Graduate Study
Computing and Information Sciences
Program Overview
This use-inspired basic research degree is designed to produce independent scholars, well-prepared educators and cutting-edge researchers poised to excel in their work within interdisciplinary environments and industries.
The degree highlights two of the most unique characteristics of the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences - the breadth of its program offerings and its scholarly focus on the theoretical and practical aspects of cyberinfrastructure (CI) as applied to specific problems across multiple domains. It is a blend of computing's intra-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary knowledge areas.
Intra-disciplinary knowledge areas:
• Interaction - how technology facilitates the interaction between humans and computational entities.
• Infrastructure - the integration of hardware, software and communication.
• Informatics - the techniques applied to the understanding of data-driven systems.
Inter-disciplinary areas - the following is a list of some of the domains a student could apply his/her research to:
• Astro-informatics
• Bio-medical informatics
• Environmental informatics
• Computational biology
• Computational science
• Services sciences
• Electronic commerce
Curriculum Review
Rochester Institute of Technology is on the quarter system. Students are expected to study for three quarters (fall, winter, and spring), each 10 weeks in length plus one week of exams. The Ph.D. program requires a minimum of 99 quarter-credit hours (QCHs) beyond the baccalaureate level. These credit hours are comprised of graduate-level coursework, including seminar attendance and research credits.Required Courses: The core courses of Discovery, Security and Trust, Connectivity, and Design provide an intra-disciplinary approach to computing foundations. Two research courses provide methodology and tools for conducting and disseminating research and grant proposals. 24 quarter-credit hours
Teaching Skills Courses: These courses offer teaching skills foundations and an apprenticeship course that will provide guided teaching opportunities and mentorship. 3 quarter-credit hoursElectives: All elective courses provide foundation support of the student's dissertation research area. These courses will come from the computing courses (in the three I's - interaction, informatics, infrastructure), domain courses, and other electives. 40 quarter-credit hours
Dissertation and Research: Students will be required to conduct original, use-inspired research involving two or the three knowledge areas of interaction, informatics, and infrastructure, and applied to a domain. 32 quarter-credit hours
TOTAL: 99 quarter-credit hours
Required courses:
4040-810 Research Methods (4 QCH)
4040-811 Introduction to Research (4 QCH)
4040-820 Discovery (4 QCH)
4040-830 Connectivity (4 QCH)
4040-840 Security and Trust (4 QCH)
4040-850 Design (4 QCH)
4040-896 Cyberinfrastructure Colloquium (0 QCH)
Teaching skills courses:
4040-807 Teaching Skills Workshop I (2 QCH)
4040-809 Teaching Skills Apprenticeship (1 QCH)
Admission Requirements
Admission to the PhD program in Computing and Information Sciences is highly competitive and successful applicants will, in general, have records considerably stronger in breadth or quality than the minimum standards suggest. Applicants should also be aware that meeting the requirements does not guarantee admission.
Applicants will be evaluated on the basis of their prior academic record and their potential for creative research. Admissions decisions are made by the admissions committee for the program, which is comprised of the faculty members of the program. Admissions decisions will generally be made in the winter/spring for admissions in the Fall quarter.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR CONSIDERATION:
• Baccalaureate degree or its recognized equivalent. Since the doctoral program in Computing and Information Sciences encompasses a wide variety of disciplines, we seek students with diverse backgrounds. While many students will come from a computing-related discipline, students in engineering, science, the humanities, fine arts, business and other disciplines who have sufficient computing backgrounds are also encouraged to apply.
• Strong record of academic achievement as indicated by official transcripts.
• One full year of study in programming and computing concepts. More advanced computing courses are desirable.
• Strong mathematical background in subjects such as Discrete Mathematics and Probability and Statistics.
• Aptitude, vision, and experience (if applicable) in computing and information sciences related research.
APPLICATION MATERIAL:
• Official transcripts (in English)
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE), basic exam score within last 5 years.
• A statement of purpose, containing, but not limited to, research experiences and interests, motivation to pursue Ph.D. and long-term goals.
• Curriculum Vitae
• Recommendations from at least two individuals who are well-qualified to assess the student's potential for success in a Ph.D. program.
• (Optional) Professional or research paper sample(s), if available.
• (For students whose native language is not English) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A score of at least 570 on the paper-based test, 88 on the internet test, or 230 on the computer-based test is required.