UNCC Computer Science Department

Ph.D. Program

overview

requirements

courses

admissions

resources

Degree Requirements

The Ph.D. Program in Information Technology prepares students to be well-rounded professionals in the broad discipline of Information Technology. The degree of Doctor of Philosophy is granted for performance of original research resulting in significant contributions to the discipline's body of knowledge. Students are admitted into a track within the Program by one of the participating units. Currently these units are:

Department of Business Information Systems and Operations
Department of Computer Science
Department of Software and Information Systems
Program in Bioinformatics

The Ph.D. IT program also has an interdisciplinary track in which IT is applied to different disciplines. Students in the interdisciplinary track are admitted into one unit but are expected to complete some course work in a complementary discipline in addition to the minimum core requirements of their chosen unit. Students in the interdisciplinary track must have co-advisors from their chosen unit and the complementary discipline.

Minimum Hours

To earn a PhD degree, students in all tracks must complete at least 72 post baccalaureate credit hours. This includes at least 18 hours of dissertation research and at least 9 hours of course work completed at UNC Charlotte. A limited amount of transfer credit is allowed (see below for details). We expect students to acquire a sufficiently broad body of technical knowledge in the discipline as well as a deep understanding of a specialized area. Such courses will be defined by the student’s advisor(s). Students are expected to excel in all course work. Graduation requirements mandate that students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.0 to graduate. Receiving more than two C grades or a grade of U in any course will result in a suspension from the program.

Introduction to Information Technology Research

First year Students must take ITSC 8110 Introduction to Information Technology at the first Fall semester. This course will be jointly taught by IT PhD Faculty in all the tracks providing new students an overview of the IT research areas and opportunities at UNC Charlotte.

Graduate Research Seminar

Students must sign up for and received credit for the Graduate Research Seminar (ITSC 8699) every semester that they are in the Ph.D. Program until they are admitted to Ph.D. candidacy.

Research Advisor(s) and Qualifying Exam Committee

(Qualifying Exam Committee Agreement: word | pdf)
Each Ph.D. student is assigned a temporary academic advisor(s) within a track when admitted to the Program. Before the end of their fourth semester in the Program students should select a Research Advisor(s) and, in consultation with their Research Advisor(s), form a Qualifying Exam Committee. The Qualifying Exam Committee should include at least three IT Doctoral Faculty members, including the Research Advisor(s) who chairs the Committee. The Qualifying Exam Committee should be approved by the Program Director.

Qualifying Exam

(Qualifying Exam Application Form: word | pdf)
Each student must select a primary area of focus within the chosen track and then pass a qualifying exam in that area, given and evaluated by the student’s Qualifying Exam Committee. The purpose of the qualifying exam is to allow the student to demonstrate that they are capable of doing Ph.D. level research leading to a dissertation.

The Qualifying Examination consists of two mandatory components: an original written research contribution component and a written examination component on the student’s primary area of focus. The student must file Qualifying Examination Application at least one month before the written examination takes place. Copies of the original written research contribution must be submitted at the time of filing the Qualifying Examination Application. The Qualifying Examination Committee will evaluate the research contribution in writing and grade it on pass/fail basis. At the discretion of the Committee, a student may be requested to give an oral presentation of his research contribution. The Committee will decide the length of the written examination and whether an oral component of the examination should be included. The passing grade is 75.

The student must pass both the written research contribution and the exam components of the qualifying exam before the end of their first six semesters of PhD study at UNC Charlotte. Exceptional performance on one component cannot be substituted for a failure on the other component. If either component is failed, then only that component needs to be re-taken. A second failure of a given component will result in the termination of the student’s enrollment in the Ph.D. program.

Requirements for Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy

Pass the qualifying exam in the area of proposed research.
Set up a Dissertation Committee of at least four graduate faculty members, of which at least three must be from the IT PhD faculty. This Committee may, but is not required to consist of the same faculty members as the Qualifying Exam Committee. Ordinarily, the chair of this committee will be the student’s advisor(s), who will insure that the composition of the committee is appropriate. The Dissertation Committee must be approved by the Program Director. In addition, the Graduate will appoint a graduate faculty representative to the Dissertation Committee.
Successful defense of the dissertation proposal.

Ph.D. Candidacy.

Each student must present and defend a Ph.D. dissertation proposal no more than three semesters after passing the qualifying exam. The proposal defense will be conducted by the student’s Dissertation Committee and will be open to the Ph.D. IT faculty and students. At the discretion of the Dissertation Committee, the defense may include questions that cover the student’s program of study and background knowledge in the area of the proposal. A doctoral student advances to Ph.D. candidacy after the dissertation proposal has been successfully defended. The second failed defense of a dissertation proposal will result in termination of the student’s enrollment in the Ph.D. program.

Dissertation

(Dissertation Defense Form: word | pdf)
(Dissertation Defense Report: word | pdf)
Each student must complete a research program approved by the student’s Dissertation Advisor(s) that yields a high quality, original and substantial piece of research. The Ph.D. dissertation describes this research and its results. The dissertation defense is a public presentation. A written copy of the dissertation must be made available to each member of the student Ph.D. Dissertation Committee, to the Ph.D. Steering Committee, and to the UNC Charlotte Library at least three weeks before the public defense. The date of the defense must be publicly announced at least three weeks prior to the defense. The student must present the dissertation and defend it in a manner accepted by the Dissertation Committee. The dissertation will be graded as pass/fail by the Dissertation Committee and must be approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. A student who fails the defense of a dissertation twice will be terminated from the Ph.D. program.

Progress Report and Evaluation

(PhD IT Progree Form: word | pdf)
Each student must satisfy the residency requirement of one continuous full-time year (i.e., two consecutive semesters with the student being enrolled for at least nine graduate credit hours in each semester) after being admitted to the Ph.D. degree program.

Residency Requirements

Every January, each student is required to submit a written progress report for the previous calendar year and the advisor(s) is required to submit a written evaluation of the student, both to the track leader with a copy to the Program Director. Failure to make satisfactory progress may result in discontinuation of the student’s graduate assistantship and suspension from the Program.

Transfer Crefit

(Transfer Credit Form: word | pdf)
In accordance with rules of the UNC Charlotte Graduate School, students are allowed to transfer up to 30 semester hours of graduate credit earned at UNC Charlotte or other recognized graduate programs. In cases of applicants with records of exceptionally high quality, the IT Ph.D. Steering Committee, at its discretion, may request that the Graduate School approve transfer credit beyond the limit set by the Graduate School. To receive transfer credit, students must file a written request and submit all necessary documents to the Program Director.

Track Specific Additional Degree Requirements

Bioinformatics
Students will be required to demonstrate competence, by coursework, examinations, or projects, in the areas of biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, genetics, statistics, and computer science related to core concepts in bioinformatics. The student’s advisor and at least one other dissertation committee member must be faculty in the Bioinformatics track. Students in this track must also take at least 6 hours of Pre-dissertation Research (ITSC 8990) under the direction of Bioinformatics track faculty members. A major goal of this course will be to prepare the student for the Qualifying Examination.

Business Information Systems and Operations Managements Track
In addition to the general IT Ph.D. requirements, students must also:

Take at least 36 hours of coursework approved by the student's Research Advisor(s). At least 9 hours of graduate coursework must be taken at UNC Charlotte (Exceptions to minimum course hour requirements may be granted by the Department’s Graduate Affairs Committee upon the recommendation of the student’s advisor. Such a request should only be granted based on overwhelming evidence that the student has excellent background knowledge to conduct high quality research in Information Technology.)
Complete at least 18 hours of dissertation research.

Computer Science track
In addition to the general IT Ph.D. requirements, students must also:

Take at least 6 hours of Pre-dissertation Research (ITSC 8990) during the students' first four semesters under the direction of one or more IT Ph.D. Graduate Faculty members.
Take at least 30 hours of coursework approved by the student's Research Advisor(s). At least 9 hours of graduate coursework must be taken at UNC Charlotte (Exceptions to minimum course hour requirements may be granted by the Department Graduate Committee upon the recommendation of the student’s Dissertation Committee. Such a request should only be granted based on overwhelming evidence that the student has excellent background knowledge to conduct high quality research in Information Technology.)
Complete at least 18 hours of dissertation research.

Interdisciplinary track
The course work requirements of this track depend on the chosen unit and complementary discipline. Students are required to complete the core requirements of the chosen unit and select a minimum of two graduate courses from a complementary discipline with the approval of their Advisors.

Software and Information Systems track
In addition to the general IT Ph.D. requirements, students must also:

Take at least 6 hours of Pre-dissertation Research (ITSC 8990) during the students' first four semesters under the direction of one or more IT Ph.D. Graduate Faculty members.
Take at least 30 hours of coursework approved by the student's Research Advisor(s). At least 9 hours of graduate coursework must be taken at UNC Charlotte (Exceptions to minimum course hour requirements may be granted by the Department Graduate Committee upon the recommendation of the student’s Dissertation Committee. Such a request should only be granted based on overwhelming evidence that the student has excellent background knowledge to conduct high quality research in Information Technology.)
Complete at least 18 hours of dissertation research.