Credit and Coursework Requirements

PhD Core Course Requirements

At the start of the PhD program, the student and advisor must decide the four PhD core courses which the student is required to take towards their “Qualifying Exam Requirements.” 

At least two of the four core courses must be from the three MS CS core courses (CS 551 - Systems Programming, CS 571 - Programming Languages, CS 575 - Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms) and the rest from 500-level, letter-graded courses closely related to the student’s research. 

Students who have completed an MS CS at Binghamton University can count their CS courses already taken during the MS CS towards this PhD core course requirement, subject to the above restrictions. However, such students must still satisfy the 30 credits of “Credit and Coursework Requirements” for PhD students mentioned above using other CS courses not yet taken.

Students who have not completed an MS CS at Binghamton University can count the four PhD core courses towards their “Credit and Coursework Requirements.”

These mutually agreed-upon PhD core courses must be recorded in the student’s Learning Contract, subject to the approval of the Graduate Director. 

Once agreed upon, no changes are permitted to the PhD core courses that the student has started/completed. Any changes to core courses not yet taken must be accompanied by a written justification by the advisor in the Learning Contract, with the approval of the Graduate Director.

Residency Requirement

All PhD students are required to have a minimum of 24 credit hours in residence at Binghamton University.

Guidance Committee

In the first year of study in the PhD program, students must form an approved guidance committee. The guidance committee consists of at least three members from the School of Computing; however, in addition, students may propose members from other schools at Binghamton University, and, with Graduate School approval, faculty from other universities or professionals from outside academia may also be included. The guidance committee advises the student and evaluates and certifies the student’s performance throughout the program of study and research. If a guidance committee requires any changes to the committee members, the student must notify the school’s Graduate Programs Assistant.

PhD students are required to identify an outside examiner from a list approved by the Graduate School at least one month prior to the defense of the dissertation presentation.

Learning Contract

In consultation with the guidance committee, the student prepares a learning contract in which a program of study is specified, including the major area of research, additional course requirements, teaching requirements, evaluation procedures, and the form of the qualifying examination and research proficiency examination. Each modification to the learning contract must be approved by the guidance committee and the Graduate Director and must be properly documented. The learning contract is completed in parts during the progression of the PhD and the details are provided to each admitted student. A copy of the learning contract is placed on file in the School of Computing.

Qualifying Exam Requirements

Every PhD student must complete the qualifying exam. The qualifying exam ensures that every PhD candidate has the breadth of general computer science knowledge covered in a four-course core of computer science courses determined by the student’s guidance committee, including at least two of the MS CS core courses (Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms, Systems Programming, and Programming Languages), subject to approval by the Graduate Director. The qualifying exam requirement is waived if the student has a B+ grade or better in each of the four core courses and a 3.5 grade point average or better for the four core courses.

In the event that a student does not receive a qualifying exam waiver, the student must pass a PhD qualifying exam in any course in the four course core where the student receives a grade of B+ or lower.

Research Proficiency Examination (RPE)

Students must pass the RPE related to the topic of research, administered by the student’s guidance committee. The RPE consists of an oral presentation and the submission of a technical document with a thorough, related work study. The oral presentation should be announced at least one week in advance of the presentation. A copy of the RPE report must be submitted to the computer science graduate administrative assistant.

Candidacy

Once the courses, qualifying exam, and RPE are successfully completed, the student is recommended for admission to candidacy.

Prospectus

The primary purpose of the prospectus is to assess the PhD student’s progress toward completing the dissertation and specific plans for achieving the research objectives. The PhD guidance committee will assess the student’s research competence at the PhD level.

The prospectus should describe the motivation and justification for the selected research topic. It should include background material and the current status of the intended research area with references, specific research objectives to be achieved for the completion of the dissertation, concrete plans toward completion, and evidence of progress toward the objectives.

The announcement about the prospectus presentation must be made in the school at least one week before the presentation. A copy of the final prospectus must be submitted to the Graduate Programs Assistant.

Proficiency in Teaching

Doctoral candidates must demonstrate proficiency in teaching. Students must complete at least six public presentations, with at least one of them being a colloquium in the School of Computing colloquium series. The remaining teaching requirements may be satisfied with any of the following options:

• Teach a CS course at Binghamton University as an instructor of record or under the supervision of a faculty member
• RPE presentation
• Prospectus presentation
• Dissertation defense presentation
• Any public presentation that is announced at least one week in advance
• Lecture given to students in a normal class (including guest lecturing)
• Paper presentation at a technical conference/symposium/workshop

Dissertation

With the guidance of the dissertation advisor, the student completes the research and preparation of the dissertation, which is an original written contribution demonstrating originality and competence in the chosen field of research. The guidance committee has direct charge of all matters pertaining to the dissertation, which must have the committee’s unanimous approval before arrangements are made for the final examination for the degree.

In defense of the dissertation, the student is required to pass an oral examination in the form of a presentation open to the University community. The announcement must be made at least 10 days in advance of the presentation. The oral presentation is evaluated by the student’s guidance committee and an outside examiner. The decision to recommend the candidate for the doctoral degree is made by unanimous vote of the guidance committee and the outside examiner.