CS 990/IT 990 - Dissertation Topic Preparation and
IT 991 - Engineer Project Presentation


The Volgenau School of Information Technology and Engineering
George Mason University

Instructor: Dr. Larry Kerschberg, Computer Science Department


Catalog description: This course covers PhD dissertation and engineer project proposal preparation.

CS 990 Dissertation Topic Presentation (1:0:0) (Cross-Listed with IT 990) Prerequisites: Completion of all course requirements for PhD, or permission of instructor.
Students put together a professional presentation of a research proposal and present it for critique to fellow students and interested faculty.
Notes May be repeated with change of research topic, but credit toward doctoral degree is given once.

IT 990 Dissertation Topic Presentation (1:0:0). (Cross-Listed with CS 990) Prerequisites: Completion of all course requirements for PhD, or permission of instructor.
Students put together a professional presentation of a research proposal and present it for critique to fellow students and interested faculty.
Notes May be repeated with change in topic, but degree credit is given only once.


IT 991 Engineer Project Presentation (1:0:0) Prerequisite: completion of all course requirements for the engineer degree in information technology, or permission of instructor. Opportunity for engineer degree students to present project proposal for critique to interested faculty and students. Covers presentation of project topic for engineer degree in information technology, and is required of all engineer degree students. Students complete project proposal. May be repeated with a change in topic, although degree credit is only given once.


Useful books:


"Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day: A Guide to Starting, Revising, and Finishing Your Doctoral Thesis," Joan Bolker, Owl Books; ISBN: 080504891X; (August 1998).
"Writing the Doctoral Dissertation: A Systematic Approach," Gordon B. Davis, Clyde A. Parker, Barrons Educational Series; ISBN: 0812098005; 2nd edition (June 1997).


Important questions to be discussed:

  1. What is a Ph.D. degree?
  2. Why do I need a Ph.D. degree?
  3. What should I expect to have accomplished after I get my Ph.D.?
  4. What is a Ph.D. dissertation?
  5. How do I find a Ph.D. research topic?
  6. What are the elements of a Ph.D. dissertation proposal?
  7. How do I select my advisor?
  8. How do I select my committee?
  9. What is the role of my advisor?
  10. What is the role of the committee?
  11. What are the possible hurdles that I may face in the process?
  12. How to avoid getting stuck?
  13. How do I know that I am done?
  14. The importance of bibliographical research.
  15. The importance of proper experimental design and data analysis.
  16. The importance of validating your results.
  17. The importance of publishing and when to publish.
  18. The importance of good writing, correct grammar and correct spelling.


Useful Dissertation/Paper Writing Links:

  1. Page with several useful links and resources on how to write good research papers, good research proposal, how to give a good research talk, and how to write an elevator pitch regarding your research: http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/simonpj/papers/giving-a-talk/giving-a-talk.htm
  2. The Researcher's Bible: http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/dai/teaching/modules/airm/old/lectures/resbible.html
  3. How To Write A Dissertation, or, Bedtime Reading For People Who Do Not Have Time To Sleep: http://www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/dec/essay.dissertation.html
  4. Writing and Presenting your Thesis or Dissertation, by S. Joseph Levine, Michigan State University. http://www.learnerassociates.net/dissthes/

Important Links:

  1. Mason's Academic Integrity Policy: http://www.gmu.edu/depts/provost/integrity/index.html
  2. University Research Policies: http://research.gmu.edu/ORPD/university.html
  3. Volganau School Research News: http://volgenau.gmu.edu/research_centers/research_news.php
  4. Volgenau School Graduate News: http://volgenau.gmu.edu/graduates/graduate_news.php
  5. Zotero Home Page for Bibliographic References: http://www.zotero.org/

Important Dates:

Class meets:

September 3, 2010: Students introduce themselves, their backgrounds and research interests using one presentation slide. Discussion of 18 questions from above. Discussion and Template for Dissertation Proposal.

October 8, 2010: General discussion of what constitutes a dissertation proposal, initial outline of proposal for each student will be discussed in class. Each student will be given a few minutes to stand up and explain his/her ideas to me and to the class. This will be a very informal discussion. No slides or use of the whiteboard allowed. I will have in hand the three-page abstract you will submit on October 6, 2010 (see Deliverables).

November 19, December 3, and possible December 10, 2010: Student presentations of your dissertation proposals.

Deliverables:

September 7, 2010: Upload slides used in September 3 class to Blackboard Assignments folder.


October 6, 2010: Upload to the Blackboard Assignments folder, a three-page abstract of the proposal including: the title of the proposed dissertation, your name, your advisor's name, and a brief description of 1) the problem you will solve, 2) the methodology you will use, 3) the method you intend to use to validate your claims, and 4) a list of references related to the research topic.


November 12, 2010: Upload to the Blackboard Assignments folder, a written dissertation/engineer project proposal and slides for a 5-minute presentation.