Computer Science, Ph.D.

(PCSC)

The divisional-level academic course plan for each student will be developed in consultation with and approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee. The committee will include the student’s major advisor and at least two additional members of the graduate faculty such that the LSU Graduate School’s requirements of the LSU Graduate School for graduate committees are satisfied.

The degree requires a dissertation. Fifty-five hours of credit at the graduate level must be earned including a minimum of 18 hours of credit for the thesis research. The curricular requirements include:

• A core requirement of 12 credit hours in algorithms, theory of computation, programming languages, operating systems, computer architecture, and software engineering.
• At least 24 additional credit hours with 15 hours at the 7000 level or above; up to 3 credit hours of independent study (CSC 7999) allowed.
• Earned credit in the graduate research seminar course CSC 7800 .
• At least 18 credit hours in thesis research course CSC 9000 .

At the discretion of the student’s advisory committee, additional courses may be added to the student’s curriculum

The student must take the research qualifying exam (involving a written report and oral presentation) monitored by the advising committee. A student has to repeat the exam if he/she cannot pass it in the first attempt. The student must submit a written research proposal and pass the research proposal defense, which is an oral exam. The student must submit a written PhD dissertation, and pass the final exam in which the student defends the dissertation in front of the advisory committee.