deadline for completion of the remedial work. Failure of a DRP could result from one or more of the following: not completing the DRP in a timely fashion; not fulfilling the contract; inadequacy in the quality of work performed; inadequacy of the written report and/or oral presentation; inability to answer questions pertaining to the project.
In case of a failure for the DRP, the student could be asked to leave the program or may be given the option of undertaking another DRP. The DRP can be repeated only once, and the second DRP must be successfully completed within three terms of residence following the decision.
The results of the DRP are indicated on the Results of The Directed Research Project Form, which each committee member signs, and the form is then returned to the Graduate Program Coordinator. As the student, you then must submit your DRP report to the computer science archives.
Dissertation Advisory Committee
Immediately upon completion of the DRP, every doctoral student will form a DAC, choose an area of research, and begin the process of preparing for the area exam.The student's research advisor will be the chair of the committee. Just as with the DRP, the other two members of the committee are computer science faculty, or one computer science faculty and a faculty from another department with a "participating" appointment in computer science. If there are joint advisors, one computer science faculty and one outside the department, then the two will co-chair the committee. An outside member is optional for the early stages but should be part of the Division of Graduate Studies mandated Dissertation Committee.
The main role of the DAC will be to advise students during the phase of the doctoral program between the passing of the DRP and the scheduling of the dissertation defense.
DRP Timeline
The Approval for the DRP Contract Form must be submitted by week eight of the third term in the student’s first year. Results of the Directed Research Project Form indicating completion of the DRP must be submitted according to the following schedule:
Student's academic background at admission | Time limit |
|---|---|
MS in computer science | End of fourth quarter |
All others | End of sixth quarter |
Following the completion of a DRP, you form your Dissertation Advisory Committee (DAC), chooses an area of research, and begin the process of preparing for the Area Exam. The milestone should be completed about one year after the DRP.
The Area Exam (formerly known as Oral Comprehensive Exam)
In consultation with the DAC, as the student, you further define the research area. This is described in a written study plan, which defines the area and contains a reading list. The depth of the information in the study plan may vary greatly, depending on what the committee requires. You should obtain the Approval for the Area Exam Study Plan form from the Graduate Program Coordinator, have it signed by all members of the DAC, the Chair of GEC, and return it and a copy of the study plan to the Graduate Program Coordinator. The study plan should contain a target date for completion of the area exam. Target timeline for the filing of the study plan is six months after completion of the DRP.
The Position Paper
During the preparation period, you should consult your advisor periodically to monitor progress. The goal is to write a position paper. This paper should describe the research area, its main methodology and results, as well as the sub-area of your future research. This will include a broad coverage of the research area (as determined from the reading list), what problems have been solved in that area, which ones haven't been solved, and a detailed summary of the issues covered in the reading list. You may or may not have arrived at the particular research problem within the area that you intend to investigate for the final dissertation.
The Area Exam
After the paper is approved by the DAC, you are to give a public presentation covering the area as presented in your position paper, after which you will be quizzed by the DAC members. Target timeline for the position paper and talk is six months after acceptance of the study plan. Before the talk, you should obtain the Results of the Area Exam Form from the graduate program coordinator. Upon completion of the talk, the student has the form signed by all DAC members and the head of the GEC, and returns it to the graduate program coordinator. You then must submit your Area Exam to CS archives.
Possible Outcomes
- Pass (or pass with distinction) and advancement to candidacy. The student is ready for independent research work.
- Pass with condition. The student must perform some remedial work pertinent to the project with a specific deadline. When the condition has been satisfied, the student should get the Results of the Area Exam Form back from the graduate program coordinator, ask the chair of the committee to indicate that the condition has been fulfilled on the form, and return it to the graduate program coordinator.
- Fail. The exam can be retaken at most once. (In the rare instance when a student has changed his research area but has passed the comprehensive exam once, a new exam should not be required.)
Please note that there must be unanimous agreement among the committee on the outcome of the Area Exam.
Advancement to Candidacy
The graduate program coordinator submits an online advancement form to the Division of Graduate Studies within two weeks after the Area Exam.
Area Exam Timeline
An Approval for the Area Exam Plan Form must be submitted approximately six months after the completion of the DRP.
Results of the Area Exam Form indicating completion of the Area Exam must be submitted approximately six months after submission of the study plan.
This schedule gives maximum time limits for successful completion of the Area Exam. Students falling behind this schedule may be considered as demonstrating unsatisfactory performance in the doctoral program. If this determination is made, the GEC will notify the student and the advisor to assess the situation.
Dissertation Proposal, Research, and Defense
The final phase in your doctoral program is the dissertation. During this phase, you will form your Dissertation Committee in consultation with your advisor, identify a significant unsolved research problem, carry out the research required to solve the problem, and then write and defend a dissertation.
Formation of the Dissertation Committee
The university has strict requirements for the Dissertation Committee. Besides the three department members and one University of Oregon outside member, the department encourages an "external member" who shall be a leading researcher in the candidate's field, not at the University of Oregon. The proposed committee should be approved by the GEC. When informed of the committee, the graduate program coordinator will submit the information online to the Division of Graduate Studies for final approval. It must be submitted to The Division of Graduate Studies at least one month after the Area Exam and in no case less than six months before the dissertation defense.
The Dissertation Proposal
When you feel ready to start dissertation research, you will submit a written dissertation proposal to your committee for approval. The dissertation proposal presents the research problems to be tackled, related research, research methodology, anticipated results, and work plan. The committee may request an oral presentation similar to the Area Exam to allow you to explain and answer questions about the proposed research. The Approval for Dissertation Proposal Form should be signed by the members of the dissertation committee and the head of the GEC and returned to the graduate program coordinator. This form should be filed within six months of the completion of the Area Exam.
Public Defense
When the written dissertation is finished and approved by the committee, as the student, you will schedule a public defense. The Application for Oral Defense is done online in GradWeb by the doctoral student. In the Oral Defense Module, you are informed of the guidelines and deadlines for abstract submission and oral defense. All committee members must confirm attendance in the Application for Oral Defense in GradWeb. Once that is complete, the Computer Science department will approve the Oral Defense Application in GradWeb After the oral defense, the committee may accept the dissertation as defended, request minor changes, or require you to make major changes and schedule another defense. The committee will be notified by the Division of Graduate Studies that the results of the defense are due within two weeks of the defense date. The decisions are submitted online through GradWeb. Subsequent to a successful oral defense, you must upload your dissertation to the ProQuest Electronic Thesis or Dissertation (ETD) Administrator within two weeks following the defense date. You then must submit your dissertation to computer science archives.
Annual Review
The DAC will take primary responsibility for evaluating doctoral student progress. You will meet with your DAC at least once every academic year. Two weeks before the annual review meeting, you will fill out an annual review form and write a short research report and submit both to your committee members. The annual meeting will include a private oral presentation at which you will give a summary of your research and goals for the coming year. There will be a short question and answer period, followed by a closed session where the committee will discuss your progress. The chair of the DAC will write a report and submit it to the GEC.
Annual DAC review meetings must be scheduled before the fifth week of winter term, and held by the end of winter term. Holding the DAC prior to this deadline is encouraged. In early spring term, the DAC will report to the GEC the quality of each student’s work. At this time, any areas of concern or commendation are discussed. These results are communicated to students via an official letter discussing their performance.