Dec 07, 2024  
USC Catalogue 2024-2025 
    
USC Catalogue 2024-2025

Computer Science (PhD)


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The Doctor of Philosophy with a major in computer science is awarded in strict conformity with the general requirements of the USC Graduate School. See Requirements for Graduation . Departmental requirements for this degree consist of a concentrated program of study and research and a dissertation. Consult a separately published guide, available from the department office and Website, for more information concerning course requirements, the screening procedure, the teaching requirement, the qualifying examination, the thesis proposal and other requirements.

Course Requirements

Each student is required to complete two semesters of CSCI 697  (1 unit each, 2 maximum) and CSCI 670  (4 units). In addition, students are required to pass two semesters of CSCI 698  (1-2 units each, no maximum) as part of a teaching requirement.

Elective courses: In addition to the mandatory courses, each student must complete five CSCI courses at the 500 level and above, 4 units each. No more than two of these courses (8 units total) may be at the 500 level; the remaining must be CSCI courses at the 600 level. Directed Research units or thesis credits do not satisfy this requirement. Students are strongly advised to take at least one of their elective courses in an area of computer science that is different from their proposed area of research. The PhD adviser is expected to provide guidance on this matter to the student.

The CSCI 670  course requirement may be waived by examination only. Each course in the department has a faculty member who is designated as the course “owner.” The owner of CSCI 670  is in charge of creating and grading the waiver examination. CSCI 697  and CSCI 698  may not be waived.

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