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Degree Requirements

The requirements listed below are special to this department and must be read in conjunction with the general requirements of both The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

For the M.Phil. Degree

Completion of all departmental requirements except the dissertation.

Breadth requirement: While the thesis research provides depth, breadth across the subfields of Computer Science is also important. The core of the curriculum consists of five topics, each of which may be satisfied by an examination or a course. Every doctoral student must complete all five of the core topics, which are (with corresponding course numbers in parentheses): Programming Languages and Translators (COMS W4115), Operating Systems (COMS W4118), Analysis of Algorithms (COMS W4231), Artificial Intelligence (COMS W4701), and Computer Architecture (COMS W4824).Core courses/exams may not be transferred from other institutions; they must be taken in the Computer Science department at Columbia.

A student must also successfully complete five three-point elective graduate (4000-level or above) courses, three of which must be distributed across the three main areas of Computer Science: Theory, Systems, and AI.The same course cannot be used to fulfill two requirements.The other two electives may be taken in any area, or from outside Computer Science.All electives require the advisor’s approval.With departmental approval, some of the elective requirements may be waived during the student’s first semester on the basis of courses taken previously.Note that while requirements may be waived with approval, no Columbia credit is ever awarded for elective courses taken previously.

The minimum passing grade for doctoral students in both core and elective courses is B+ (3.33); the average grade across all core and elective courses taken must be A- (3.67) or higher (including electives taken previously that are used to waive requirements). Courses may be retaken in a later semester, or a different elective substituted, with the highest grades used to compute the average.Exams taken in lieu of core or elective courses are graded on a pass/fail basis, and do not contribute to the average grade computation.

Teaching requirement: Success as a computer scientist depends not only on the ability to generate and explore new ideas, but also on the ability to communicate those ideas effectively. For this reason, students are expected to develop and exercise verbal and teaching skills as part of their education. All students are required to fulfill two teaching units, which may involve a combination of teaching fellow and instructor positions.

Candidacy exam: The candidacy oral exam certifies that the student has demonstrated a depth of scholarship in the literature and the methods of the student’s chosen area of research and has shown a facility with the scholarly skills of critical evaluation and verbal expression. The student is examined by a candidacy committee chosen by the advisor, consisting of the student’s adviser and two researchers who hold Ph.D. degrees.

For the Ph.D. Degree

In addition to satisfying the requirements for the M.Phil. degree, the student must submit, defend and deposit, in accordance with the regulations of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, an acceptable dissertation embodying original research.

Ph.D. thesis proposal: The thesis proposal is a type of contract between the faculty and the student. An accepted thesis proposal indicates that the work proposed by the student, once completed, is accepted by the faculty as sufficiently innovative and substantial as to be recognized through the awarding of the degree. The student submits the proposal to a committee consisting of the student’s advisor and two other researchers who meet GSAS requirements for thesis proposal committee membership. The thesis proposal may be completed and approved before or after obtaining the M.Phil. degree.

Ph.D. dissertation and defense: The semester in which the dissertation is distributed to the committee is the last occasion for which the candidate needs to be registered. The Ph.D. dissertation and defense is typically completed during the fifth or sixth year in the program. Some very highly motivated students, particularly in theoretical areas, may finish in less time. Remaining enrolled beyond the sixth year requires special approval.

The dissertation defense committee is comprised of three faculty from inside the department and two from outside the department. At the time of submitting the Dissertation Defense Application Form, students should have distributed the copies of the defense to the committee members or should do so at least four weeks before their dissertation date in order to give committee members sufficient time to read the dissertation.

After the candidate defends and passes (i.e., with minor revisions), the only remaining academic requirement is the final dissertation deposit. The documents for the dissertation defense include a list of the materials to be brought to the final deposit at the Dissertation Office in 107 Low Memorial Library. The candidate must deposit the dissertation no later than six months from the defense. For more information visit the Dissertation Office website. 

Length of Program of Study

Full-time students must complete the M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees within three and six years, respectively, of first registration.

Financial Aid

A comprehensive program of financial aid for Ph.D. candidates is available. Most full-time Ph.D. candidates are currently supported either by outside sponsors or by the department. The departmental aid consists of a graduate research assistantship (GRA) or a teaching fellowship (TF). For 2006–2007, students with a GRA or TF received a monthly stipend of $2,408, along with full tuition exemption that amounted to more than $30,000 per year. The GRA or TF is renewed each year contingent upon satisfactory progress in the program and availability of funds. In addition, a student’s basic health and medical insurance fees are also covered by the Computer Science department. Further information is available from the Office of Engineering Financial Aid, 530 S. W. Mudd.