Department of Computer Sciences Main Departmental Office General Academic Building, 208 P.O. Box 13886 Denton, TX 76203-6886 (817) 565-2767 R. Kenneth Godwin, Interim Chair Graduate Faculty: Brazile, Conrady, Das, Fisher, Irby, Jacob, Kallman, Parberry, Renka, Shahrokhi, Shi, Stansifer, Swigger, Tate, Vlach, C.C. Yang, C.Q. Yang. The Department of Computer Sciences offers graduate programs leading to the following degrees: -Master of Science, and -Doctor of Philosophy, both with a major in computer sciences. The objective of the master's degree is to produce professional computer scientists capable of contributing technically to the basic core areas of computer science as well as to application areas. The purpose of the doctoral degree is to produce professionals capable of conducting and directing research within the discipline of computer science. The department is committed to overall excellence in computer science graduate education. Consequently, the programs of study for these degrees include a mixture of course, laboratory and research work designed to place graduates at the forefront of technical excellence. Research The Department of Computer Sciences has a broad-based research program. Current faculty research interests include artificial intelligence, pattern recognition and robotics, data and knowledge bases, parallel and distributed computing, neural computing, mathematical software, graphics, operating systems and theory of algorithms. The Center for Research in Parallel and Distributed Computing (CRPDC) was established by a group of faculty in the Department of Computer Sciences in 1990. CRPDC is dedicated to the promotion and fostering of basic and applied research in all aspects of the theory and practice of parallel and distributed computing. The department has extensive facilities to support these projects. Current research facilities include a departmental Sequent Symmetry dedicated to research, Intel iPSC/1 and iPSC/2 multiprocessor systems, an experimental transputer system, a number of modern workstations and several minicomputers. The department also maintains a large microcomputer laboratory for research and instruction. Additional support is provided through the potential for interdisciplinary work with other departments and laboratories and a local area network linking the department to the facilities of the campus computer center. Grants from the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, the National Science Foundation, the state of Texas, IBM, TWA, EDS and Texas Instruments have contributed to faculty research in artificial intelligence, pattern recognition, parallel and distributed computing, and scientific computation. Each of these projects has involved the work of a number of graduate students. The main library contains more than 36,000 computer-oriented volumes and subscribes to 133 periodicals specializing in the computer field. These periodicals range from the highly technical Journal of the ACM to user-oriented Personal Computing. The department enjoys a friendly working relationship with local and national companies. The department's Advisory Council is composed of representatives from government agencies and high-tech firms. During the past few years they have helped obtain research funding, fellowships and internships for students in the department. Degree Programs In all cases admission to graduate degree programs in computer sciences is competitive since available facilities and faculty do not permit admission of all qualified applicants. Applications, complete with transcripts, GRE and TOEFL scores, must reach the computer sciences department by the following dates to be considered for the semester indicated. Oct. 1 --- spring semester March 1 --- first summer session April 1 --- second summer session June 1 --- fall semester Master of Science The department offers the Master of Science with a major in computer sciences. Admission Requirements The student must satisfy all the general admission requirements of the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies as well as the admission requirements of the computer sciences department as delineated below: 1. a combined score of at least 1050 on the verbal and quantitative portions, with 650 on the quantitative portion, of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and a 3.0 GPA on the most recent 60 hours of course work; 2. a ranking in the 34th percentile or above on the verbal portion of the GRE; for applicants whose native language is not English, a TOEFL score of at least 580 also is required; 3. completion of a sufficient amount of prior work in the field of computer sciences, including courses equivalent to CSCI 2010, 3100, 3400, and 3600; some undergraduate leveling sequences are available; and 4. at least 15 hours of mathematics, including differential and integral calculus, discrete mathematics and two other courses selected from statistics, linear algebra, abstract algebra, numerical analysis and differential equations. Students not satisfying both conditions 1 and 2 will not be admitted to the computer science program nor will they be allowed to enroll in graduate computer science courses. Those students who satisfy both conditions 1 and 2 but who lack some of the computer science background may be provisionally admitted to the program and may enroll in graduate-level courses. Admission to Candidacy After removal of all deficiencies and upon completion of an additional 12 hours of graduate credit, the student is required to submit a formal degree plan to the computer science graduate adviser and the dean of the School of Graduate Studies. Failure to fulfill this requirement may prevent the student from enrolling the following semester. Admission to candidacy is granted by the dean of the School of Graduate Studies after the degree plan has been approved. Degree Requirements The program for the Master of Science degree with a major in computer sciences is either 33 hours (with thesis), 36 hours (with 3-hour research project) or 39 hours of course work. Core Computer Science At least 27 hours of graduate work in computer science are required, including a required core of courses and two areas of computer specialization chosen by the student together with the academic adviser. One of these areas of specialization may be an area of computer applications outside the department. To qualify for the master's degree, the student must earn a grade of B or better in each of the core courses. Course Credit A senior-level course, CSCI 4350, may be included in the CSCI graduate degree program if CSCI 5350 also is included. If a student wishes to include such courses in the degree plan, prior approval of the department must be obtained. No other senior-level courses may be included in the CSCI graduate degree program. CSCI courses numbered 5010 through 5050 may not be included. Research Students choosing the thesis option must complete either CSCI 5920 and 5930, or CSCI 5950. The Master of Science 36-hour option requires completion of CSCI 5900. Minor From 6 to 12 hours of graduate work in a minor field of computer science application are required. With the approval of the student's adviser, this work may be done outside the computer sciences department. Departmental Comprehensive Exam Generally, prior to graduation, each candidate must pass a comprehensive examination, either written, oral or both. This examination usually is administered in connection with the graduate research project. Students are advised to check the Academic Calendar for the deadline for completion of this requirement. Academic Standards If a student's GPA on all graduate and/or deficiency courses falls below 3.0, the student will be placed on probation the following semester. Students who cannot raise their GPA above 3.0 during that semester will be dropped from the program. Graduate Minor in Computer Sciences CSCI 5010 and 5020 are service courses designed for students who are not computer science majors. Since these are introductory courses, however, they may not be included in a minor of fewer than 9 hours. Doctor of Philosophy The program of study for the doctoral degree with a major in computer sciences includes formal course work, independent study and research. The purpose of the degree is to produce a professional capable of directing and conducting research within the discipline of computer science. Admission Requirements Students seeking admission to the doctoral program must meet all general requirements for doctoral candidates at UNT and must have completed all of the requirements (or equivalent work) for the master's degree as defined in the previous section. Additional requirements are delineated below: 1. a combined score of 1150 on the verbal and quantitative portions, with 700 on the quantitative portion, of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and a 3.5 GPA on the most recent 30 hours of course work; 2. a ranking in the 50th percentile or higher on the verbal portion of the GRE; for applicants whose native tongue is not English, a TOEFL score of at least 580 also is required; and 3. three letters of recommendation. Degree Requirements In addition to satisfying the general requirements for all UNT doctoral degrees, a student must satisfactorily complete the following: 1. a minimum of 12 hours of 6000-level organized courses in computer science; 2. the residence requirement, consisting of two consecutive semesters of enrollment in at least 9 semester hours; 3. satisfactory completion of a written qualifying examination prior to submitting a proposal for dissertation research; and 4. submission and successful defense of the doctoral dissertation. More detailed information on degree requirements is available upon request from the Department of Computer Sciences. Language or Tool Subject Requirements Consult the graduate adviser, Department of Computer Sciences, for requirements. Courses of Instruction All Courses of Instruction are located in one section at the back of this catalog.