Computer Science
Important Note: This is the archived version of the 2012–2014 Graduate Catalog. The information on these pages was archived on August 22, 2012 and will not be updated as requirement and/or program changes are approved.
Admission Requirements Degree RequirementsMailing Address:
Department of Computer Science (MC 152)
851 South Morgan Street
Chicago, IL 60607-7053
Campus Location: Department Office 1120 SEO; Student Affairs Office 905 SEO
Program Codes: 20FS0112MS (MS); 20FS0112PHD (PhD)
Telephone: (312) 996-2290 or (312) 413-4950
E-mail: grad@cs.uic.edu
Web Site: http://www.cs.uic.edu
Head of the Department: Robert Sloan, Head
Director of Graduate Studies: Robert Kenyon
The Department of Computer Science offers graduate programs leading to Computer Science degrees at the master’s and doctoral levels. The department offers a comprehensive range of courses in the field of computer science. Special emphases lie in the areas of artificial intelligence, computational biology, databases, graphics and human-computer interaction, networks, security, software engineering, and theoretical computer science. Consult the CS Graduate Student Manual for current requirements, policies, and regulations. Updated information about the faculty, staff, curriculum, and courses is found on the CS Web site http://www.cs.uic.edu.
The department maintains and provides full-time technical staff for several specialized research laboratories, many housed in the Engineering Research Facility. The laboratories contain over 300 workstations and servers and an extensive array of computer-based multimedia equipment. All departmental computing facilities are networked to general university computing resources and national networks, which permits high-speed access to such facilities.
Admission Requirements
Applications are considered on an individual basis by the Graduate Admissions Committee. A complete set of transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work is required before an applicant is considered. In addition to the application requirements of the Office of Admissions and Records and the policies set by the Graduate College, applicants must meet the following program requirements:
Master of Science
- Baccalaureate Field Computer science or computer engineering. Outstanding candidates from other related fields with substantial course work in computer science will also be considered.
- Grade Point Average At least 3.50/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study.
- Tests Required GRE General scores are required for financial aid applicants and all students with degrees from outside the U.S. A total score of 308 or above (new GRE scoring system as of August 2011) on the GRE General Exam (153+ verbal, 155+ quantitative and 4.5/6.0 analytical). For the old GRE scoring system (prior to August 2011), a combined score of 1200 or above (500+ verbal, 700+ quantitative, and 4.5+/6.0 analytical). All international students are required to submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) scores as well.
- Minimum English Competency Test Score
- TOEFL 570 PBT; 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Internet-based), OR,
- IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores.
- Letters of Recommendation Two Required. Applicants for financial assistance must provide three letters of recommendation.
- Personal Statement Required.
- Deadlines The application deadline is the same as the Graduate College deadline.
Doctor of Philosophy
- Prior Degrees Computer science or computer engineering. Outstanding candidates from other related fields will also be considered. Outstanding candidates holding a bachelor’s degree in computer science can be considered for admission to the direct PhD program.
- Grade Point Average At least 3.50/4.00.
- Tests Required GRE General scores are required for financial aid applicants and all students with degrees from outside the U.S. A total score of 1200 or above on the GRE General Exam: 500+ verbal, 700+ quantitative, and 4.5+/6.0 analytical (for tests taken before August 2011); or a combined total of 308: 153+ verbal, 155+ quantitative, and 4.5/6.0 analytical (for tests taken August 2011 or after). All international students are required to submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) scores as well.
- Minimum English Competency Test Score
- TOEFL 570 PBT; 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Internet-based), OR,
- IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores.
- Letters of Recommendation Three required.
- Personal Statement Required.
- Deadlines The application deadline is the same as the Graduate College deadline. University fellowship nominations are due in the first week of February and department financial aid decisions (TA/TFW) are made about the middle of March. Applicants who want to be considered for these awards are encouraged to submit all required materials by the first week of January.
- Exceptional applicants who have completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, or a related field, and wish to pursue a PhD will be considered for “Direct PhD Admission”. Such students will pursue the PhD degree without the requirement of first completing a Master's degree. All students seeking this option must submit three letters of recommendation, a resume, and statement of purpose. Direct PhD Admission is competitive. For fullest consideration, any student seeking this admission should adhere to the early deadlines listed on the Graduate College Web site. See the section on Doctor of Philosophy Requirements for details on the course and research graduation requirements.
Degree Requirements
In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:
Master of Science
- Minimum Semester Hours Required 36.
- Course Work At least 28 hours (with thesis) / 32 hours (with project), 12 of which must be CS course offerings at the 500-level (excluding CS 595–599). No more than one special topics course (CS 594) may be counted toward the 500-level CS requirement. At most 8 hours of non-CS graduate courses may be counted toward the overall requirement.
- Comprehensive Examination None.
- Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Options Thesis or project required. Course-work-only option is not available.
- Thesis: Thesis students must earn 8 hours in CS 598; no more than 8 hours of CS 598 may be applied toward the degree.
- Project: Project students must earn 4 hours in CS 597; no more than 4 hours of CS 597 may be applied toward the degree.
Doctor of Philosophy
- Minimum Semester Hours Required 108 from the baccalaureate.
- Course Work Students Admitted with Prior Master’s Degree in CS or a Related Field: Must complete a minimum of 28 hours of credit in CS or non-CS graduate course work. Credit for non-CS course work must have prior department approval. Of the 28 hours, at least 16 hours must be CS course work at the 500-level, excluding CS 595–599. Any course that is nearly equivalent to one taken in the bachelor’s or master’s program earlier will not earn PhD credit. Credit earned in CS 596 may not be applied toward the PhD degree.
- Students Admitted Directly after Bachelor’s Degree in CS or a Related Field: Must complete a minimum of 48 hours of credit in CS or non-CS graduate course work. Credit for non-CS course work must have prior department approval. Of the 48 hours, at least 28 hours must be CS course work at the 500-level, excluding CS 595–599.
- Examinations Departmental Qualifying Examination: Required; written.
- Preliminary Examination: Required; oral.
- Dissertation Required. Candidates must earn CS 599 credit of at least 48 hours beyond a master’s degree and at least 60 hours beyond a bachelor’s degree
Support
The department offers guarantees of multiple-year teaching and/or research assistantships each year to highly qualified, new PhD students. These assistantships will provide a stipend of at least $17,393 per academic year, plus tuition and fee waivers.
