Path to Degree CPSC 699

1. Path to Degree CPSC 699

2. Master’s completion rates2003 cohort, 5 years later SOURCE: FGS Council Minutes http://www.grad.ucalgary.ca/grad/files/grad/Council_Meeting_371_Package.pdf http://www.grad.ucalgary.ca/grad/files/grad/Minutes_355_FC_Approved.pdf

3. G13:Group of Thirteen 19 Century G3 • April, 2006 • University of Calgary • Dalhousie University • University of Ottawa • McGill University • University of Western Ontario • University of Toronto • University of British Columbia • Queen's University • McMaster University • University of Alberta • Université Laval • Université de Montréal • University of Waterloo 20 Century G7 1991 G10

4. U15:Group of Fifteen 19 Century G3 • April, 2006 • University of Calgary • Dalhousie University • University of Ottawa • McGill University • University of Western Ontario • University of Toronto • University of British Columbia • Queen's University • McMaster University • University of Alberta • Université Laval • Université de Montréal • University of Waterloo 20 Century G7 1991 G10 • February, 2011 • University of Saskatchewan • University of Manitoba

5. PhD completion rates,2003 cohort, 5 years later

6. PhD completion rates,1999 cohort, 9 years later

7. Milestones- MSc- CPSC • Course work • 699+ 4 half-courses (one-semester course) • At least 2 graduate-level CPSC or SENG courses (6XX, 7 XX) • At most ONE 5XX undergraduate course (need to be recommended by supervisor and approved by Graduate Director) • Breadth: recommended for continuing on to a PhD program • Research (proposal determined by supervisor) • Give a department seminar presentation • Write thesis • Defend thesis : open oral defense • Expected Time: 2 years (full time), 3 years (part time) • 4 years maximum

8. Milestones - MSc- SENG • Course work • 699+ 4 half-courses (one-semester course) • At least 3 from Approved SENG List • At most ONE 5XX undergraduate course (need to be recommended by supervisor and approved by Graduate Director) • Breadth: recommended for continuing on to a PhD program • Research (proposal determined by supervisor) • Give a department seminar presentation • Write thesis • Defend thesis : open oral defense • Expected Time: 2 years (full time), 3 years (part time) • 4 years maximum

9. Milestones- PhD • Breadth requirements • Course work • 699 + At least grade B in at least 8 courses • At least 3 must be taken in PhD program here • At least 6 graduate level courses (6XX, 7XX) • The other two can be 5XX • Each of the 3 categories out of 4 – Applications, Systems, Theory and External to Computer Science (be presented with a justification as to why they are another area, approved by supervisor and graduate committee) – Not Applicable for PhD Students start from NOW • select supervisory committee • Supervisor(s) + two extra members • Give at least 1 department seminar presentation

10. New Course Requirement for PhD • At least four of the required courses must be taken from a degree-granting Computer Science Department. • The above courses must be taken from multiple research areas. • Not more than six courses in one research area is counted toward the minimum eight half courses. • Courses in the intersection of two or more areas are counted in the area with the most completed course credits.

11. New Course Requirement for PhD • The current research areas are: • Artificial Intelligence and Multi-Agent Systems • Bioinformatics and Biological Computations • Computer Graphics • Database • HCI and Visualization • Networks and Systems • Security • Scientific Computing

12. New Course Requirement for PhD • The current research areas are: • Software Engineering • Theory and Foundations • Vision and Image Processing • Other areas in Computer science • External to Computer Science • Courses outside Computer Science must be approved by the student’s supervisor. Credits for courses external to the Department of Computer Science are only given on condition that no Computer Science course which covers similar content is counted toward the required eight courses. These courses will be counted toward the appropriate areas in Computer Science.

13. New Course Requirement for PhD • Not more than six courses in one research area will be counted toward the minimum eight half courses. Courses in the intersection of two or more areas are counted in the area with the most completed course credits.

14. New Course Requirement for PhD • Credits for courses external to the Department of Computer Science are only given on condition that no Computer Science course which covers similar content is counted toward the required eight courses. These courses will be counted toward the appropriate areas in Computer Science.

16. Milestones- PhD • candidacy exam • Single-authored Scientific Paper • Research Proposal • Faculty Candidacy Examination (Oral) : Before 28 months • Write thesis • Defend thesis: open oral defense • 3-4 years typical (with M.Sc.) /4-5 years typical (without M.Sc.) • 6 years maximum

17. Milestones – CMD Computational Media Design • M.Sc. • 1 graduate level course in CPSC • 1 graduate level course in either FINA or EVDS • 1 graduate level research methodology course (699) • 2 other graduate level courses • Ph.D. • + 1 additional graduate level course in CPSC • + 1 additional graduate level course in either FINA or EVDS • + other graduate level course

18. Course Standards • GPA < 3.0 in the current year OR B- in 2+ courses may be required to withdraw from program • C+ or less in a course : course cannot count, warning • B- in a course with GPA >=3.0 : warning • Warning : both student and supervisor

19. Transfer from M.Sc. To Ph.D. • GPA 3.7+ • A dossier specifying a research program • Meeting with Transfer Committee to give a 15-20 minute presentation and then responds to questions

20. On to the defense • complete research • complete dissertation • select examination committee • MSc • supervisor(s) • 1 departmental • 1 extra-departmental • PhD • supervisory committee • extra-departmental • extra-university

21. On to the defense • PhD – External Examiner • No collaboration with supervisor in last 5 years, No collaboration with candidate, Not a supervisor in CPSC in last 3 years, Not close personal friend of supervisor, No closely related to candidate • Neutral Chair • Not a member in a examining committee • A University faculty member • No close relationship with candidate and supervisor • Not involved in candidate and supervisor’s research

22. Scheduling the defense • 4-5 weeks before defense • to Faculty of Graduate Studies deliver • names of examination committee • scheduled time • copy of dissertation • 3 weeks before • dissertation in hands of examiners • allow 8 weeks from completion of dissertation to defense

24. Defense format • 15 minute presentation • rounds of questions • start with external • finish with supervisor • repeat until out of time (2hrs) • committee deliberations (in camera) • Result

26. What is a thesis • A research claim that you support with evidence and argument • Dissertation • a document • states thesis • presents supporting evidence and arguments

27. Thesis proposal • requirement for PhD • optional for MSc • early draft of dissertation • state thesis • do not have to support, but • indicate how you will collect evidence

28. What is a thesis • A research claim that you support with evidence and argument • Dissertation • a document • states thesis • presents supporting evidence and arguments

29. Thesis proposal • requirement for PhD • optional for MSc • early draft of dissertation • state thesis • do not have to support, but • indicate how you will collect evidence

30. Elements (1) • thesis - your hypothesis or claims • Riesbeck suggest 6 categories • process X is a feasible way to do task Y • process X is a better way to do task Y than any previously known method • task Y requires process X • people use process X to do task Y • process X is a terrible way to do Y • people don't use process • must be a novel contribution for PhD

31. Elements (2) • Motivation • why is it interesting to others • related work • literature survey • summarize the work of others • organize • does not have to be exhaustive • should be representative • focus on ideas, not technical detail • add value with your organization • a bad literature survey • a disconnected collection of paraphrased papers • no big-picture view of how they fit together

32. Elements (3) • Approach • how will you gather evidence? • how will you test hypotheses? • evaluation • what will your evidence look like? • how will you know if it is valid?

33. Elements (4) • work done • what have you accomplished so far? • good to have started work on collecting evidence • do not go too far • on PhD the proposal is your supervisory committee’s first chance to give you feedback • helps convince • supervisor • committee • you

34. Elements (5) • Plan • time line • allow time for • writing thesis • organizing defense

35. Suggestions • find good drawing software • Corel Draw • Adobe Illustrator • type-setting software • Latex • Ms Word • make sure you can get math/diagrams into document

36. Sources • Saul Greenberg - Chapter 1 club notes • Chris Riesbeck, What is a thesis defense? • http://www.cc.gatech.edu/faculty/ashwin/wisdom/what-is-a-thesis-defense.html • Cohen, Empirical Methods in AI • Jeff Boyd 699 notes