The PhD in Computer Science requires coursework, qualifying and comprehensive examinations, and a doctoral dissertation that is first proposed and eventually defended. The general doctoral requirements of the University apply to this program.

Qualifying Exams

Students must demonstrate breath of knowledge in computer science by passing written qualifying exams. The exams are offered once every semester (usually in the week before the semester begins).

To qualify, each student must pass exams in four areas, one of which is Foundations of Computer Science. The other three areas are chosen from these eight areas: computer systems; networks; compilers and languages; software construction; software modeling; artificial intelligence; database systems; and information security.

The four exams must be attempted in the same semester, and a failed exam may be retaken once only, in the next semester. A student who fails to pass the four exams in two consecutive semesters is subject to dismissal from the program.

Each student must attempt a set of four exams no later than the first opportunity following the completion of 18 credits. If a student enters the program without a master's degree, then the exams must be taken no later than the first opportunity following the completion of 30 credits.

See this web page for the current policies and procedures for taking the CS PhD qualifying exams.

Course Requirements

The course requirement for the degree is 72 credit hours. Of these, at most 30 credit hours may be granted for an approved MS degree. The following courses, totaling 30 credit hours, are required from all students:

• CS 700 Quantitative Methods and Experimental Design in Computer Science (3 credit hours);
• CS 800 Computer Science Colloquium (2 credit hours);
• CS 990 Dissertation Topic Presentation (1 credit hour)
• CS 998 Doctoral Dissertation Proposal and CS 999 Doctoral Dissertation (24 credit hours with a minimum of 12 credits of CS 999).

Annual Progress Report

All students in the program are required to complete an annual progress report. This report must be submitted by the end of September every year to the Administrative Coordinator of the CS PhD program.

Dissertation Committee Selection

Each student must form a dissertation committee, comprising four or five individuals. Three members of the committee must be tenured or tenure-track faculty in the Computer Science Department. The fourth member must be from the graduate faculty of George Mason University but outside the department. The chair of the dissertation committee, who must also be the dissertation director, must be tenured or tenure-track faculty in the Volgenau School. The fifth member member may be from outside the university. The committee must be approved by the chair of the Computer Science Department.

Comprehensive Exam

Students must pass an oral comprehensive exam, in which they demonstrate depth of knowledge in their intended area of research, and ability to perform original research in that area. The scope of the oral exam is defined by a reading list prepared by the student and the dissertation director. The list should include research papers and textbooks that adequately cover

• The basic tools used in the research area
• The fundamentals of the research area, and
• The state-of-the-art in the specific focus of research.

Dissertation Proposal

Each student must prepare a written dissertation proposal. While preparing this proposal, the student enrolls in CS 998 Doctoral Dissertation Proposal. (Note: Students may enroll in CS 998 only after passing the qualifying exams. ) The proposal must be presented to and approved by the dissertation committee. The committee determines whether the proposal has merit, and can lead to significant contributions to the area, and whether the student has the knowledge and skills to complete the proposed work successfully, and in a timely manner. Upon completing this requirement successfully, the student is advanced to candidacy for the PhD degree .

Dissertation Preparation and Defense

While preparing the dissertation, the candidate enrolls in CS 999 Doctoral Dissertation. ( Note: Students may enroll in CS 999 only after advancement to candidacy.) When the work is deemed complete, the dissertation is defended. The public defense is preceded by a pre-defense meeting in which only the candidate and the dissertation committee members and possibly the Director of the CS PhD program (or his/her representative) are present. If the committee approves, the candidate may then schedule the final public defense. There should be at least one month between the pre-defense meeting and the defense, and the defense must be announced at least two weeks in advance. The dissertation must be made available to the committee at least two weeks in advance of the defense. The entire dissertation committee must be present at the defense, unless an exception is approved by the Director of the CS PhD program in advance of the defense. The dissertation must make significant contributions to its area, and be publishable in refereed journals or conferences. If the candidate defends the dissertation successfully, the dissertation committee recommends that the final form of the dissertation be completed under the supervision of the dissertation director, and that the graduate faculty of the university accept the candidate for the PhD degree. If the candidate fails to defend the dissertation, the candidate may request a second defense, following the same procedures as for the initial defense. There is no time limit for this request, other than general time limits for the doctoral degree, and an additional pre-defense is not required. A candidate who fails a second attempt to defend the dissertation is dismissed from the program.