Requirements for the Doctoral Degree < Georgia Tech (gatech.edu)
The Doctoral Degree
The degree of Doctor of Philosophy recognizes demonstrated proficiency and high achievement in research. After adequate preparation, the candidate must successfully complete both comprehensive examinations in their academic field and a searching and authoritative investigation of a special area in the chosen field, culminating in a written dissertation. The program of study for each doctoral degree program must include, at a minimum, 30 approved credit hours.
Responsible Conduct for Research (RCR)
All Georgia Tech doctoral students must complete Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) education, which includes an online training component and a doctoral-level RCR course. All master's thesis students must also complete RCR education. For more information, see https://rcr.gatech.edu/academic-policies.
Admission to CandidacyTO QUALIFY FOR CANDIDACY, STUDENTS MUST DO THE FOLLOWING:
Requisite form: Admission to Candidacy (formatted in DocuSign)
Comprehensive ExamsThe comprehensive examination (referred to as qualifier) assesses both general knowledge of the degree area and specialized knowledge of the student's chosen research field. Each program is responsible for scheduling comprehensive examinations at least once a year and for providing students information regarding exam formats, rules, and scope. IC students attend an information session in the fall of their second year and take the exam in the spring of their second year. Please reach out to the Area Lead faculty to determine when your information session is scheduled.
Related forms:
CS 9000- Post-Qualifier Form: Usage: To show completion of the CS PhD Qualifier Exam and to obtain a permit for CS 9000. Note all forms must be routed through DocuSign for signatures.
HCC and Robotics use this CS 9000 Post-Qualifier Form
Thesis TopicBefore a student becomes a candidate, they should present a formal statement for the approval of the school chair or college dean and Graduate Education that outlines the student's dissertation advisor, the topic selected for investigation, the objectives, and the steps by which the student proposes to achieve them. (Note that individual programs may have additional requirements for approving the dissertation prospectus or proposal before approval by the chair/dean and Graduate Education.) The dissertation topic must give promise of being either a genuine addition to the fundamental knowledge of the field or a new and better interpretation of facts already known.
Time Limit for Degree CompletionStudents must complete all degree requirements within seven years from the end of the term in which they pass the comprehensive examination. If they exceed the seven years, they must submit a petition to faculty to extend the time to complete their degree.
DissertationThe dissertation must demonstrate that the candidate possesses powers of original thought, talent for research, and ability to organize and present findings. Resources such as the Thesis and Dissertation Manual, deadlines, checklist, and templates are found in the Thesis & Dissertation website. Dissertations must be submitted electronically via the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation link available on that resource site.
The format of the dissertation (in general appearance) must meet the criteria published in the Thesis and Dissertation Manual. For other format or style questions, students should refer to style manuals appropriate to their disciplines.
Doctoral ExaminationIf the dissertation advisory committee finds the dissertation satisfactory, it schedules the candidate for an oral examination on the subject matter of the dissertation and the field in which it lies. An examining committee approved by Graduate Studies on behalf of the Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Education will conduct the examination. The candidate's academic unit should forward the announcement of the oral examination, including the names of the examining committee members, to Graduate Education at least 10 working days prior to the exam.
If a candidate should fail to pass the final oral examination, the examining committee may recommend permission for one additional examination. In the case of failure, the Registrar does not receive a report of the examination results.
Minor Field of StudyThe minor is a sequence of non-College of Computing courses with a coherent theme, totaling 6 credit hours/2 courses. These courses should have a subject designator OTHER than "CS/CSE" as reported on your transcript. Their theme should somehow relate to the subject of the student's thesis and research.
The classes must be taken for a letter grade, with at least a "B" average. Courses should be at the graduate level, but one approved 4000-level course may be used. No more than three of the hours may be directed research (CS 8903). Students may include non-CS courses as a part of their Minor Requirement.
After completing all the minor classes, download and fill out the Minor Form. You will find it linked in the 'Forms' section of this OneNote.
Instructions on completing the minor form:
For purposes of the Minor form, the "School/Program Graduate Coordinator is Theresa Nash.
The OGE Staff is Tatianna Richardson [email protected]
Requesting permission to use a CS course to meet minor:
If there is a justification (example, CS 7751- which is the same course as ECE 7751) for using a CS course to support the minor, students may submit a petition to faculty making the request. Route through Docusign to Thomas Ploetz under 'Major School' and copy Theresa Nash.
Other RequirementsIn addition to the requirements listed elsewhere, the candidate is required to complete the following:
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