MS/PhD Core Requirements

To achieve candidacy, PhD students must demonstrate their breadth of knowledge in computer science by satisfying a set of “core requirements” that emphasize breadth in three areas of computer science: theory, systems, and artificial intelligence. These core requirements require PhD students to take six courses (18+ credits) satisfying the following conditions. 

  • [Theory Core Requirement] The six courses must include at least one course in the set {601, 611}.
  • [AI Core Requirement] The six courses must include at least one course in the set {682, 683, 689}.
  • [Systems Core Requirement] The six courses must include at least one course in the set {610, 620, 621, 625, 630, 631, 635, 645, 653, 654, 655, 660, 661, 677, 690R}.
  • [General Core Requirement] The three other courses may be any 600+ level COMPSCI courses except for 701, 701Y, 879, or courses in the range 691–699, 791–799, 891–899.
  • [Grade Requirement] A grade of B+ or better is required in all six of the courses used to satisfy the core requirements.

Note: The phrase “core course” was used in previous iterations of these requirements. Due to confusion stemming from the several different historical meanings of “core course,” this phrase does not appear in these policies other than as a historical reference.


Scheduling Core Course Towards the Portfolio

The faculty encourages PhD students to get involved in research as soon as possible and do not want coursework to delay the start of research; for that reason, it is suggested that you take at most one core course per semester. The portfolio requirements are designed to reflect this recommendation.

Specifically, students may submit their portfolio documents for review prior to having completed the core requirements. Although completion of the core requirements is necessary to achieve PhD candidacy, such portfolio submissions with the core requirements still in-progress allows for conditional passing of portfolio (where the condition is the completion of the core requirements).

By the time you submit your portfolio, you must have: 

  • Finished the theory, AI, and systems core requirements
  • Completed at least one additional course towards the general core requirement
  • Be enrolled in (or have completed) another course towards the general core requirement

In other words, you must have at least four total completed courses (the three area-specific courses plus one general) and be enrolled in or have completed your fifth.

Legacy Clause (for Students Who Entered Before Spring 2025)
Students who entered the PhD program before Spring 2025 may submit their portfolio under either the current policy or the legacy policy (described below). This clause only impacts the submission of portfolio, not the conditions for completing the core requirements or achieving PhD candidacy. 

Legacy Policy: By the time you submit your portfolio, you must have finished at least one course in the theory list {613, 651, 666, 690J, 648, 614}, one course in the systems list {610, 620, 621, 630, 631, 635, 645, 653, 655, 660, 661, 677, 625, 690R, 654}, and one course in the AI list {603, 646, 670, 674, 682, 683, 685, 687, 688, 689, 690D, 651}. You must also have finished at least four courses that could count towards the core requirements and the fifth course must at least be in-progress.


Passing Out of a Core Requirement

In some circumstances, it may be possible to pass or test out of a core requirement based on equivalent coursework at another institution. It may also be possible to count a different advanced course towards the core requirements. Such approval will be based on the content of that course as it compares to the content of the parallel course taught in this college.

If you believe you should pass out of a core requirement, or that your other coursework should count towards one of the core requirements, please download this form and contact the appropriate professor. The instructor will notify the doctoral program director (DPD) of their recommendation. If you are requesting a waiver of more than one core course, each professor must be aware of this and sign off on both waiver requests. The DPD will then determine whether or not to accept that recommendation. 

Note that this waiving of a core course satisfies the course requirement, but does not count towards the 18-credit requirement. This means that students who waive a core course typically must take another course within the general requirement. The requirements for this additional course will be specified upon approval of the waiver, and may specify specific alternate courses.