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 RIT's Golisano College of Computing & Information Science (GCCIS) - the breadth of its program offerings and its scholarly focus on discovering solutions to real-world problems by balancing theory and practice.
The Ph.D. curriculum facilitates and maintains intra- and interdisciplinary collaboration among students and faculty across various disciplines within the College and RIT.
The intradisciplinary scope encompasses fundamental concepts across the entire discipline of computing and information sciences. These components are grouped into three knowledge specialty areas: interaction , infrastructure , and informatics.
GCCIS has established the Center for Advancing the Study of Cyberinfrastructure (www.casci.rit.edu) to serve as the research facility for the Ph.D. students and faculty. Faculty members from several colleges are conducting interdisciplinary research within 14 laboratories of the Center.
Assistantships, including tuition and stipend, are available and awarded on a competitive basis.
Curriculum Review
The Ph.D. Computing & Information Sciences program consists of 106 quarter-credit hours (QCH) beyond the baccalaureate level. These credit hours are comprised of graduate-level coursework, including seminar attendance and research credits.
Core Courses
- 4009-810 Research Methods
- 4009-820 Discovery
- 4009-830 Connectivity
- 4009-840 Security and Trust
- 4009-850 Design
Additional Program Requirements
- Specialization courses (20 quarter credit hours) in two of the three specialty areas (interaction, infrastructure, informatics)
- Cross-disciplinary domain courses (12 quarter credit hours) in an area of directly related to the student's research project
- Collaborative practicum (8 quarter credit hours). The practicum is a collaborative, multidisciplinary team project where students will be able to demonstrate their problem-solving abilities and their capabilities to apply knowledge and technology in innovative ways.
- Advanced electives (8 quarter credit hours), with advisor approved, to further a specialty or cross-domain area
- Participation in the cyberinfrastructure colloquium. Best practices in collaborative cross-disciplinary research, and in communication will be developed and exemplified in a cyberinfrastructure colloquium, which will be open to all students and faculty.
- Student research seminar (1 quarter credit hour for 6 quarters) where research and communication skills will be further cultivated.
- Each student must pass four (4) examinations in the following order:
- Breadth assessment after the core coursework
- Depth assessment after the specialization coursework
- Thesis proposal defense (committee approval) after the thesis proposal is written
- Dissertation defense after all coursework, research, and the first three assessments have been successfully completed and the dissertation written (32 quarter credit hours)
- Teaching requirement, supported by a teaching mentorship.
- Students working on funded research projects will be required to be available during the day for project commitments.
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 spring for admissions in the Fall quarter.
Minimum requirements for consideration:
- Baccalaureate degree or its recognized equivalent in computing, engineering, or science. However, since the doctoral program in Computing and Information Sciences encompasses a wide variety of disciplines, we seek students with diverse backgrounds. Thus, students with backgrounds in such areas as the humanities, fine arts, business and other disciplines are encouraged to apply.
- Strong record of academic achievement with a minimum of 3.0 (B) from their undergraduate institutions as indicated by official transcripts.
- Intermediate-level skill (one full year of study) in an object-oriented programming language and programming language concepts. More advanced computing courses are desirable.
- Mathematical skills equivalent to college-level courses in discrete mathematics, linear algebra and/or probability and statistics.
- Recent results (within three years) of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
- Recommendations from at least two individuals who are well-qualified to assess the student's potential for success in a Ph.D. program.
- Research paper writing sample(s).
- Written statement defining the student's research interests.
- Applicant interview by one or more of the doctoral program faculty and/or admissions committee prior to final selection.
- Current resume with current position, if applicable.
- Optional portfolio of past work.
- Results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for students for whom English is not their native language.
Students who enter the program with a Master of Science or Master of Engineering degree in a computing and information sciences discipline, or in a related domain-specific discipline, may be granted up to 28 quarter-based credit hours towards the Ph.D. degree requirements. These students, however, are not eligible to earn an additional M.S. degree if the student already holds an M.S. degree in a computing and information sciences degree or related field from RIT or another university.