Advancement to Candidacy
Course Requirements
Each student is required to take 58 credits as follows:
- A core requirement must be met by taking CSE 200, CSE 201, CSE 210A, and CSE 220.
- One course each from three different breadth categories for a total of three courses (15 credits)—see the Breadth Requirements webpage.
- Up to 10 credits of the CSE 297 series, Independent Study or Research; or the CSE 299 series, Thesis Research.
- All remaining courses must be regular, 5-credit graduate courses (not seminars). Courses that do not count toward the 58-credit requirement include CSE 296, and all courses numbered CSE 280. CSE 297 and/or CSE 299 may be taken more than twice, however only 10 credits total of CSE 297 and/or CSE 299 will be counted toward the required 58 credits.
- At most 10 credits can be from courses taught by departments other than CSE. The student must obtain their advisor’s authorization to take a course from outside of the Baskin School of Engineering.
- Undergraduate courses do not count toward the 58-credit requirement.
| CSE 200 | Research and Teaching in Computer Science and Engineering | 3 |
| CSE 201 | Analysis of Algorithms | 5 |
| CSE 210A | Programming Languages | 5 |
| CSE 220 | Computer Architecture | 5 |
Letter Grade Policy
Letter grading is required for all courses applied toward the Computer Science and Engineering Ph.D. degree with an exception for up to 10 credits of the student’s choice and the following courses: CSE 200, Research and Teaching in Computer Science and Engineering; CSE 297, Independent Study or Research; CSE 299, Thesis Research; and seminar courses (CSE 280 series). With the exception of CSE 200, courses used to satisfy the core requirement must be taken for letter grade. This policy includes courses used for this degree that are sponsored by other departments. To ensure they will receive a letter grade, students should check that they have selected the letter grade option no later than the 15th day of instruction each quarter for each class in which they are enrolled.
Transfer Credit
Up to three courses (15 credits) can be transferred from another institution with approval by the CSE graduate director.
Petitions should be submitted along with the transcript from the other institution or UC Santa Cruz extension. For courses taken at other institutions, copies of the syllabi, exams, and other coursework should accompany the petition. Such petitions are not considered until the completion of at least one quarter at UCSC.
English Language Proficiency Requirement
Applicants whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam and submit an official score report with the admission application. For admission purposes, the minimum passing score for the TOEFL exam must be 570 on the paper-based, 230 on the computer-based, or 89 on the Internet-based test. The minimum passing score for the IELTS exam is 7. TOEFL/IELTS waivers for admission purposes may be requested by applicants who have completed a four-year bachelor's degree at an English-speaking institution.
To be considered for teaching assistant support, students must meet the English language requirement for teaching assistants. Students may satisfy this requirements in one of the following ways:
- Achieving a minimum score of 26 on the spoken portion of the Internet-based TOEFL;
- Achieving an overall score of 8 or higher on the IELTS;
- Participating in the Graduate Preparation Program (GPP);
- Passing Languages 210: Oral Communication in the U.S. Classroom: Strategies for International Teaching Assistants
Teaching Requirements
Each student is required to complete at least one quarter of teaching assistantship. This requirement can be met after advancement to candidacy. Certain exceptions may be permitted for those with extensive prior teaching experience or those who are not allowed to be employed due to visa regulations.
Qualifying Examination
A successful qualifying examination involves a student writing a thesis prospectus, presenting a public oral presentation of the proposed research, evaluation of the thesis prospectus and oral presentation by a qualifying examination committee that is approved by the Graduate Division, and an appointment of a reading committee for the dissertation (which may differ from the qualifying examination committee).
The oral qualifying examination is a presentation of the student’s thesis prospectus and a test of the student’s knowledge in advanced technical areas of relevance to the dissertation topic. This oral examination consists of a seminar-style talk before the examining committee, where the student describes the thesis prospectus, followed by questions from the committee on the substance of the talk and the areas of presumed expertise of the student.
To continue in the Ph.D. program, students must advance to candidacy by the end of their third year. The first step is identifying and formally nominating the qualifying exam committee. The members of the qualifying exam committee must include the following:
1.) The chair of the committee must be a tenured Senate SOE faculty member who is not the student's advisor.
2.) A Senate CSE faculty member (may be the advisor).
3.) A Senate UCSC faculty member or a recognized expert in the student's research area as judged by the graduate director and Graduate Division dean.
4.) The outside member must be a tenured Senate faculty member from a department other than CSE at UCSC or a recognized expert in the student's research area from outside UCSC. The outside member may not be the student's advisor. In the event that the outside member is not from UCSC she/he must have credentials equivalent to a tenured faculty member as judged by the graduate director and the Graduate Division dean. The outside member's CV must be submitted along with the exam committee nomination form.
Additional members may be added to the committee. Students should consult their advisors about the membership of their committee. The committee must be approved by the graduate director. Exceptions to the committee requirements above may be granted by the graduate director when appropriate, as long as the committee meets the Graduate Division requirements. In order to pass the qualifying examination, the committee must come to unanimous agreement that the student has passed the exam, and the committee will provide a written report on the qualifying exam. The final step in the advancement process for the student is to identify and formally nominate a dissertation reading committee.
If the student does not pass the qualifying examination, the student may be asked to complete additional coursework, or other research-related work, before retaking the examination. The student may be allowed to retake the qualifying examination once, and the composition of the examining committee will remain the same for the second try. Students who fail the qualifying examination twice may be dismissed from the Ph.D. program, or given the option to exit with a master’s degree.
Students are advanced to candidacy after they have completed the course requirements, passed the qualifying examination, cleared all incompletes from their records, have an appointed dissertation reading committee, and paid the advancement to candidacy fee.
Students who have not advanced to candidacy by the end of their third year (nine quarters) are recommended for academic probation, and are subject to dismissal from the program if they do not advance by the end of their fourth year (12 quarters).
Dissertation
Dissertation
Each student writes a Ph.D. dissertation which must be submitted to the reading committee at least one month prior to the dissertation defense. The members of the Dissertation Reading Committee must include the following:
1.) The advisor or supervisor of the student. This is the chair of the committee.
2.) A Senate SOE faculty member who is not the student's advisor. This member must be from CSE at UCSC if the advisor is not from CSE at UCSC.
3.) A Senate UCSC faculty or a recognized expert in the student's research area with credentials equivalent to a Senate UCSC faculty member as judged by the graduate director and Graduate Division dean.
Additional members may be added to the committee. Students should consult their advisors about the membership of their committee. The Dissertation Reading Committee must be appointed in order to advance to candidacy. The committee must be approved by the graduate director. Exceptions to the committee requirements above may be granted by the graduate director when appropriate, as long as the committee meets the Graduate Division requirements.
The dissertation must show the results of in-depth research, be an original contribution of significant knowledge, and include material worthy of publication. Where appropriate, research internships with companies, government laboratories, or elsewhere are recognized (and may be required) as an integral part of the research leading to the dissertation.
Dissertation Defense
The candidate presents their research results in a public seminar sponsored by the dissertation supervisor. The seminar is followed by a defense of the dissertation to the public and the reading committee. The committee then decides whether the dissertation is acceptable or requires revision. Successful completion of the dissertation fulfills the final academic requirement for the Ph.D. degree.
Academic Progress
Each year, the faculty reviews the progress of every student. The department expects Ph.D. students to advance to candidacy by the end of the third year (nine quarters), and requires students to advance to candidacy by the end of the fourth year (12 quarters). Students are expected to complete the degree by the end of the fifth year (15 quarters), and required to do so by the end of the sixth year (18 quarters) in order to maintain good academic standing.
Students without adequate academic preparation may be required to take additional courses. Full-time students are normally expected to complete the degree requirements at the rate of at least two courses per quarter. Full-time CSE students must complete CSE 201, CSE 210A, and CSE 220 within two years and normally must complete all course requirements within three years.
Students receiving two or more unsatisfactory grades (U or letter grade below B-) in the School of Engineering (SoE) courses are not making adequate progress and will be recommended for academic probation for the following three quarters of registered enrollment. Taking a leave of absence does not count as enrollment, and it does not extend the degree timeline. Part-time enrollment is counted as a half quarter of enrollment.
Students not making adequate progress toward completion of degree requirements (see the Graduate Student Handbook for policy on satisfactory academic progress) may be recommended for academic probation. Students who violate the terms of their academic probation are subject to dismissal from the program.
Ph.D. students who have not advanced to candidacy by the end of their third year (nine quarters) will be recommended for academic probation, and may be subject to dismissal from the program if not advanced to candidacy by the end of their fourth year (12 quarters).
Should any CSE graduate student fail a School of Engineering course while on probation, the CSE Department may request the graduate dean to dismiss the student from the graduate program. If after being removed from probation, the student again fails a School of Engineering course, they will return immediately to academic probation.
Graduate students experiencing circumstances or difficulties that impact their academic performance should contact their faculty advisor and the graduate director immediately. Students may appeal their dismissal.
Applying for Graduation
All candidates for a degree must submit an Application for Doctor of Philosophy Degree to the Graduate Advising Office by the date stated in the Academic and Administrative Calendar for the quarter you wish to receive the degree. Failure to declare candidacy by the deadline means that you cannot be considered a candidate until the next term.
A student is required to be registered or on Filing Fee Status, whichever is applicable, during the quarter in which the degree is conferred. Students should consult the department advisor to determine which option fits their situation. For more information about applying for graduation, visit the Baskin School of Engineering Graduate Studies website.