Breadth Requirement
The Breadth requirement requires demonstrating proficiency in six areas: Implementation, Languages, Systems, Applied CS, Foundations, and Algorithms.
The Breadth requirement must be completed by the end of the fifth semester. If the student fails to complete the Breadth Requirement within the specified time, the student must leave the Ph.D. program.
The student must receive a B or better in each course used to satisfy the Breadth Requirement. In addition, the overall average of all courses used to satisfy the Breadth Requirement must be at least 3.5. Courses taken at KSU as part of B.S. or M.S. or M.S.E. degree or approved courses from institutions with joint PhD program with the CS Department at KSU can be used to satisfy the breadth requirement. A single course cannot be used to satisfy the breadth requirement in more than one area.
In extenuating situations, outside experience or courses transferred from other institutions can be proposed to satisfy Breadth Requirements if approved by the Graduate Studies Committee.
Research Proficiency Exam
Ph.D. students must pass a Research Proficiency Exam (RPE). The RPE is meant to judge the student’s ability to conduct research, and is expected to lead the student into PhD research.
The RPE will be one-semester long, and during this semester, the student must make three public presentations and produce a written report. The gap between the presentations must be approximately four weeks and the last presentation must be before finals week.
Students must have their Program of Study filed with the Graduate School before requesting to schedule the first presentation.
For the RPE exam, the student must also fill out the RPE Form and form an RPE committee consisting of three faculty members from the CS department. Members of the PhD supervisory committee (as listed in the Program of Study form) belonging to the CS department must be included in the RPE committee. However, the Chair of the RPE committee must be a committee member who is not the Major Professor.
The student will start this process by choosing an area in consultation with the Major Professor. The first presentation should include a literature survey of the area, an open problem, and a proposed approach. At the end of the first presentation, the supervisory committee will approve the plan or suggest an alternative problem. The second presentation should present the progress made towards addressing this problem. The third presentation must be accompanied by a written report containing a literature survey, a description of the problem addressed, the technical approach used to solve the problem and the results. At the end of the first and second presentations, the student will be provided feedback on his/her progress and expectations for the next presentation. After the final presentation, the student’s work will be judged as “Pass” or “Fail” by the RPE committee. Positive votes from a majority of the RPE committee will constitute a “Pass”. The Chair of the RPE committee will record the committee decision on the RPE ballot.
The RPE must be taken by the end of the fifth semester. If the RPE is graded as “Fail”, the student will have one more chance to pass the RPE in the following semester. During the second attempt, the RPE committee may choose to give the student a different problem to work on.
Preliminary Examination
The student must request a Preliminary Examination Ballot from the Graduate School within one semester of completing the RPE and Breadth Requirements. The Preliminary Examination Presentation should include a presentation of the plan for the dissertation research and must be approved by the supervisory committee. Upon passing the Preliminary Examination, the student will be admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree by the Graduate School. The Preliminary Examination Presentation may be completed in conjunction with the final RPE Presentation.
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