Information for New Graduate Students

UM Account

All University students, staff and faculty have a university x500 account. This is the way that the University will contact you for all official business. Your user name and password for the x500 account is also how you access all on line information about yourself, including registration and your financial account. You will need to activate this account in order to register. Please go to the U of M “Internet Login page” and click on the “Student Internet Account Initiation” button to initiate your account.

CS Account

You must also apply for a CS computer and email account. The Computer Science Account Request Form is available at the CSE Forms page. Complete the form and submit it at the front desk. Please be sure to initiate and use this email account as we send important announcements to the grad alias. You will also need to add yourself to the “grads” list serve. Go to CS Mailing lists and add yourself to the “grads” list serve. Women graduate students should also add themselves to the “fgrads” list serve.

Grad Lab

We have a grad computer lab located in room 2-216 next to the grad lounge, which is room 2-212. These rooms open with a card reader. Grad student mailboxes are located in room 4-201 and use the same card reader. The card you will use is your University ID card, also known as your U card. Once you have gotten your U card, you may sign up for Grad Lab Access padlock image indicates that this link requires login . You will need your CS account name and password and then will have to enter the 17-digit number, which is the second line on your ID card. This will give you access to all three rooms. Since your information is not automatically uploaded to these card readers, it will take several days before systems staff will update the doors and then you will have access. Please see CSE Online Help if you have questions or concerns.

Payroll

If you have a TA or RA position, you are required to complete some paperwork in order for you to be entered into our payroll system. Please check with the front desk or email for assistance.

Holds

Go to the International Student and Scholar Office, 190 Humphrey Center to set up a time for International Orientation. After attending their Orientation, they will remove the ISSS hold from your records.

Go to Boynton Health Service to verify vaccinations and TB immunization. After that is completed, they will remove your Health hold.

You may also have a hold from the Graduate School if they need proof of degree. You can go to 309 Johnston Hall for that.

Registration

Registration for Fall semester classes for current students began in early April. You will find a few courses that are close to capacity or that are already closed, however, we still have sufficient courses available to new students and getting courses has not been problematic the last couple years. We recommend you begin taking Breadth requirement courses, as they should be completed in your first year. The 5xxx level classes listed for fall are only offered this fall (except for 5421 and 5511) so you will want to make sure that you register for them this fall if they are of interest to you. You also need to take one semester of Colloquium, also to be completed your first year. We also suggest that you look at outside related courses that may still be available and that would fit in with your program. Some of these may still be open. All PhD students are requested to register for CSci 8001 Introduction to Research in Computer Science I in the fall and CSci 8002 Introduction to Research in Computer Science II in the spring.

Coffee Hours

The Department sponsors weekly Coffee Hours for grad students and faculty. These are held on Friday mornings from 10:30 am to 11:30 am. Watch your email for announcements of place. We are going to move the Coffee Hours around a little this year although most times it will be held in the Grad Student Lounge, room 2-212. Please try to attend and meet other grad students and faculty.

Degree Requirements

PHD

43 course credits – 3.45 GPA minimum

  • Breadth – 6 courses (usually 18 credits)
  • 12 credits from a minor or supporting program (included in the 43 credits)
  • 1 credit of Colloquium (included in total required credits)
  • (All PhD students are encouraged to take CSci 8001(1 cr) and CSci 8002 (2 cr) Introduction to Research in Computer Science I and II.)
  • Additional course work to total 43 credits
  • (Transfer courses from a previous graduate degree may be allowed)

Choose advisor by beginning of 2nd year

Pass the Written Preliminary Exam (WPE) by the end of the 2nd year

  • Breadth – 6 courses
  • In-class – two areas related to field of research
  • Take Home – Focus of intended research

File Degree Program form

Pass the Preliminary Oral Exam

  • Take 24 thesis credits

Do Research

File Thesis Proposal form

Write dissertation

Final Oral Defense

Awarded PhD

MS

31 course credits – 3.25 PGA

  • 3 breadth courses (9 credits)
  • 1 credit of Colloquium
  • 6 credits from related fields or a minor field
  • One CS 8000 level course (usually in area of research)
  • Plan A MS thesis credits – 10 OR
  • Plan B project course (CS 8760 – 3 cr) OR
  • Plan C course work project requirements
  • Additional course work to total 31 credits

Choose advisor by beginning of 2nd year

File degree program form before end of 3rd semester.

Final Oral Defense

Awarded MS

Coursework and Credits

Students who take 6 credits or more are considered full time graduate students. All international students and students who hold a graduate assistantship, fellowship or traineeship are required to be full time students.

Almost all of the graduate level courses in CS (5000 level and above) are 3 credits each.

Special topics courses (CSci 5980 or 8980) are courses taught one time only and are good options if the topic is of interest to you. These do not count towards Breadth requirements but the 8000 level ones will count towards the 8000 level requirement.

We encourage students to take 6 credits the first semester and then you should be able to determine what the best course load will be for you in the following semesters.

Prerequisites are not enforced but should be considered as guidelines. They indicate that you should have the knowledge presented in the prerequisite course in order to be successful in the subsequent course. How you got that knowledge, (by another course from another university, by industry experience, or self-study) or how much of that prerequisite knowledge you have, is an individual decision. You know best your learning style and capabilities as well as your comfort level in taking a course in which you might be unfamiliar with the content.

All CS courses must be taken A/F unless only offered S/N, such as Colloquium or Plan B project. No more than one-third of the courses on your degree program form (courses that will count towards your degree) can be taken on the S/N basis.

One Stop

One Stop is a very valuable site and one that you should use to check on a variety of University information. You can register from this site, check on cancel/add deadlines, look at tuition and fees information, find out how to get around campus or the Twin cities and many other things.

Transfer Courses

Courses taken for graduate credit either here from the University as a non-degree seeking student or from another university as a graduate student, can be transferred to your current degree within certain uidelines. These can be discussed during your first semester. Generally speaking, we do not recommend that you take a course that is similar or identical to a course that you are considering requesting to transfer.

Minor, Related Field or Supporting Program

The Minor Field is defined as a minimum of 12 (PhD) or 6 (MS) semester credits of coursework outside CS in a single department of the Institute of Technology (e.g., EE, Math, Stat, IEOR, etc.), Management, Cognitive Science and/or other related fields for a designated minor. The minor is awarded by that department and their requirements for a minor must be met in order to qualify for a minor in that field. The minor must be declared before passing the Preliminary Oral Examination for doctoral students.

The Related Field is defined as a minimum of 6 semester credits of coherent coursework outside CS in a field within the Institute of Technology, Management, Cognitive Science and other related fields. These courses should contribute to your greater understanding of computer science or career goals. (Master’s students)

The Supporting Program is defined as a minimum of 12 semester credits of coherent coursework outside CS in a field within the Institute of Technology, Management, Cognitive Science and other related fields. These courses should contribute to your research or career goals. (PhD students)

Questions?

If you have questions, feel free to contact Georganne at 625-1592, or your faculty advisor.