UT Dallas 2021 Graduate Catalog

Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science

Graduate Program in Computer Science

Objectives

The Graduate Program in Computer Science provides intensive preparation in the design, programming, theory, and applications of computers. The Department of Computer Science offers courses of study leading to the MS in Computer Science, the MS in Software Engineering, the PhD degree in Computer Science, and the PhD degree in Software Engineering. Training is provided for both academically oriented students and students with professional goals in the many business, industrial, or governmental occupations requiring advanced knowledge of computer theory and technology. Courses and research are offered in a variety of subfields of computer science, including operating systems, computer architecture, computer graphics, pattern recognition, automata theory, combinatorics, artificial intelligence, data and network security, natural language processing, database design, computer networks, programming languages, software systems, analysis of algorithms, computational complexity, software engineering, software testing, software reliability, scheduling, visualization, fault-tolerant computing, parallel processing, telecommunications networks, telecommunications software, performance of systems, VLSI, computational geometry, and design automation.

A comprehensive program of evening courses is offered which enables part-time students to earn the master's degree or to select individual courses of interest.

Facilities

The Department of Computer Science systems are comprised of a private virtualization cloud, several individual computer servers, computer workstations, and desktop computers. Research laboratories are available for parallel processing, distributed systems, software engineering, high-performance computing, graphics, programming languages and systems, telecommunications, CAD and graph visualization, image understanding and processing, artificial intelligence, big data, natural language processing, speech processing, and web technologies. The Department of Computer Science network connects through Internet 2 with other research universities, gigabit ethernet intranet, and pervasive wireless connectivity.

Master of Science in Computer Science

33 semester credit hours minimum

Program Faculty

Professors: Farokh B. Bastani, Sergey Bereg, R. Chandrasekaran, Ovidiu Daescu, Yvo G. Desmedt, Ding-Zhu Du, András Faragó, Paul Fishwick, Xiaohu Guo, Gopal Gupta, Zygmunt Haas, Kevin Hamlen, Sanda M. Harabagiu, Dung T. Huynh, Jason Jue, Murat Kantarcioglu, Latifur Khan, Andrian Marcus, Neeraj Mittal, Dan I. Moldovan, Sriraam Natarajan, Yu-Chung (Vincent) Ng, Tien Nguyen, Simeon C. Ntafos, Ivor P. Page, Balakrishnan Prabhakaran, Ravi Prakash, Kamil Sarac, Haim Schweitzer, Bhavani Thuraisingham, Subbarayan Venkatesan, W. Eric Wong, Weili Wu, I-Ling Yen

Associate Professors: Lawrence Chung, Jorge A. Cobb, Vibhav Gogate, Cong Liu, Benjamin Raichel, Nicholas Ruozzi, Rym Zalila-Wenkstern

Assistant Professors: Kyle Fox, Shuang Hao, Chung Hwan Kim, Jin Kim, Shiyi Wei

Professors Emeriti: William J. Pervin, Balaji Raghavachari, Ivan Hal Sudborough, Klaus Truemper, Kang Zhang

Professors of Instruction: Ebru Cankaya, John Cole, Timothy (Tim) Farage, Richard Goodrum, Shyam Karrah, Pushpa Kumar, Nhut Nguyen, Greg Ozbirn, Miguel Razo-Razo

Associate Professors of Instruction: Sridhar Alagar, Gordon Arnold, Anjum Chida, Wei Pang Chin, Bhadrachalam Chitturi, Michael Christiansen, Chris I. Davis, Karen Doore, Neeraj Gupta, Khiem Le, Mehra Nouroz Borazjany, Mark Paulk, Jason W. Smith, Laurie Thompson, Jeyakesavan (Jey) Veerasamy, James Willson, Nurcan Yuruk

Assistant Professors of Instruction: Eric Becker, Scott Dollinger, Ranran Feng, Gity Karami, Kamran Khan, Karen Mazidi, Richard K. Min, Anarag Nagar, Elmer Salazar, Meghana Satpute, Klyne Smith, Nidhiben Solanki

Admission Requirements

The University's general admission requirements are discussed on the Graduate Admission page.

The student entering the Computer Science MS program should have an undergraduate degree equivalent to a baccalaureate in a quantitative science, including calculus and linear algebra. However, special arrangements (requiring more than the minimal number of semester credit hours) can be made for students with an undergraduate degree in other fields.

Minimum requirements are:

  • Bachelor's degree which includes 2 semesters of calculus and 1 semester of linear algebra.
  • A strong foundation in programming.
  • A GPA (grade point average) of at least 3.0 (last 60 semester credit hours). GPA in quantitative courses of at least 3.3.
  • GRE revised scores of 308, 153, 155, and 4 for the combined, verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing components, respectively, are advisable based on our experience with student success in the program.
  • Applicants are admitted on a competitive basis.
  • Degree Requirements

    Students lacking an undergraduate degree in computer science must complete the courses listed below. At the discretion of the graduate advisor, a diagnostic exam may be required. The required leveling courses common to all master's students are:

    Required Leveling Courses

    CS 2340 Computer Architecture

    CS 5303 Computer Science I

    CS 5333 Discrete Structures1

    CS 5343 Algorithm Analysis and Data Structures1

    CS 5348 Operating Systems Concepts1

    Substitution of CS 5303 and/or CS 2340 by professional experience will be considered.

    Additional leveling courses required for the various degree plans are:

    For the Data Sciences Track:

    CS 3341 (SE 3341) Probability and Statistics in Computer Science and Software Engineering

    For the Cyber Security Track:

    CS 5390 Computer Networks

    For the MS in Software Engineering:

    CS 3354 (SE 3354) Software Engineering or SE 5354 Software Engineering

    For the Networks and Telecommunications Track:

    CS 3341 (SE 3341) Probability and Statistics in Computer Science and Software Engineering

    CS 5390 Computer Networks

    For the Traditional Computer Science:

    CS 5349 Automata Theory

    CS 5390 Computer Networks

    The University's general degree requirements are discussed on the Graduate Policies and Procedures page.

    The student may choose a thesis plan or a non-thesis plan. The thesis plan requires a minimum of 27 semester credit hours of courses, plus completion of an approved thesis (six thesis semester credit hours). This thesis is directed by a supervising professor and must be approved by the head of the Department of Computer Science. The non-thesis plan also requires a minimum of 33 semester credit hours of courses.

    By a judicious planning of courses chosen from the computer science curriculum, supervised and approved by the graduate advisor, students may pursue the MS degree in Computer Science while emphasizing specific areas of the discipline. Students may also choose to receive the MS degree in Software Engineering. Because of the rapidly changing nature of the computer science discipline, the specific courses required may change by the time of the student's admission. A listing of the required courses will be specified by the student's advisor. Specific degree requirements follow.

    Core Requirements (15 semester credit hours)

    Data Sciences Track

    CS 6313 Statistical Methods for Data Science

    CS 6350 Big Data Management and Analytics

    CS 6363 Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms

    CS 6375 Machine Learning

    Choose one course from the following five courses:

    CS 6301 Special Topics in Computer Science [when topic is Social Network Analytics]

    CS 6320 Natural Language Processing

    CS 6327 Video Analytics

    CS 6347 Statistical Methods in AI and Machine Learning

    CS 6360 Database Design

    Cyber Security Track

    CS 6324 Information Security

    CS 6363 Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms

    CS 6378 Advanced Operating Systems

    Choose two courses from the following four courses:

    CS 6332 Systems Security and Malicious Code Analysis

    CS 6348 Data and Applications Security

    CS 6349 Network Security

    CS 6377 Introduction to Cryptography

    Intelligent Systems Track

    CS 6320 Natural Language Processing

    CS 6363 Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms

    CS 6364 Artificial Intelligence

    CS 6375 Machine Learning

    Choose one course from the following two courses:

    CS 6360 Database Design

    CS 6378 Advanced Operating Systems

    Interactive Computing Track

    CS 6326 Human Computer Interactions

    CS 6363 Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms

    Choose three of the following five courses:

    CS 6323 Computer Animation and Gaming

    CS 6328 Modeling and Simulation

    CS 6331 Multimedia Systems

    CS 6334 Virtual Reality

    CS 6366 Computer Graphics

    Networks and Telecommunications Track

    CS 6352 Performance of Computer Systems and Networks

    CS 6363 Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms

    CS 6378 Advanced Operating Systems

    CS 6385 Algorithmic Aspects of Telecommunication Networks

    CS 6390 Advanced Computer Networks

    Systems Track

    CS 6304 Computer Architecture

    CS 6363 Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms

    CS 6378 Advanced Operating Systems

    CS 6396 Real-Time Systems

    Choose one course from the following four courses:

    CS 6349 Network Security

    CS 6376 Parallel Processing

    CS 6380 Distributed Computing

    CS 6397 Synthesis and Optimization of High-Performance Systems

    Traditional Computer Science Track

    CS 6363 Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms

    CS 6378 Advanced Operating Systems

    CS 6390 Advanced Computer Networks

    Choose two courses of the following three courses:

    CS 6353 Compiler Construction

    CS 6360 Database Design

    CS 6371 Advanced Programming Languages

    Students must satisfy the core requirements by either earning a 3.19 minimum grade point average OR by earning a 3.0 minimum grade point average in the five core courses and taking an extra approved elective (beyond the minimum degree requirements of 33 semester credit hours) and maintain the required GPA.

    Electives (minimum of 18 semester credit hours)

    Five (15 semester credit hours) at the 6000/7000 level elective CS courses, or six semester credit hours of thesis or project courses plus three elective courses (6 + 9 = 15 semester credit hours), with approval of a graduate advisor; a minimum grade point average of 3.0 is required. Courses that are prerequisites to the student's core requirements are especially recommended.

    If the student chooses one of the 5000 level courses, then one of the CS 5333 or CS 5343 or CS 5348 can be counted as an elective in all degree plans. Students should consult their graduate advisors to get approval for the 5000 level course.

    Approved electives must be taken to make a minimum of 33 semester credit hours

    While the Department of Computer Science offers both the Master of Science in Computer Science and the Master of Science in Software Engineering degrees, students are not permitted to pursue both degrees.

    NOTE: Students changing program from MS_CS/PhD_CS to MS_SE/PhD_SE or MS_SE/PhD_SE to MS_CS/PhD_CS must submit a new online graduate application. The admissions committee in the department will review the application and make a decision.

    1. See Electives section for additional information for these specific courses.

    Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science

    75 semester credit hours minimum beyond the baccalaureate degree

    Program Faculty

    Professors: Farokh B. Bastani, Sergey Bereg, R. Chandrasekaran, Ovidiu Daescu, Yvo G. Desmedt, Ding-Zhu Du, András Faragó, Paul Fishwick, Xiaohu Guo, Gopal Gupta, Zygmunt Haas, Kevin Hamlen, Sanda M. Harabagiu, Dung T. Huynh, Jason Jue, Murat Kantarcioglu, Latifur Khan, Andrian Marcus, Neeraj Mittal, Dan I. Moldovan, Sriraam Natarajan, Yu-Chung (Vincent) Ng, Tien Nguyen, Simeon C. Ntafos, Ivor P. Page, Balakrishnan Prabhakaran, Ravi Prakash, Kamil Sarac, Haim Schweitzer, Bhavani Thuraisingham, Subbarayan Venkatesan, W. Eric Wong, Weili Wu, I-Ling Yen

    Associate Professors: Lawrence Chung, Jorge A. Cobb, Vibhav Gogate, Cong Liu, Benjamin Raichel, Nicholas Ruozzi, Rym Zalila-Wenkstern

    Assistant Professors: Kyle Fox, Shuang Hao, Chung Hwan Kim, Jin Kim, Shiyi Wei

    Professors Emeriti: William J. Pervin, Balaji Raghavachari, Ivan Hal Sudborough, Klaus Truemper, Kang Zhang

    Objectives

    The Department of Computer Science offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science.

    The doctoral program is tailored to the student. The student must arrange a course program with the guidance and approval of a faculty member chosen as his/her graduate advisor. Adjustments can be made as the student's interests develop and a specific dissertation topic is chosen.

    Admission Requirements

    The University's general admission requirements are discussed on the Graduate Admission page.

    A student may be admitted under one of two possible options. The student must have:

    Admission Option One

    • A master's degree in computer science or its equivalent, and
    • A GPA (grade point average) of at least 3.5, and
    • GRE revised scores of at least 315, 156, 159, and 4 for the combined, verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing components, respectively, are advisable based on our experience with student success in the program.

    Admission Option Two

    • A BS in related area that includes two semesters of calculus and linear algebra with
    • A GPA of at least 3.5 in the last 60 semester credit hours, and
    • GRE revised scores of at least 315, 156, 159, and 4 for the combined, verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing components, respectively, are advisable based on our experience with student success in the program.
    • Degree Requirements

      Students lacking an undergraduate degree in computer science must complete the courses listed below. The required leveling courses common to all graduate students are:

      Required Leveling Courses

      CS 5303 Computer Science I

      CS 5330 Computer Science II

      CS 5333 Discrete Structures

      CS 5343 Algorithm Analysis and Data Structures

      CS 5348 Operating Systems Concepts

      Additional leveling courses required for the various degree plans are:

      For the Data Sciences Track:

      CS 3341 (SE 3341) Probability and Statistics in Computer Science and Software Engineering

      For the Cyber Security Track:

      CS 5390 Computer Networks

      For the MS in Software Engineering:

      CS 3354 (SE 3354) Software Engineering or SE 5354 Software Engineering

      For the Networks and Telecommunications Track:

      CS 3341 (SE 3341) Probability and Statistics in Computer Science and Software Engineering

      CS 5390 Computer Networks

      For the Traditional Computer Science:

      CS 5349 Automata Theory

      CS 5390 Computer Networks

      The University's general degree requirements are discussed on the Graduate Policies and Procedures page.

      Core requirements:

      The core requirements for the PhD degree in Computer Science are the same as the ones listed on the Master of Science in Computer Science page or on the Master of Science in Software Engineering page.

      Also required are:

      • Pass a qualifying examination.
      • Pass CS 6382 Theory of Computation with a grade of B or better
      • Two CS or SE 7000 and above level courses
      • Sufficient CS electives for a total of at least 75 semester credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree. At least 9 semester credit hours of organized advanced Computer Science electives must be taken at UT Dallas. The student is encouraged to consult with an advisor in choosing electives.

      Dissertation

      A dissertation is required and must be approved by the graduate program. A student must arrange for a dissertation advisor willing to guide this dissertation. The student must have a dissertation supervising committee that consists of no less than four members of whom at least three must be from the Computer Science faculty. Students must enroll in a minimum 3 dissertation semester credit hours in the degree plan. The dissertation may be in computer science exclusively or it may involve considerable work in an area of application.

      NOTE: Students changing program from MS_CS/PhD_CS to MS_SE/PhD_SE or MS_SE/PhD_SE to MS_CS/PhD_CS must submit a new online graduate application. The admissions committee in the department will review the application and make a decision.

      Graduate Level Designation in Cyber Operations

      The Department of Computer Science has been designated as a National Security Agency (NSA) Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations (CAE in CyberOps). This designation endorses that the below listed courses cover cyber operations related knowledge units identified by NSA CAE in CyberOps program. Based on this designation a student completing eight courses (that include six core courses and two elective courses) from the list below will have the following notation recorded on their transcript.

      "Completed Curriculum Requirements for National Security Agency's Graduate Level Designation in Cyber Operations at UT Dallas"

      Students meeting the requirements of this program can have the designation clause recorded on their transcripts by applying prior to their graduation. For the application process, please visit the Education web page under Computer Science Department web site.

      Core Courses:

      CS 6324 Information Security

      CS 6332 Systems Security and Malicious Code Analysis

      CS 6340 Wireless Networks

      CS 6349 Network Security

      CS 6363 Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms

      CS 6390 Advanced Computer Networks

      Elective Courses:

      Two electives among the below courses:

      ACCT 6336 Information Technology Audit and Risk Management2

      CE 6301 Advanced Digital Logic

      CS 6301 Special Topics in Computer Science [when topic is Secure Cloud Computing]

      CS 6377 Introduction to Cryptography

      CS 6396 Real-Time Systems

      CS 7301 Recent Advances in Computing [when topic is Cyber-physical Systems Security]

      CS 6378 Advanced Operating Systems

      CE 6302 Microprocessor and Embedded Systems

      CS 4397 Embedded Computer Systems2

      CS 4398 Digital Forensics2

      2. ACCT 6336, CS 4397, and CS 4398 do not count as an elective in the CS/SE graduate degree plan.

      Graduate Certificate in Information Assurance

      15 semester credit hours

      The Department of Computer Science has been designated as a National Security Agency (NSA) Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE in CDE). This designation endorses that the below listed courses cover cyber defense related knowledge units identified by NSA CAE in CDE program. Based on this designation a student completing the below courses will qualify to obtain a certificate in information assurance. Students meeting the requirements of this program can obtain their certificate by applying prior to their graduation. For the application process, please visit the Education web page under Computer Science Department web site.

      Program Faculty

      Professors: Yvo G. Desmedt, Kevin Hamlen, Murat Kantarcioglu, Latifur Khan, Neeraj Mittal, Kamil Sarac, Bhavani Thuraisingham, I-Ling Yen

      Associate Professors: Jorge A. Cobb, Cong Liu

      Assistant Professors: Shuang Hao, Shiyi Wei

      Professor of Instruction: Ebru Cankaya

      Associate Professor of Instruction: Neeraj Gupta

      Assistant Professor of Instruction: Richard K. Min

      Admission Requirements

      Students must gain admission to the MS CS program or be eligible to take graduate courses in CS as a non-degree seeking student

      Certificate Requirements

      Students must complete the following five courses with a GPA of 3.2 or better.

      CS 6324 Information Security

      CS 6348 Data and Applications Security

      CS 6349 Network Security

      CS 6363 Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms

      CS 6378 Advanced Operating Systems

Updated: 2021-06-23 11:18:12 v11.f5cdb7