http://www.cis.rit.edu/node/401

Program overview

The doctor of philosophy degree in imaging science signifies high achievement in scholarship and independent investigation in the diverse aspects of imaging science. Candidates for the doctoral degree must demonstrate proficiency by:

• Successfully completing course work, including a core curriculum, as defined by the student’s plan of study;
• Passing a series of examinations; and
• Completing an acceptable dissertation under supervision of the student’s research adviser and dissertation committee.

Curriculum

All students must complete a minimum of 60 credit hours of course work. The courses are defined by the student’s study plan and must include the completion of the core sequences, plus at least two three-quarter sequences in topical areas. Some examples of topical areas are remote sensing, digital image processing, color imaging, digital graphics, electro-optical imaging systems, medical imaging, and microlithographic imaging technologies.

Students may take a maximum of 16 credits in other departments and must complete research credits to bring the total credits earned to 99. Three credits of research are associated with the research seminar course (1051-706, 707, 708).

The core curriculum includes courses that span and integrate a common body of knowledge essential to an understanding of imaging processes and applications.

Advancement to candidacy

Advancement to candidacy will proceed through the following steps:

• Adviser selection
• Submission and approval of preliminary study plan
• Passing a written comprehensive exam
• Study plan revision based on outcome of comprehensive exam and adviser recommendation
• Research committee appointment
• Candidacy exam based on thesis proposal

If the faculty decision, following the comprehensive exam, is not to permit the candidate to continue in the doctoral track, the adviser and graduate program director will counsel the student about options that may include pursuit of an MS degree. If the faculty decision is to permit the candidate to continue in the doctoral track, the program continues with the study plan revision, research committee appointment, candidacy/proposal exam, and, finally, dissertation defense.

Research committee

Prior to the candidacy exam, the student, in consultation with the adviser, must present a request to the graduate program director for the appointment of a research committee. The committee will be composed of at least four people: the adviser, at least one faculty member who is tenured (or tenure-track) and whose primary affiliation is the Carlson Center for Imaging Science (excluding research faculty), a person competent in the field of research who is an RIT faculty member or affiliated with industry or another university and has a doctorate degree, and the external chair. The external chair must be a tenured member of the RIT faculty who is not a faculty member of the center and who is appointed by the dean of graduate studies. The research committee will supervise the student’s research, beginning with a review of the research proposal and concluding with the dissertation defense.

Research proposal

The student and the research adviser select a research topic for the dissertation. The proposed research must be original and publishable. Although the topic may deal with any aspect of imaging, the research is usually concentrated in an area of current interest within the center.

Final examination of the dissertation

The research adviser, on behalf of the student and the student's research committee, must notify the graduate program director of the scheduling of the final examination of the dissertation by forwarding to the graduate program director the title and abstract of the dissertation and the scheduled date, time, and location of the examination. The final examination of the dissertation may not be scheduled within six months of the date on which the student passed the candidacy exam (at which the thesis proposal was presented and approved).

Barring exceptional circumstances (requiring permission from the graduate program director), the examination may not be scheduled sooner than four weeks after formal announcement (i.e. center-wide hallway postings and email broadcast) has been made of the dissertation title and abstract, and the defense date, time, and location.

The final examination of the dissertation is open to the public and is primarily a defense of the dissertation research. The examination consists of an oral presentation by the student, followed by questions from the audience. The research committee may also elect to privately question the candidate following the presentation. The research committee will immediately notify the candidate and the graduate program director of the examination result.

Admission requirements

To be considered for admission to the Ph.D. program in imaging science, candidates must fulfill the following requirements:

• Hold a baccalaureate degree in engineering, computer science, applied mathematics, or one of the natural sciences,
• Have completed courses in calculus, university physics (one year), modern physics, and a computer language,
• Submit scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE),
• Submit official transcripts (in English) from all previously completed undergraduate and graduate course work,
• Submit two letters of recommendation from individuals well-qualified to judge their abilities for graduate study, and
• Complete a graduate application.
• International students, whose native language is not English, must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Minimum scores of 600 (paper-based), 250 (computer-based), or 100 (Internet-based) are required. Students may also submit scores from the International English Langauge Testing System (IELTS). A minimum score of 7.0 is required.

Imaging science encompasses a wide variety of scientific disciplines. Exceptional candidates from other fields and with diverse backgrounds are accepted into the program.

Admissions decisions are made by a committee comprised of graduate faculty of the Center for Imaging Science.

Students with an MS degree in a related field may be granted up to 36 credits toward the doctoral degree after successful completion of the comprehensive examination and approval of their study plan. The required research credits may not be waived by experience or examination.

Additional information

Residency

All students in the program must spend at least three consecutive quarters (summer quarter excluded) as resident full-time students to be eligible to receive the doctoral degree. A full-time academic workload is defined as a minimum of nine academic credits per quarter or an equivalent amount of research, as certified by the graduate coordinator. If circumstances warrant, the residency requirement may be waived via petition to the graduate program director, who will decide on the student’s petition in consultation with the adviser and graduate faculty. The request must be submitted at least nine months prior to the thesis defense.

Maximum time limit

All candidates must maintain continuous enrollment during the research phase of the program. Such enrollment is not limited by the maximum number of research credits that apply to the degree. Normally, full-time students complete the course of study for the doctorate in approximately three to five years. A total of seven years is allowed to complete the degree after passing the comprehensive exam.

Financial aid, scholarships, and assistantships

Graduate assistantships and tuition remission scholarships are available to qualified students. Applicants seeking financial assistance from the center must have all application documents submitted to the Office of Graduate Enrollment Services by January 15 for the next academic year. Students whose native language is not English are advised to obtain as high a TOEFL or IELTS score as possible if they wish to apply for a teaching or research assistantship. These candidates also are encouraged to take the Test of Spoken English in order to be considered for financial assistance.