The Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science degree follows three phases, which may overlap in time: 

Inquiry Phase: Coursework, initial research projects and successful completion of three Breadth Examinations. 

Research Phase: Focused research leading to successful completion of a Dissertation Proposal. Upon completion of all requirements, the student is admitted to Candidacy. 

Candidacy Phase: Further research, writing and defense of the Ph.D. dissertation.  

The Inquiry Phase   During the Inquiry Phase a student will complete coursework in various areas of Computer Science to gain breadth and to discover the area in which dissertation research is to be done. Since considerable thought should be given to choosing the area in which the student wishes to do research in the future, the student may wish to do small research projects during this time period to explore where their research interests lie.   Three Breadth Examinations must be successfully completed. At least one of the 3 breadth exams must be in one of the core areas of computer science, namely, Artificial Intelligence, Database Systems, Operating Systems, Programming Languages, and Theoretical Computer Science. Furthermore, at least one breadth exam must be in the student's primary area of dissertation research. The choice of breadth exams must be approved by the student's PhD advisor. These examinations can be taken either during the Inquiry Phase or during the Research Phase. Each Breadth Examination will verify that the student has knowledge sufficient to teach an introductory graduate course in that area. A student must pass all three breadth exams with at most one re-take opportunity per exam. Re-takes of breadth exams must be approved by the PhD Committee.   A Ph.D. student enters the Research Phase when he or she has chosen an area in which to do dissertation research and has found a faculty member willing to act as his or her Dissertation Advisor. The amount of time spent in the Inquiry Phase will vary from student to student, but will typically be several years. The research phase may overlap with the inquiry phase, in fact, students are strongly encouraged to begin their research, under the supervision of a faculty PhD advisor, as early as possible upon entering the program. 

The Research Phase In this phase the doctoral student, in conjunction with his or her Dissertation Advisor, will conduct extensive readings in academic texts, journals and conference proceedings to become an expert in the chosen research area.   The student is responsible for approaching a faculty member to act as  their Dissertation Advisor. The faculty member may request that the student perform additional projects or research before agreeing to be the Dissertation Advisor. The student and Dissertation Advisor then work together to choose three additional faculty which, together with the Dissertation Advisor, form the Dissertation Committee. Three of the members must be full-time faculty members in the School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems. The fourth committee member must be a faculty member from outside the division of the research, or a scholar from outside the School of CTI whose expertise is pertinent to the topic of the dissertation. The members of this committee must be approved by the School’s Ph.D. Committee.   Once the student has enough preliminary results that the student and advisor are confident that the work should result in publishable results, the student will write an extensive review of previous work in the area and a research proposal for the dissertation research. The Dissertation Committee members will then choose a date for a public defense of the dissertation proposal. The student will provide an oral presentation of current results and future research goals at this defense. The proposal will be approved only if the Dissertation Committee agrees that the work that is planned will constitute an acceptable Ph.D. dissertation. The committee may recommend that the student repeat the proposal at a later date. The dissertation committee may require additional components in conjunction with proposal defense to test the student's depth of knowledge in the specific area of dissertation research.   A student generally enters the Candidacy Phase (and is considered a Candidate) after a successful defense of the Dissertation Proposal (see the full requirements for Candidacy below).

 The Candidacy Phase   In the Candidacy Phase the student performs the research promised in the dissertation proposal and writes the dissertation. Ph.D. dissertations in Computer Science are typically 100 to 300 pages in length and must represent a significant and original body of work.   Except in very unusual situations, the student will be required to publish some portion of the dissertation as an academic paper in a refereed journal or conference before completing the degree. This will demonstrate that the significance of this work is recognized in academic communities outside DePaul University.   After the dissertation has been written, the student will provide a copy to all members of the Dissertation Committee. After reading the dissertation, the Dissertation Committee must recommend whether or not a public dissertation defense should proceed. In particular, the members of the Dissertation Committee will determine whether the completed dissertation embodies the work that was promised in the dissertation proposal. The committee may recommend modifications or additional research to be completed before the defense can take place. Once the Dissertation Committee agrees that the defense should take place, a date will be scheduled for the dissertation defense. After the defense, the Dissertation Committee will determine whether all work has been satisfactorily completed or additional work or modifications must be made.   A bound copy of the dissertation and the abstract must be presented to the DePaul Library where it will be permanently available to current and future DePaul students. Consult the Handbook for Graduate Studies at the back of this bulletin for information on submitting the dissertation and abstract to the School. Contact the Student Services office for additional information regarding procedures to follow for binding the dissertation.