1. Carnegie Mellon University Computer Science Foundations for Ph.D. Students The Carnegie Mellon Perspective Computer Science Foundations for Ph.D. Students The Carnegie Mellon Perspective http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~bryant Randal E. Bryant

2. – 2 – CMU CS PhD Program Students Demographics Around 25 new students / year From ~800 applicants Approximately 50% US Top foreign countries: India, China, Korea Backgrounds Most have undergraduate or master’s degree in computer science or related field

3. – 3 – CS PhD Program Requirements Courses Eight PhD-level courses One each from list of “star” courses in following areas Algorithms & complexity Programming languages Artificial intelligence Software systems Computer systemsSkills Writing, speaking, programming Two semesters as teaching assistantResearch Prepare & defend PhD thesis

4. – 4 – Unusual Features of Program No Qualifying or Comprehensive Exams Students are admitted directly to PhD program Very selective admissions Believe that courses are more useful than exams Exams are an unreliable measure of understanding Working on labs and projects more effective than reading a lot of books and papers Have not found qualifying exams serve intended role “Is student qualified to pursue a PhD?” Student Progress Monitored Closely Students assigned advisors after brief “Immigration” course Advisor serves as mentor All students reviewed 2X/year in “Black Friday” meetings Student progress is collective responsibility of entire faculty

5. – 5 – Star Courses All assume students have undergraduate preparation in subject Most courses targeted specifically to PhD-level students Algorithms & Complexity Algorithms Complexity Theory Artificial Intelligence Advanced AI Concepts Machine Learning Planning, Execution, and Learning Computer Systems Computer Architecture Optimizing Compilers for Modern Architecture Programming Languages Type Systems for Programming Languages Semantics of Programming Languages Software Systems Advanced Operating Systems and Distributed Systems Database Management Systems Networking

6. – 6 – Outcomes Graduation Around 70% of entering students graduate Average time between 6 & 7 years Most students graduate as fully formed researchers Typically 10–20 research publications Ready to move right into faculty positionsPlacements Most stay in the U.S. Academic positions Industry research Microsoft Research IBM Other industry Google Start-up companies