Graduate School In CS:
Is It For Me?
Why a graduate degree in CS?
- Improved understanding of the field
- Increased exposure to sub-areas
- Deeper understanding of topics
- Training in research
- Improvement in earning and advancement potential
Increased understanding
- Usually 10-15 more courses
- Core: algorithms, systems, theory
- Electives:
- Almost all within CS
- Tailor to your interests
Research training
- In-depth analysis of a particular area of CS
- Understanding of scientific method and how to do research
- Self-motivated study
- One-on-one mentoring with your advisor
- Collaboration with like-minded researchers
M.S. - Master of Science
- 2-3 years
- Significant coursework
- Intermediate research
Ph.D. – Doctor of Philosophy
- M.S. + 3-5 years
- Coursework relevant to research area
- Advanced research
M.S. outcomes
- Team leads
- Managers
- Software Designers
- Research Associates
- Lecturer at universities
Ph.D. outcomes
- Tenure-track academic positions
- Researcher/Research Head
- CIO
- Elite corporate research (Google, Microsoft, …)
Application requirements
- Bachelors degree in Computer Science
- Or a related field with significant CS experience
- GRE General Test (maybe not this year)
- Statement of interest
- Recommendations, preferably from faculty
- Evidence of research capability
GRE: Graduate Record Exam
- Computer-based
- Verbal, Quantitative, Writing/Analytical
- As a CS/Math focused person, Quantitative score should be high
- Lots of ways to prepare
Evidence of research capability
- Summer undergraduate projects
- Independent study
- Senior thesis
- Research Experience for Undergraduates program
- Introduction to research and other types of schools
- A decent paycheck
Admission deadlines
- Most schools:
- Late fall (mid-December)/early spring for fall admission
- Sometimes see:
- Mid-fall for spring admissions
- Rolling deadlines
Financial support
- In many research-focused programs, can get paid to go to graduate school
- Admitted applicants may receive:
- Tuition reduction
- Assistantship
Common types of support
- Tuition reduction
- A scholarship that pays some significant portion of tuition for you
- Assistantships (TAs)
- Teaching assistantships (teaching labs, grading, …)
Common types of support
- Research assistantships (RAs)
- Assisting faculty in research
- Common to move to an RA in later years of grad program
Other types of support
- Fellowships
- School/federal/philanthropic
- Often merit-based
- Loans
Other types of support
- Executive degrees:
- Some businesses will support/pay for you to get a M.S.
- Some businesses (& the govt.) will pay for you to get a Ph.D.
- May come with expectations for paying back
Caveat
- More difficult to get funding if you enroll at a Ph.D.-granting school as a M.S.-only student
Assistantships
- Funding is livable, not luxurious
- Amounts may depend on:
- Cost of living
- M.S. or Ph.D.
- Type of assistantship
- One example: UNC PhD assistantships: $22,000
Master of Science - M.S.
- Thesis
- Important for going into Ph.D. programs
- Contribution to the field
- Project
- Large-scale, software engineering-driven
- Coursework only
M.S. timeline
- First year
- Coursework: three classes a semester
- TA: 15 hours a week
M.S. timeline
- Second year
- Ramp up thesis or project in summer
- Coursework and thesis in fall
- Primarily thesis in spring
- Teaching or research assistantship
M.S. options
- Can earn certificates (specialized knowledge)
- Information assurance
- Data science
- …
M.S. options
- Increasing number of 1-year options
- Highly focused
- Cohort driven
- Focused 40 hours a week
Ph.D. options
- Dissertation
- Significant contribution to field
- You become the expert in the topic you choose
Ph.D. timeline
- M.S. type work
- Additional coursework and qualifying exam (breadth)
- Proposal, dissertation, defense (depth)
- 1-on-1 mentoring with advisor
- Advisor will likely fund as research assistant
Ph.D. options
- It is not a requirement that you earn a M.S. before obtaining a Ph.D.
- Some schools award a course-only type M.S. after:
- Completing qualifying exam
- Developing dissertation proposal
Things to consider in choosing a school
- In no particular order
- Location (contacts, internships, weather)
- Size
- Research areas of interest
- Researchers of interest
More things to consider in choosing a school
- M.S.-only vs M.S. & Ph.D.
- Interdisciplinarity
- For Ph.D., schools typically excel in certain sub-areas
- Best school in robotics is not the best school in graphics
Talk to faculty!
- They went to graduate school
- They know WFU students who went to a variety of graduate schools
MS in Computer Science
- Traditional 2-year program
- Opportunity for teaching assistantship
- Thesis, project, and coursework completion options
- More info here
5-year BS/MS in Computer Science
- Complete undergraduate credits
- Take three graduate courses as a senior
- Summer internship
- One additional year of coursework
- More info here
Data Science certificate
- Added on top of 2-year MS
- Joint with Mathematics & Statistics
- Additional and focused course selections towards data science topics
- More info here
Structural and Computational Biophysics Certificate
- Added on top of 2-year MS with thesis
- Joint with Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics & Statistics
- Additional course selections in sciences
- Research thesis focused in area
- More info here