The primary emphasis of the Ph.D. program is to develop quality computer professionals capable of serving as faculty at various colleges and universities, advancing the state of the art in their respective field of expertise, as well as designing and integrating computer systems for constructive use in society.

The Doctor of Philosophy degree in computer science and engineering will be awarded to candidates who successfully complete all requirements of the degree, which consists of :

• passing of a preliminary examination
• completion of 30 credit hours of course work with GPA of at least 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0)
• satisfactory performance in the written and oral comprehensive examinations
• successful completion and defense of original work documented as dissertation

The program provides specialization in one of the following areas :

• Computation and Artificial Intelligence
• Languages and Systems
• Parallel Processing and Networking
• Computer Architecture and VLSI

A full-time Ph.D. student is expected to spend about two years completing his required course work. The dissertation work is also expected to require about two years. The maximum period permitted for a student to complete the Ph.D. is 6 years. A student must spend a minimum of one year in residence doing his Ph.D. dissertation work.