Introduction
This Advising Guide describes the School's requirements for the Master of Science, Master of Engineering and Ph.D. degrees. These requirements are in addition to those of the Graduate School. They may be modified or extended by the student's M.S., M. Eng., or Ph.D. committee. For further information, consult the Graduate School Bulletin, the University General Bulletin, and the Schedule of Classes. Questions concerning advanced degree requirements should be directed to the CS Graduate Student Coordinator of the School of EECS.

Every new graduate student will be assigned a research group and academic advisor based on the students' interests. This academic advisor will advise the student until the student has found a faculty member who has agreed to serve as the student's major professor. It is the student's responsibility to meet with faculty members and find a major professor. New students are strongly encouraged to attend research group meetings, reading groups, and seminars to get to know the faculty and graduate students in the School.

Research Interest Areas in Computer Science
The School of EECS offers computer science graduate study in the following areas: Computer Graphics & Vision; Computer Systems & Information Access; Human-Computer Interaction; Intelligent Systems; and Programming Languages. Please see http://eecs.oregonstate.edu/graduate/areas.html.

Master of Science (M.S.) Degree Requirements

1. At least 45 hours of graduate level courses.
2. At least two courses from each of the following categories:
   • Theoretical Computer Science: CS515, CS516, CS520, CS521, CS523, CS524, CS527, CS529
   • Languages and Systems: CS511, CS540, CS549, CS570, CS575, CS579, CS581, CS582, CS583, CS584, CS589
   • Real World Computing: CS531, CS532, CS533, CS534, CS535, CS539, CS550, CS551, CS552, CS553, CS554, CS555, CS556, CS559, CS561, CS562, CS569
   At least a 3.0 GPA must be achieved over these six courses.

3. A coherent set of 3 or more courses giving preparation and support for the student's thesis or project. The selection of courses will be made in consultation with, and must be approved by, the student's major professor.
4. At least a B grade (or equivalent) on the following undergraduate courses.
   • Theory of Computation (equivalent of CS321)
   • Analysis of Algorithms (equivalent of CS325)
   • Operating Systems (equivalent of CS411)
   • Computer Architecture (equivalent of CS472)
   • Translators (equivalent of CS480) or Programming Languages (equivalent of CS381)
5. At most 6 credits of courses numbered 50x (so-called "blanket-numbered" courses) other than the credits for the paper in 6 below are permitted on a master's program.
6. Thesis or Project:
   • Thesis Option: A written paper that represents a modest research contribution. The student must list 9 credits of CS 503 on the MS program.
   • Project Option: A project that demonstrates the student's mastery of the art and science of computer programming and a written paper that describes the project. The student must list 6 credits of CS 506 on the MS program.
7. Attendance at the weekly EECS Colloquium during each term of the first year of graduate studies. Students receive 1 unit of credit for attending the Colloquium by registering for CS 507 Section 1 (also known as CS507C). However, CS507C cannot be used on a student's graduate program. To satisfy this requirement, students attend colloquia, submit the attendance form, and receive 3 terms of pass (P).
8. A grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 for all courses taken as a graduate student and all courses on the graduate program.
9. File a program of study by the end of the second term of study, or before 18 graduate credit hours are completed. Each M.S. student obtains a Master's Program form from the Graduate School, fills it out, has it approved by his/her major professor, and turns in the form to the Graduate Student Coordinator for the EECS associate director's approval. This program is a tentative plan and can be updated or changed.
10. A final oral exam on the student's thesis. A final oral exam may be scheduled only after all other requirements are satisfied. The M.S. committee is formed which consists of at least four graduate faculty members: two in the major field, one in the minor field if a minor is included, and a Graduate Council Representative. When a minor is not included, the fourth member may be from the graduate faculty at large The Graduate Council representative will be chosen from a list supplied to the student by the Graduate School. All members of the student's committee must approve the scheduling of the final oral exam.

    For project option the committee consists of three (3) graduate faculty-two in the major field and one may be from the graduate faculty at large. Notice of oral exams should be posted and distributed to all faculty and graduate students at least one week prior to the exam. Except in unusual circumstances, these exams will be held during the normal academic year (fall, winter, or spring quarters). For scheduling, use the Event Schedule Form.

11. Time limit. All work toward a M.S. degree including transferred credits, course work, and thesis, must be completed within seven years.
12. A graduate minor is not required (as of 2/14/02). See the Graduate School Bulletin for details.

Master of Engineering (M.Eng) Degree Requirements

1. At least 45 credit hours of graduate-level courses approved by the student's graduate committee
2. At least two courses from each of the following categories:
   • Theoretical Computer Science: CS515, CS516, CS520, CS521, CS523, CS524, CS527, CS529
   • Languages and Systems: CS511, CS540, CS549, CS570, CS575, CS579, CS581, CS582, CS583, CS584, CS589
   • Real World Computing: CS531, CS532, CS533, CS534, CS535, CS539, CS550, CS551, CS552, CS553, CS554, CS555, CS556, CS559, CS561, CS562, CS569

   At least a 3.0 GPA must be achieved over these six courses.

3. At least a B grade (or equivalent) on the following undergraduate courses.
   • Theory of Computation (equivalent of CS321)
   • Analysis of Algorithms (equivalent of CS325)
   • Operating Systems (equivalent of CS411)
   • Computer Architecture (equivalent of CS472)
   • Translators (equivalent of CS480) or Programming Languages (equivalent of CS381)
4. At most 6 credits of courses numbered 50x (so-called "blanket-numbered" courses).
5. Attendance at the weekly EECS Colloquium during one term of the first year of graduate studies. Students receive 1 credit for attending the Colloquium by registering for CS 507 Section 1 (also known as CS507C). However, CS507C cannot be used on a student's graduate program. To satisfy the requirement, students attend colloquia, submit the attendance form and receive one term of pass (P).
6. A grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 for all courses taken as a graduate student and all courses on the graduate program.
7. File a program of study by the end of the second term of study, or before 18 graduate credit hours are completed. Each M.Eng. student obtains a M.Eng. Program form from the Graduate School, fills it out, has it approved by his/her major professor, and turns in the form to the Graduate Student Coordinator for the EECS associate director's approval. This program is a tentative plan and can be updated or changed.
8. A final oral exam. A final oral exam may be scheduled only after all other requirements are satisfied. The M.Eng. committee is formed which consists of at least 3 graduate faculty members from the School of EECS. All members of the student's committee must approve the scheduling of the final oral exam. Notice of oral exams should be posted and distributed to all faculty and graduate students at least one week prior to the exam. Except in unusual circumstances, these exams will be held during the normal academic year (fall, winter, or spring quarters). For scheduling, use the Event Schedule Form.

Notes for M.S. and M.Eng.

• Course descriptions available at: http://catalog.oregonstate.edu/CourseSearcher.aspx
• To register for blanket-numbered credits, fill out and email, blanket.txt.
• Master of Engineering students are not eligible for assistantships.

Ph.D. Degree Requirements

1. Approximately 120 graduate credit hours beyond the student's baccalaureate degree.
2. The graduate level algorithms course, CS515, and the graduate level course on theory of computation, CS516.
3. A minimum of three theoretical courses in Computer Science or related fields, e.g., CS521-529, ECE650, ECE662, ST561-565, ST581-583, ST623-663, etc.

In addition, 3 courses each from 2 of the following areas:

• Artificial Intelligence: CS531-539
• Computer Systems: CS570-579, CS541-549, ECE571-578
• Programming Languages: CS581-589
• Software Engineering: CS561-569
• Computer Vision and Graphics: CS550-559
• An area approved by the committee

In addition to these required courses, it is normally expected that Ph.D. students will have approximately 26 additional hours of non-blanket-numbered coursework on their Ph.D. program (for a total of 70 hours). Students planning to teach computer science are strongly advised to take the theoretical computer science concentration (52x) and to take at least one graduate course in each area listed above.

4. A thesis involving at least 36 credits (CS 603). The Ph.D. thesis should represent a significant contribution publishable in a recognized journal.
5. At least a B grade (or equivalent) on the following undergraduate courses.
   • Theory of Computation (equivalent of CS321)
   • Analysis of Algorithms (equivalent of CS325)
   • Operating Systems (equivalent of CS411)
   • Computer Architecture (equivalent of CS472)
   • Translators (equivalent of CS480) or Programming Languages (equivalent of CS381)
6. At most 15 hours of blanket-numbered courses (CS 50x, are permitted on a Ph.D. program. In addition, Masters thesis hours (CS 503) may be permitted by the student's committee. Students may not register for CS 603 Ph.D. Thesis until they pass their preliminary exam.
7. At least 18 credit hours in each declared minor. There is no requirement to declare a minor, however.
8. Residence requirement: At least 36 graduate OSU credits must be completed while enrolled as a full-time student (at least 9 credits/term). These terms of full-time enrollment do not have to take place consecutively.
9. Attendance at the weekly EECS Colloquium during each term of the first year of graduate studies. Students may receive 1 unit of credit for attending the Colloquium by registering for CS 507 Section 1 (also known as CS507C). However, CS507C cannot be used on a student's graduate program. To satisfy the requirement students attend colloquia, submit the attendance form, and receive 3 terms of pass (P).
10. A grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 for all courses taken as a graduate student and all courses on the graduate program.
11. Successful completion of Ph.D. qualifier which tests the student's course background and the ability to read, understand, analyze and synthesize material from research papers.
12. Successful completion of the preliminary examination which tests the student's readiness to start research on a particular topic and his or her breadth of knowledge in Computer Science.
13. Satisfactory performance in the final oral exam. The final oral exam must be taken within 5 years after the oral preliminary examination.
14. Normally both the preliminary exam and the final oral exam are open to faculty and students. Notice of such exams shall be posted and distributed to all faculty and graduate students at least one week prior to the exam. Except in unusual circumstances these exams will be held during normal academic year (fall, winter and spring quarters). For scheduling use the Event Schedule form.

Model Ph.D. Program Process

Note: This is a "model," where the need for flexibility is understood.

Program Committee Meeting

The doctoral program leading to a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science is administered primarily by the student's Ph.D. committee. It is the student's responsibility to organize his or her doctoral committee with the advice of his or her major professor. The committee must consist of at least five (5) faculty members: the major professor, at least two other members of the School of EECS who represent the student's areas of study, faculty member from the student's minor department and/or other related departments, and a Graduate Council representative. The Graduate Council representative will be chosen from a list supplied to the student by the Graduate School.

The Ph.D. committee, in consultation with the student, is responsible for preparing the student's doctoral program, administering the required examinations, and reporting the student's progress to the School. This committee has considerable freedom in defining a doctoral program, being subject only to the rules of the Graduate School as described in General Regulations - Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate Bulletin and the ECE Ph.D. Degree Requirements listed in this Advising Guide. The Doctoral Program form [http://oregonstate.edu/dept/grad_school/Survival_Guide/forms.htm] should be filed by the end of one calendar year if a student joins the PhD. Program with a M.S. degree and by the end of the fifth quarter of enrollment if the student joins the program with a B.S. degree.

Qualifier Exam

For a traditional September start, the student must take this exam before November 1st of the second year if he/she joins the PhD program with a MS degree and before November 1st of the third year if he/she joins the Phd program with a BS degree (modified accordingly for students not starting in September).

The student's advisor assigns a research topic to the student. Within a month the student must:

• Conduct a comprehensive literature review on a topic area chosen with his/her advisor.
• Independently write a synthesis research paper (up to 15 pages) demonstrating:
• Appropriate subject knowledge
• Ability to do comprehensive literature searches
• Understanding of research concepts encountered
• Ability to: focus on the most important findings, separate assumptions from findings supported by evidence, and identify context and limitations of reported results
• Ability to synthesize across different information sources
• Communication ability
• Note: Independent "writing" implies without any feedback or editorial help from advisor/faculty or other graduate students in EECS ("discussion" of topic is OK). Format can be in IEEE standard format for conferences/journals/transactions.
• Submit the research paper to the committee members one week before the exam.
• Schedule meeting and present the paper to his/her committee (minus the GCR, open forum)

Questions from the committee can include discussion of the paper, undergraduate course material, as well as graduate courses already taken by the candidate (move to closed session, total length of meeting is flexible, but may be around 2-3 hours).

After the exam the committee will have a confidential discussion on the performance of the student and make one of the following recommendations:
a) Pass
b) Fail, if 1st attempt, allow retake by May 1st of the same academic year
c) Fail, allow student to choose to stay to complete a M.S. or (2nd) M.S.

Qualifier Evaluation Form

The top half of the Qualifier Evaluation Form should be completed by the students and provided for each committee member, plus one (1) summary form, prior to the Qualifier Exam.

Preliminary Examination

This exam is generally taken around the beginning of the third year with timing to allow the committee to have input on the proposed research, and includes:

1. Purpose
   The purpose of both the written and the oral components of this exam is to guarantee that the student has obtained sufficient breadth and depth of knowledge to carry out the proposed research. This includes a thorough understanding of course work from the core areas on the student's program and of important articles in the thesis area.
2. Procedure
   The preliminary exam consists of: (i) Preparation of a thesis proposal, (ii) oral presentation of thesis proposal, (iii) oral examination. (The committee may give a written exam also.)
   
   The sequence of events is as follows:
   
   At least three weeks prior to the oral examination, the student submits a written thesis proposal to the committee. This proposal should already have been approved by the major professor working with the student.
   
   The thesis proposal should succinctly describe (a) the topic to be investigated, (b) the significance and relevance of this topic, (c) the approach and methods to be used in the investigation, (d) a discussion of the feasibility of the proposed research, (e) an annotated bibliography listing all relevant publications that have been or will be read by the student, and (f) a timetable for carrying out the research and completing the degree. The student should realize that this proposal is a plan. It is often the case that the actual completed research is substantially different from the proposed research.
   
   Two weeks prior to the oral exam, the committee and the major professor may prepare a written exam that will be given to the student. This exam is normally open-book, and the student is given a week to complete it. The questions involve reading and analyzing an article, comparing a number of approaches, etc., or other activities deemed appropriate by the committee.
   
   One week prior to the oral exam, the student submits the completed written exam. For scheduling use the Event Schedule form at http://eecs.oregonstate.edu/graduate/forms/.
   
   On the day of the oral exam, the student begins with a 30-minute presentation of the proposed research. This is followed by at least 90-minutes of oral examination of the student. At least 60-minutes of questions will cover the areas of the student's program.

Final Oral Exam

• Student presents Ph.D. research (open presentation)
• Questions from the committee focus on presentation/thesis research

Notes for PhD

• Course descriptions available at: http://catalog.oregonstate.edu/CourseSearcher.aspx
• To schedule program meeting, qualifier, preliminary exam, and final oral exam use the Event Schedule Form.
• To register for blanket-numbered credits, fill out and email, blanket.txt.

Annual Review of Progress
The Computer Science faculty holds two special faculty meetings each year to review the progress of all students in the graduate program.

The first meeting, called the Review Meeting, is held in fall. At this meeting, the current status of all students is reviewed. For most students, this involves a routine review of the GPA requirement and the requirements to find a major professor and form a committee. For students who have completed their course work, however, this involves a discussion, by their advisor, of their research progress over the past year (development of thesis proposal, attainment of milestones listed in the proposal, etc.) Students who are not making reasonable progress toward the degree are identified, and a minimum progress requirement is established for each of them. Students will receive a letter listing a set of actions that must be completed prior to the second faculty meeting, called the Action Meeting.

The Action Meeting is held in spring. At this meeting, the progress of each of the students in trouble is reviewed, and those students who have failed to complete the required actions are removed from the graduate program.

The best way to avoid problems at the Review Meeting is to make sure that your advisor knows what you are doing. It is recommended that all students meet with their advisors prior to the Review Meeting (as well as at other times throughout the year).

The purpose of the annual review of progress is to ensure that students are moving through the program. Graduate students have a tendency to become sidetracked working on interesting programming projects, consulting projects, etc., that interfere with their progress. It is also not unheard of for students to be exploited by their advisors. The Review/Action system is intended to prevent these problems.

Registering for thesis and blanket-numbered courses:

Note that CS501 is a P/N course so the student must find a faculty member who will assign a grade for this course. If a student has not yet filed a program, they should see the Graduate Advisor (currently Prasad Tadepalli for CS students) if they are registering for CS501, and he/she will assign the grade.

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