1 OSU CS Education Programs 2009

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OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY

COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

Computer Science Department - 218 MSCS - Stillwater, OK 74078 - 1053

Telephone (405) 744 1053 - fax (405) 5744 9097

FALL 2009-2010


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EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN COMPUTER SCIENCEEDUCATION PROGRAMS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE

Computers are an integral part of our daily lives. The personal computer and the Internet have madecomputers available to almost everyone. It would be difficult to think about a world without computers

today.There are two important parts to a computer. One is the hardware-the computer itself, the monitor,keyboard, and printer. The second part is the software-these are the written series of instructions calledthe computer program. A computer cannot run without these instructions. The Computer Science degreegives you the background to learn programming and computing skills to prepare you for this second area.

Most jobs in the computer science area require a proficiency in mathematics. Other traits are thinkinglogically, persistence, and enjoying exacting, analytical work. Computer Science is an exciting andcontinually changing field. This means continually updating skills and knowledge. Employers are lookingfor graduates who are technically competent in computer science, who have good communication skills,and who work well with others.

Career Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for computer scientists, computer engineers, and systemanalysts are expected to be the top fastest growing occupations through the year 2006. As technology

becomes more sophisticated, organizations will need to adopt and integrate these technologies. As aresult, employment of computing professionals is expected to increase rapidly, with many advancementopportunities for those working in the field.

All varieties of companies, both large and small, are looking for employees with computer skills.Computing skills can be combined with other interest areas such as business, natural or social sciences,math, or statistics. The main types of companies that hire computer science graduates include: softwaremanufactures, hardware manufacturers, telecommunications, oil and gas, retail, health, research,transportation, accounting, government, education, electrical, and many others.

Career Opportunities

The jobs that are available are varied and each company has different job titles and needs. However, a listof the most frequently used job titles are:

Applications Programmer, Scientific or Business Computer ProgrammerSystems Programmer Systems AnalystSoftware Engineer Computer GraphicsCommunication and Network Specialists Professor/Teacher Database Programmer Security SpecialistTechnical Writer End User Training and Support

Consultant Multimedia Programmers and Specialists Webmasters and Web Designers

1. Bachelor of Science DegreeBachelor of Science Degree

Information Related to the Bachelor's Degree

Related occupations

Computer engineering graduates focus on the design of computer hardware and peripheral devices.Computer information systems (MIS or CIS) graduates focus on the application of computers in a

business environment. These professionals are the people who put equipment and software to work toassist the end user in making appropriate business decisions. These people may use more application

software such as a database or spreadsheet.

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Management Information Systems

Management Information Systems focuses on business applications of computing, including analysis,development, implementation, evaluation, and management. This degree is also in the College ofBusiness. The major prepares students for professional careers as MIS professionals with an emphasis on

both breadth and depth. Both applications of information technology and understanding of datacommunication and information flows among the functional areas of business are emphasized. Thecontinuing integration of the computer and information technology in all aspects of business and thecritical need for responsive management information systems has created a strong demand for graduateswith expertise in both information systems and business administration.

The first two years of study involve foundations coursework in mathematics, statistics, and computerscience as well as English, accounting, economics, psychology and other courses intended to develop a

broad educational background. The junior and senior years focus on specialized courses in informationsystems and computer applications in business, including programming, database management, expertand decision support systems, systems analysis and design, data communications, management sciencemethods, enterprise resource planning and electronic commerce. The balanced coverage of both technical

and business topics prepares MIS graduates to understand the information needs required for complexdecisions and organizations for which information systems are developed, and to create value for theirorganizations.

Electrical and Computer Engineering

The undergraduate Electrical and Computer Engineering program at Oklahoma State University prepareseach graduate for a life-long professional career. It is offered in the College of Engineering. During thefirst two years, students complete a carefully designed pre-engineering program consisting ofmathematics, physical sciences, engineering sciences, and selected courses in the humanities and socialsciences. During the final two years of the program, each student concentrates his or her study onelectrical and computer engineering subjects and can elect from the following areas: computer

engineering, electronics, energy systems, communications, control systems, electro-magnetic, solid statedevices, optics, and network theory/signal processing. Specific elective courses must be selected to assurethat the design experience is integrated throughout the curriculum. The design experience is integratedthroughout the program, leading to two major design courses at the senior level.

A special program option in computer engineering is offered by the School of Electrical and ComputerEngineering. This option is design for students with a strong interest in computers and design to gain afull understanding of both the electronic hardware and the programming software aspects of moderncomputer systems.

Electronics Technology with Computer Emphasis

Electronics Technology differs from the engineering degree in that technologists and technicians areconcerned with the accomplishment of practical objectives through the application of proven techniques,methods, and procedures. They are specialists in the state-of-the-art methodology rather than the originaland creative design and development of engineers. This degree is in the College of Engineering.Engineering technology includes that group of technical occupations directly related to engineering inwhich one utilizes both technical knowledge and manual skills to develop the concepts and plans ofengineers. This degree is more application oriented with more emphasis on laboratory skills. Students inthis degree will have courses from Computer Science. These students find jobs in automation, robotics,and artificial intelligence, design draftsman, quality control technologist.

Program Details

Degree Sheet for Bachelor of Computer Science

Total Hours 120, Minimum Overall Grade Point Average 2.00

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General Education Requirements 38 hours Major Requirements 54 hours

EnglishComposition &OralCommunication

6ENGL 1113 or 1313; and1213 or 1413 or 3323

Minimum GPA 2.50 with minimum grade of "C"in each course

CS 2433CS 3363, 3443, 3513, 3613, 3653CS 4323, 4343, 4883

ENGL 3323 or BCOM 3113 or BCOM 3223 orSPCH 3723

MATH 2163, 3013

9 hours from upper-division CS electives (CS4113 may not

be used for this requirement)

9 hours from upper-division courses in thefollowing areas:

BusinessComputer Science (CS 4113 may not be used forthisrequirement)EngineeringMathematics

Natural SciencesStatistics

A minimum grade of C and a minimum GPAof 2.5 inMATH 2144, 2153, CS 1113 and 2133 requiredto declare the major.

American Historyand Government

6HIST 1103POLS 1113

Analytical &QuantitativeThought (A)

7CS 1113MATH 2144

Humanities (H) 6 Courses designated (H)

Natural Sciences(N)

4 Courses designated (NL)

Social &

BehavioralSciences

6 Courses designated (S)

InternationalDimension (I)

- Course designated (I)

ScientificInvestigation (L)

- Course designated (L)

ControlledElectives

3 SPCH 2713

College/Departmental

Requirements 21 hours

Orientation

Arts andHumanities

Natural &

MathematicalSciences

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A & S 1111

_____________

CS 2133, MATH 2153,STAT 4033, (8) hours oflaboratory science,

courses must be asequence e.g.CHEM1314, 1515;PHYS1114, 1214

Electives 7 hours

Hours from upper- or lower-division courses to

complete required total.

Other Requirements:

- Foreign Language Proficiency: Must have 2 years of same language in high school or take 10 hours of aforeign language in college.

- Upper Division General Education: 6 hours of upper division general education outside major prefix.

- Upper Division Credit: Total hours must include at least 48 hours in courses numbered 3000 or above.- Hours in One Prefix: Hours in one prefix in excess of 48 will be added to the minimum total of 120required for graduation.

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Students will be held responsible for degree requirements in effect at the time of matriculation (date offirst enrollment) and any changes that are made, so long as these changes do not result in semester credithours being added or do not delay graduation.

Transfer students from another university or two-year college who qualify for full admission into OSU,or students transferring into the Computer Science Department from another Oklahoma State University

College or Arts and Sciences Department can be admitted as a Computer Science major providing theymeet the following standards:

must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 and must have taken and maintained a 2.5 GPA for the following courses, with no course grade less

than C in CS 1113 , CS 2133, MATH 2144, MATH 2153

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science: Four year Plan, 2009-2010

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2. Master of Science DegreeMaster of Science Degree

The guidelines on this web site describe departmental requirements for the Master of Science degreeprogram in Computer Science (CS) at Oklahoma State University. Admission requirements are alsoincluded.

These guidelines are those of the Computer Science Department. Certain other regulations are imposedby the Oklahoma State University Graduate School and are described in the Oklahoma State UniversityCatalog. It is the student's responsibility to satisfy all requirements of the Computer Science Departmentand the Graduate College.

Graduate students are expected to participate in the professional activities of the department. Thisincludes attending seminars and colloquia, and suggesting improvements in curriculum and teaching.

Requirements for Admission

In addition to the requirements listed in the Catalog, students must satisfy the following requirements:

1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university;

2. Either a "B" average or better during the last two years of studies or a substantial demonstrationof mature performance in an industrial environment;

3. A TOEFL score of 550 (213 on-line) or better for international students;

4. Successful completion of an 8-hour calculus sequence;

5. An undergraduate major in computer science or significant course work or work experience incomputer science.

A student well prepared for M.S. study should have a good background in mainstream computer science.This includes experience with procedural programming languages (e.g., Ada, C, C++, Java, Pascal, orSmalltalk), and non-procedural languages (e.g., Lisp, Prolog, or ML); background in computerarchitecture or assembly language, data structures, operating systems, software engineering, and relatedmathematics (e.g., mathematical logic, discrete mathematics, and calculus). A student who lacksexperience in some of these areas may be admitted with deficiencies listed.

Deadlines for application to CS graduate study are March 1 for fall semester and August 1 for springsemester. The application cannot be considered until all of these materials are received by the department.Send all application materials to the Graduate College.

M.S. Degree Requirements

A. Thesis Option:

1. The thesis option plan for a M.S. degree requires a minimum of 30 credit hours ofgraduate-level course work. The course work must include:

a. core courses - 12 credit hours - 5113, 5313, 5323, and 5413;

b. elective courses - 12 credit hours of which at most 3 hours may be from outsidethe CS Department; and

c. M.S. thesis research courses- 6 credit hours.

The student must receive a grade of "B" or better for each course used to satisfy theabove requirements. However, up to a maximum of two "C" grades will be accepted, ifthey are offset by "A" grades in other courses. Only one "C" is accepted in a core course,

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and it must be offset by an "A" in a core course. All grades in prerequisite courses mustbe "B" or better.

CS 4323, 4343, and 4154 cannot be put on any plan of study of a Computer Sciencegraduate student. This means that required prerequisites and certain other courses can nolonger be counted as electives toward a graduate degree in Computer Science at OSU.

For a course from any OSU department other than Computer Science to be included on aplan of study for a Computer Science graduate student, the course must carry graduatecredit and be numbered 5000 or higher.

2. Prior to enrolling in the 17th hour of course work, a student must select a graduatefaculty member from within the department to serve as the student's principal advisor.The principal advisor helps the student formulate an advisory committee. The advisorycommittee is a group of three graduate faculty members (including the principal advisor);the committee may include up to one faculty member from outside the department. Thecommittee members approve the student's Plan of Study and give final approval for thestudent's degree. The advisory committee must approve the student's performance on theOral Qualifying Exam and the Final Oral Exam. The advisory committee can be changed

by the student by submitting a new plan of study before the Oral Qualifying Exam. Afterthe exam, any changes in the committee must be approved by the Graduate Committee.

a. Oral Qualifying Exam: The oral qualifying examination is not an examination inthe true sense of the word, but a proposal for the work to be completed for theM.S. thesis. The student provides a written proposal and presents it orally to thecommittee. The written proposal should be delivered to all committee members atleast one week prior to the presentation. It is the student's responsibility toschedule a public presentation at a mutually agreeable time and to reserve a room.The advisory committee determines whether the scope of the proposed research isappropriate for a thesis. A majority of the committee members must approve the

proposed research. Committee members signify their approval by signing the M.S.Thesis Approval Form which can be obtained from the department. The

committee chairman outlines suggested changes on the form. A copy of the M.S.Thesis Approval Form becomes part of the student's departmental file.

b. Final Oral Exam: A final oral examination is given by the student's advisorycommittee. The student presents the thesis and answers questions regarding thework. The written thesis must be delivered to all committee members at least oneweek prior to the presentation. The presentation must be at least sixty days afterthe Oral Qualifying Exam. It is the student's responsibility to schedule a public

presentation at a mutually agreeable time and to reserve a room. Only thepresentation portion is open to the public. The public may ask questions on the presentation. After the presentation, committee members may ask additionalquestions over material related to the thesis. If the student fails, a second attempt

cannot be retaken in less than one month after the failed examination, nor morethan twelve months after the failed examination. A third attempt is not allowed.The examination form, obtained from the Graduate College, must be signed andreturned to the Graduate College, and a copy must be filed in the department.

A. Non-Thesis Option:

1. The non-thesis option plan for a M.S. degree requires a minimum of 36 credit hours ofgraduate-level course work. The course work must include:

a. core courses - 18 credit hours - 5113, 5313, 5323, 5413, 5423, and 5513;

b. elective courses - 18 credit hours of which at most 6 hours may be from outsidethe CS Department

The student must receive a grade of "B" or better for each course used to satisfy theabove requirements. However, up to a maximum of two "C" grades will be accepted, ifthey are offset by "A" grades in other courses. Only one "C" is accepted in a core course,

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and it must be offset by an "A" in a core course. All grades in prerequisite courses mustbe "B" or better.

CS 4323, 4343, and 4154 cannot be put on any plan of study of a Computer Sciencegraduate student. This means that required prerequisites and certain other courses can nolonger be counted as electives toward a graduate degree in Computer Science at OSU.

For a course from any OSU department other than Computer Science to be included on aplan of study for a Computer Science graduate student, the course must carry graduatecredit and be numbered 5000 or higher.

1. Prior to enrolling in the 17th hour of course work, a student must select a graduatefaculty member from within the department to serve as the student's principal advisor.The principal advisor helps the student formulate an advisory committee. The advisorycommittee is a group of three graduate faculty members (including the principal advisor);the committee may include up to one faculty member from outside the department. Thecommittee members approve the student's Plan of Study and give final approval for thestudent's degree.

a. Creative Component: The advisory committee must approve the student's

performance on the creative component. The student is required to give a public presentation of the creative component. It is the student's responsibility toschedule a public presentation at a mutually agreeable time and to reserve a room.

b. Final Oral Exam: A final oral examination is given by the student's advisorycommittee. The committee members may ask questions over material covered in

both core courses and in all courses listed on the Plan of Study and in allprerequisites for these courses. If the student fails, a second attempt cannot beretaken in less than one month after the failed examination, nor more than twelvemonths after the failed examination. A third attempt is not allowed. Theexamination form must be completed by the committee and filed with thedepartment.

Unresolved Issues

Any issues not covered on this web site shall be resolved by the departmental Graduate Committee inconsultation with the graduate faculty of the Computer Science Department.

Financial Aid for Graduate Students in Computer Science

Several teaching and research assistantships are available each semester.

Stipends for half-time assistantships for graduate students are $10,017 for the academic year (ninemonths). Recipients qualify for in-state tuition rates.

Some graduate students are employed by other departments on campus as research assistants or as

programmers. Opportunities arise at various times throughout the year for qualified applicants. Some ofthese jobs carry in-state tuition rates, but most do not.

Contact Information

Send any requests for more information to:

All e-mail addresses in the Computer Science Department are of the form:

userid "AT" cs.okstate.edu

Use the appropriate userid listed below and replacing "AT" by an @ sign.

userid = csgradinfo

For information about the status of applications, applicants should send e-mail to the Graduate College:[email protected] or telephone 405-744-6368.

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3. Philosophy Doctor DegreePhilosophy Doctor DegreeThe Ph.D. Program in the Computer Science (CS) Department at Oklahoma State University provides

Graduate students with the opportunity to concentrate in selected areas of Computer Science.

Entrance Requirements

1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited university;

2. Proficiency in computer related mathematics, including at least 10 hours beyond calculus.

3. A grade point average of 3.5 or higher.

4. Course work in theoretical foundations of computing, operating systems design andimplementation, organization of programming languages, and computer organization with gradesof "B" or better; a student who does not meet this requirement, but otherwise qualifies for

admission, may be admitted with deficiencies listed.

5. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE): Applicants must take the general test. The GRE subject examin computer science is recommended but not required.

6. A TOEFL score of 550 (213 on-line) or better for international students;

7. Three letters of reference from individuals competent to judge the applicant's potential tocomplete the Ph.D.

Individuals may strengthen their applications with supporting materials such as a strong transcript, higherGPA, strong recommendation letters, and/or written support from members of the Computer ScienceDepartment Graduate Faculty.

Students who have master's degrees in other areas will be admitted based on their potential to performPh.D. level work as perceived by the committee on graduate admissions. Requirements for admission inthis case are similar to the entrance requirements stated above, but are adapted to individual cases by thecommittee on graduate admissions.

Deadlines for application to CS graduate study are March 1 for fall semester, August 1 for springsemester.

Send letters of reference to Graduate Secretary, Computer Science Department, 219 MSCS, OklahomaState University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078. Send all other materials to the Graduate College.

Course Guidelines for PhD Students

Restrictions on courses that can be included in the Computer Science Plan of Study are

- CS 4323, 4343, and 4154 cannot be put on any plan of study of a Computer Science graduate student.This means that required prerequisites and certain other courses can no longer be counted as electivestoward a graduate degree in Computer Science at OSU.

- For a course from any OSU department other than Computer Science to be included on a plan of studyfor a Computer Science graduate student, the course must carry graduate credit and be numbered 5000 orhigher.

Each doctoral student must satisfy the following requirements

A. Course guidelines:

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1. 15 credits (the core) including 5113, 5313, 5323, 5413, and 5513.

2. 12 credits (the specialty) in one area at the 6000 level, excluding 6000 (dissertation research).

3. 6 credits in one area of CS at the 6000 level outside of the major specialty.

4. 18-39 credits (electives): These must include the sequences corresponding to the area in which

the dissertation will be written, these may be any approved graduate level courses of which atleast 9 hours are from CS courses.

5. 18-30 credits (dissertation research) of 6000.

6. 60 hours beyond a master's degree or 90 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree.

B.Emphasis in the program is placed on development of competence rather than total course hours:

Only minimum course hour requirements are listed in this document.

C.Dissertation:

The dissertation must describe the results of the candidate's research which is an original contribution toknowledge in the computing field.

D.Ph.D. program examinations:

Ph.D. students are required to pass a diagnostic examination, a comprehensive examination, a qualifyingexamination, and a final oral examination. These examinations are described in detail in the next sectionof this document.

E.Deviations from any of these requirements may be granted by the graduate faculty.

Description of Ph.D. Examinations

A.PhD Diagnostic Exam guidelines:The student's Ph.D. committee (also known as the Ph.D. dissertationcommittee) will be in charge of the Diagnostic Examination for each Ph.D. student.

The committee will give the student one expository research question, which may involve analysis,programming, and/or computation as well as a literature search. This question must not be based on thestudent's previous master's degree thesis work, if any, or on the student's professional experience.

The student will be given two weeks to prepare a research presentation dealing with the given topic. Atthe end of the two weeks, the student will make a half-hour presentation of her/his findings. Thecommittee will then question the student on the topic of the presentation.

Depending on the student's undergraduate and master's degree institutions, the field of her/his master'sdegree, her/his GPA, her/his pursuit of a Ph.D. degree after a master's degree or directly after a bachelor'sdegree, any discontinuity in her/his higher education, etc., at the discretion of the Ph.D. committee theremight be oral questions over the OSU M.S. core courses and their prerequisites following the

presentation. The student will be notified well in advance as to whether or not her/his DiagnosticExamination shall involve course work questions.

The presentation part of the Diagnostic Examination is a public event and it must be announced at leastfive days before it is held.

The result of the Diagnostic Examination will be a grade of "Pass" or "Fail" given for the entirepresentation as well as the oral examination, as applicable.

The student will have two chances to pass the Diagnostic Examination.

For a student entering the Ph.D. program with a master's degree already earned in Computer Science or aclosely related area, the Diagnostic Examination must be taken within one calendar year. For a student

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entering the Ph.D. program without such a master's degree, this examination must be taken within oneyear of having completed twenty-four hours of course work beyond the bachelor's degree.

B. PhD Comprehensive Exam guidelines: Each student's Ph.D. committee will be in charge of theComprehensive Examination for the student.

The student shall submit to her/his Ph.D. committee at least one paper published in a peer-reviewed andrefereed journal or conference (or an official letter or e-mail showing the acceptance of such a paper) inan area not necessarily the same as the dissertation. The student must be the sole author or the principalauthor of the paper. The results will be presented for a period of 30 to 45 minutes. The DissertationCommittee will judge the results of the paper as well as the quality of the targeted journal or conference.

The results of the Comprehensive Examination will be a "pass" or a "fail" given for the entirepresentation as well as the oral examination, as applicable.

The student will have two chances to pass the Comprehensive Examination.

C. The Ph.D. student will conduct, or continue to conduct, her/his dissertation research and present aprospectus/proposal. Officially, this constitutes the Qualifying Examination (as required by the GraduateCollege).

D.The Ph.D. candidate will defend her/his dissertation. The timing constraints of the Graduate Collegeapply.

The oral presentation in parts A, B, and D are all open to the public, and will be announced to the facultyand preferably to all graduate students and to the general public. Visitors will be permitted to askquestions at the end of a presentation, then they will be excused before the committee proceeds to askfurther questions.

Unresolved Issues

Any issues not covered on this web site shall be resolved by the departmental Graduate Committee inconsultation with the graduate faculty of the Computer Science Department.

Financial Aid for Graduate Students in Computer Science

Several teaching and research assistantships are available each semester.

Stipends for half-time assistantships for graduate students are $10,017 for the academic year (ninemonths). Recipients qualify for in-state tuition rates.

Some graduate students are employed by other departments on campus as research assistants or asprogrammers. Opportunities arise at various times throughout the year for qualified applicants. Some ofthese jobs carry in-state tuition rates, but most do not. Most Ph.D. students who apply for a teachingassistantship receive one, usually in their first semester.

Contact Information

Send any requests for more information to:All e-mail addresses in the Computer Science Department are of the form:

userid "AT" cs.okstate.edu

Use the appropriate userid listed below and replacing "AT" by an @ sign.

userid = csgradinfo

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For information about the status of applications, applicants should send e-mail to the Graduate College:[email protected] or telephone 405-744-6368.

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mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

1 OSU CS Education Programs 2009

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