Starting the ProgramWhen accepted into the program, the student's first contact is with the computer science principal graduate adviser or with members of the graduate committee during the orientation session. At this initial meeting, a review will be made of the student's status in the program and the student will be required to provide a tentative program of study within the first semester. Such a program should reflect the deficiency and prerequisite courses that have been prescribed and may have to be taken prior to taking courses for graduate credit.The most immediate concern is for the courses to be taken in the first semester. The principal graduate adviser will help the student select those initial courses. Within the first semester, the student will be assigned a graduate adviser (faculty) who will then become the primary contact person for that student until a thesis adviser (for thesis option) is selected. The chair of the CSEE graduate committee or his/her designee will notify the student of the identity of the specific graduate adviser. It will be the responsibility of students, in conjunction with their advisers/chairs, to devise a program of study using the degree requirements worksheet and the course planning worksheet. This should be submitted to the graduate committee, usually by the end of the second semester. The CSEE graduate committee is in charge of handling procedural issues related to the M.S. program in computer science. Any request for exception to rules, regulations or policies should be directed to this committee.
DeficiencesThe graduate committee reviews and evaluates all applications for admissions to the M.S. degree programs. Frequently, they review applications from students whose past academic record show strong positive indications for success as a graduate student, yet have not satisfied all courses needed for full admission. The committee may offer these students admission to the program on a conditional basis and compile a list of "deficiency courses". The successful completion of these courses with a grade of B or better will be a condition of full admission to the program. The student is then required to complete all such deficiencies as a contractual obligation at the earliest opportunity.The committee creates this list based on the transcripts and syllabus submitted by the applicant. However, it is possible that applicants have indeed satisfied one or more of their listed deficiencies. In these cases, the student should contact their academic adviser as soon as possible in the first semester to initiate a petition to waive the deficiencies in question. The written petition with all the needed supporting documentation (such as course syllabus) attached, must be submitted no later than four weeks (two weeks for summer) before the end of the first semester of enrollment. The decision of the committee is final and can be one of three:
If the student is allowed to take an examination, it must take place no later than the second semester of enrollment. Deficiency examinations are offered once each semester and the date is announced six to eight weeks in advance. The student may take the exam only once. If the student does not perform satisfactorily on the exam, then the student must enroll in the course to satisfy the deficiency requirement. All deficiencies shall be satisfied within three semesters of admission. If deficiencies are not satisfied within this time period, enrollment will be limited to deficiency courses until all deficiencies have been satisfied.
Graduate Course PrerequisitesNote that there are graduate level courses that have an undergraduate course as prerequisite and that not all undergraduate courses can be taken for graduate credit. |
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