Program Directors and Assistants

For a full explanation of requirements please visit the Graduate School Master of Science requirements page. Note that Department of Computer Science rules may be stricter than Graduate School rules.

General Requirements

• Choose an advisor.  Choose an advisor in your first year (no later than the middle of the second semester). For coursework option students, the graduate director is your default advisor. You do not need to file the advisor form.
• Complete a total of 30 approved credits.
• Earn a grade of "B" or better in all but one course. At most one “BC” grade is allowed.
• Satisfy theory requirement by successful completion of CS 3311, CS 4321, and one of CS5321 or CS5311.
• Satisfy breadth requirement by successful completion of two graduate or senior-level undergraduate courses in each of Category A and Category B as listed in the Graduate Student Handbook, Section 4.2.2.
• Complete a Breadth Requirement Waiver form if you wish to count non-Michigan Tech courses toward the breadth requirement. 

A general overview of the tasks that must be completed each semester follows.

First Semester

• Plan for the PhD comprehensive exam, including the Breadth Requirement and the RQE.
• Submit final official transcripts to the Graduate School confirming proof of the completion of your previous degree (if not from Michigan Tech, or unless done previously).
• Complete the Patent, Research and Proprietary Rights form.
• Register for second semester courses via Experience.
• Complete Basic RCR training

Second Semester

• Choose an advisor.
• Complete courses to meet the Breadth Requirement.
• Prepare for the RQE.
• Complete Advanced RCR training

Third Semester

• Complete the RQE if you entered the PhD program with an MS in computer science or a related field.
• Complete Technical Qualifying Exam (TQE) graduate-level breadth requirement. (See the Graduate Handbook, Section 2.3.1.)

Fourth Semester

• Complete the RQE if you entered the PhD program with a BS in computer science or a related field.
• Complete the Breadth Requirement if you entered the PhD program with a BS or MS in computer science or a related field.

Fifth Semester

• Prepare for PhD dissertation proposal.
• Schedule your degree-required presentation. Refer to Theses and Dissertations FAQs and student and advisor tutorials for additional assistance. This process replaces the "pre-defense" form.
  • Degree-required presentations include MS project defenses, optional MS thesis proposals, and MS thesis defenses.
  • Announcements should be built and sent at least two weeks prior to a presentation. Include an abstract of the presentation and the time, date, and location.
  • To reserve a room, please contact the Computer Science coordinator in Rekhi 213, by phone at 906-487-1833, or email zyesmukh@mtu.edu.
  • Create a Zoom meeting and Google Calendar invitation. Email the invitation to: csgrad-presentations-l@mtu.edu.
  • Creating and sharing detailed invitations is the responsibility of the graduate student, not Computer Science department staff.

Sixth Semester

• Complete the RQE if you entered the PhD program with a BS or MS in an unrelated field.
• Schedule your degree-required presentation. (See the section above.)
• Pass your dissertation proposal defense.

Future Semesters

• • Begin your dissertation/thesis/report, which will be the most challenging document you have ever planned, organized, and written.
  • Follow the Graduate School Guidelines.
  • Follow department and advisor guidelines. (See the Graduate Handbook.)