Program Requirements

Course Requirements

Total Credit Hours Required: 12 to 24 credit hours

Core Courses (6 credit hours)

CSCI 7900.06 Directed Doctoral Research Project
CSCI 6999.00 Research Seminar in Computer Science

General Electives (6 to 18 credit hours)

In addition to any undergraduate courses assigned at the time of admission, PhD students are required to complete graduate electives selected in consultation with their supervisor and supervisory committee.

PhD students entering directly from a Bachelor degree will normally complete up to 18 credit hours of 6000-level electives.

PhD students entering following completion of a Master's with substantially relevant prior coursework will normally complete between 6 and 12 credit hours of graduate electives while in the PhD.

PhD students entering from a Master's program may take at most 3 credit hours of directed studies courses towards their elective requirements. Students entering directly from a Bachelor degree may take up to 6 credit hours of directed studies as general electives.

Additional Requirements

All PhD Students must complete and pass a research aptitude defence (RAD). The expected completion time is their 5th (post-masters PhD) or 7th (post-bachelor PhD) semester. The RAD consists of a research report, presentation, and oral exam. A student who does not pass the RAD on the first attempt will be offered a re-examination within three months. Students who fail their re-examination will be dismissed from the PhD program.

All PhD students must submit and defend a thesis proposal. The expected completion time for the thesis proposal defence is 3 semesters after the completion of their RAD, so their 8th (post-Masters PhD) or 10th (post-Bachelor PhD) semester. The thesis proposal is a detailed report of the work to be undertaken for the thesis. The thesis proposal defence consists of a research report, a 30-minute presentation, and an oral exam. A student who does not pass the thesis proposal defence on the first attempt will be offered a re-examination within three months. PhD students who fail their re-examination will be dismissed from the PhD program.

All PhD candidates must complete and defend a thesis pursuant to regulations set by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The thesis must demonstrate a significant, scholarly contribution worthy of a PhD. Post-Masters PhD candidates are expected to defend their thesis at the end of their fourth year while Post-bachelor PhD candidates are expected to defend at the end of their fifth year. Actual completion times vary based on each student's individual circumstances.

All PhD students must enrol in REGN 9999 every term to continue their program of studies. PhD students are also required to take the graduate seminar course (CSCI 6999) every term until they pass the course (typically in six terms).