Transitioning to Semesters CSE PhD Program

1. Transitioning to SemestersCSE PhD Program Prof. Gagan Agrawal Grad Studies Chair

2. Quarters Vs. Semesters • Quarter System • Academic Year Divided into 3 quarters • Fall, Winter, Spring • 10 weeks of classes in each, 1 week final exams • Semester System • Academic Year Divided into 2 semesters • Fall and Spring • 14 weeks of classes, final exams

3. Basic Conversion Rule • 1 quarter credit == 2/3 semester credit • Follow all semester program requirements + conversion rules if you finish coursework Summer 2012 onwards • Conversion rules designed to allow easy transition

4. PhD Program • Three Stages • Qualification Process • Quals or Acceleration Option • Maximum Change • Post-quals – Pre-candidacy • Research and Coursework • Straight-forward conversion for major and minor requirements • Post-candidacy • Dissertation Research • No Impact

5. The Graduate (Foundational) Core • Quarter System • 5 classes form the graduate core • 725 (Theory of Computation) • 755 (Programming Languages) • 760 (Advanced Operating Systems) • 775 (Computer Architecture) • 780 (Algorithms) • 3 credits each, each offered 2-3 times a year

6. Ph.D: Core/Qualifying (Current) • Qualifying examination • Offered twice a year, September and March • 4 1.5 hr exams based upon the 4 out of core areas (780 required) • A max of two attempts are allowed • Direct Ph.D track students are normally expected to take it after the first year • Must pass within your second year to be eligible for support later • Acceleration Option • Take 4/5core classes for credit within first three quarters (780 required) • Have a 3.6 average in these classes • Can count best 4 – but must include 780 • Need to complete the `fifth’ core class with C or better

7. Semester Rules for Core/Qualifying • Each Core Class Extended to be 3 Semester Credits • CSE 6321 - Theory • CSE 6331 - Algorithms • CSE 6341 - PL • CSE 6421 - Architecture • CSE 6431 – OS • For acceleration/quals, take • CSE 6331 (Algorithms) • CSE 6321 (Theory) OR CSE 6341 (PL) • CSE 6421 (Architecture) OR CSE 6431 (OS) • Acceleration: 3.6 in three courses (as above) within first 2 semesters • Qualifiers: 2 hour exam in each area (6 hours total, over 1 ½ days)

8. More Details of Acceleration • If you take multiple tries in a course • We will count the first attempt only • Conditional pass only • Need to finish a research piece in second year! • These rules are unchanged

9. Ph.D Qualifying • A max of two attempts are allowed • Direct Ph.D track students are normally expected to take it after the first year • Must pass within your second year to be eligible for support later • No change in these rules!

10. Timing for Comps/Quals • August (2012 onwards) • Just before Fall Classes start • March (2013 onwards) • During spring break (middle of spring semester) • 2 days, 3 2-hour exams (August 2013 onwards) • Day 1 morning, Day 1 afternoon, Day 2 morning

11. Transition Plan for Quals • PhD quals/comps will follow old format for August 2012, March 2013 • 5 90 minute exams, take exam in 4 areas • Exams based only on material covered in quarter courses • Transition to New Format in August 2013 • 3 2-hour exams, based on semester courses • Best to be done before that!

12. Transition Plan for Core Class Requirements • General rule • Need 9 sem-cr-hours of graduate core (a quarter class only provides 2) • If you finish acceleration in spring 2012 • Will need the fifth core class • Might be better off finishing it in quarter system

13. Acceleration for Students Starting in Wi/Sp 2012 • On a case by case basis • Hopefully, no one in this situation!

14. Types of Classes (Ph.D students) • Core Classes - 6xxx • Primarily Undergrad Courses • 5xxx, 2 credits • Meets with a 3 credit 3xxx courses • Mostly for making up deficiencies in background - could count for certain minors • Other 5000 and 6000 level letter graded courses • 5xx9 replaces 788s, research-oriented but letter graded • Research Credits • 888s replaced by 6xx9 • Independent Study (793) is now 8193 • 999s for MS students - 6998 and 6999 • 999s for PhD students - 8998 (Pre-candidacy) and 8999 (Post-Candidacy)

15. Stage 2 - Ph.D Coursework Requirements - Quarters • One major and two minors • Major: • 15 graded credits, not including core • Minor: • 9 credits in each, not including core • A total of 3 credits across 2 minors could be non-graded: 793/888

16. PhD Coursework (Semesters) • PhD Major will be 10 semester credits • Semester Credits + 2/3rd of Quarter Credits • Only letter graded courses • Can use a semester core class not used for qualifying • E.g. Semester Architecture, if Semester OS used for qualifying • Details for each area coming soon

17. PhD Coursework (Semesters) • PhD Minors will be 6 semester credits each • Semester Credits + 2/3rd of Quarter Credits • At most 1 S/U credit (e.g. 888 or 6xx9). • Can use a semester core class not used for qualifying • E.g. Semester Architecture, if Semester OS used for qualifying • Details for each area coming soon

18. Transition Rules • Follow semester requirements if finishing courses after summer 2012 • Semester Credits + 2/3 * Quarter Credits • Core + Major + Minor-1 + Minor-2 >= 31 semester credits • Will allow short-fall of up to 1 credit in each major/minor area i.e. • Major >= 9 semester credits • Each Minor >= 5 semester credits

19. Clarification/Questions • Documents • Your academic advisor • Your academic advisor  • Please do not e-mail me or ask to meet me • 350 graduate students to be managed in 10% of my time !! • Already dealing with 2200 grad program related e-mails annually – before semester conversion!! • I can answer clarification questions if approached by your advisor!