Admission to PhD Program in Computer Science
(CS PhD)
The following material is needed for all applicants:
The application form and all supporting material must be submitted directly to the office of graduate admission. Once all of the required material is received by the Admission office and your file is complete, your application folder is forwarded to CS department for evaluation.
Minimum GPA requirement is 3.5 (out of 4.0), but successful applicants normally have a GPA substantially higher than this minimum. There is no set minimum requirement for GRE scores, but successful applicants normally have:
Background Requirement
PhD Applicants must possess a strong formal CS background. Applicants with an MS degree in CS are preferred. But strong candidates with only a BS degree in CS and with excellent credentials may also apply. Interested applicants who lack a strong CS background are advised to pursue an MS degree in Computer Science first, before applying to the PhD program.
Full-Time PhD Studies and Financial Support:
Financial support positions (TA positions) are available for PhD applicants and are awarded on a competitive basis. To be eligible for support, the student must pursue PhD on a Full-Time basis and must not hold any outside employment.
Part-Time PhD Studies:
PhD students employed in local industry may pursue their studies on a Part-Time basis. Some of our advanced course offerings are available on Distance Learning. But, most of our advanced PhD courses are offered live (face to face) and require physical attendance on campus. For the convenience of our part-time students, many of our classes meet only once a week for a 3-hour period in the evenings. The degree requirements for part-time PhD students are the same as those for full-time students.
PhD Degree Credit Requirements:
Students entering with a BS in Computer Science are required to take 42 credits of coursework, and those entering with an MS degree must take 24 credits of coursework. The required coursework in both cases must include at least 12 credits of advanced 700-level courses. In addition to the required coursework, PhD students must take a minimum of 36 credits of dissertation research.
PhD Qualifying Exams
PhD students are expected to take their courses during the first year to prepare them for the PhD Qualifying Exams, which are conducted once a year at the beginning of the summer. For information on PhD Qualifying Exams, please see:
http://www.cs.njit.edu/~nassimi/phd/qual
Research Advisor and PhD Dissertation
During their first year, PhD students are also expected to familiarize themselves with CS faculty and their research areas. After one year of full-time studies, a PhD student is expected to choose an interested Research Advisor who best matches the student’s area of interest. This choice is made in consultation with the PhD Program Director.
Time-Table for Part-Time PhD Students
Part-time PhD students may delay PhD Qualifying Exams to a
later date when they are ready to take the entire exam. The choice of research
advisor may also be made at a later time for part-time students. Otherwise, as stated above, all degree
requirements for part-time PhD students are the same as those for full-time
students.
Application Deadline:
Application deadline for the fall semester is:
The spring semester deadline is:
How to Apply
For application form and procedure on how-to-apply, please see Graduate Admissions website:
http://www.njit.edu/admissions/graduate
To speed-up the process, you are encouraged to submit your application on-line. For further questions on the mechanics of your application, please contact graduate admission.
Further Information on CS PhD Program
For further information on CS PhD program, please contact
Prof. David Nassimi
CS PhD Program Director