phd computer science penn state

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Ph.D. in Informatics

In the Ph.D. in Informatics program, you will engage in cutting-edge research areas with our graduate faculty and will develop important skills in computer and information sciences as well as social and behavioral sciences. You will learn how to analyze qualitative and quantitative effects in data and to understand, test, and contribute to scientific theory. All of which will prepare you to contribute expertise and take on faculty and research positions in academia, industry, and government agencies.

Start Your Application

Ph.D. Course Requirements

The Ph.D. in Informatics is a 32-credit degree program, which takes around 4 years to complete on a full-time basis. A complete discussion of degree requirements can be found in our IST Graduate Degree Roadmap .

Core Courses

As a Ph.D. IST student you are expected to develop a broad understanding of foundations, theories and methods across the disciplines that constitute the research landscape of the College. To accomplish this breadth in knowledge, students take these courses during their first year:

IST 501: Interdisciplinary Research Methods for Information Sciences and Technology (3 credits, Fall)
IST 590: Colloquium (1 credit Fall, 1 credit Spring)
Select 9 credits from the program-maintained list of foundational courses

Specialty Courses

You will select 18 credits of research methodology and specialization courses in consultation with your adviser to support progress on your dissertation research.

Research Credits

Under the direction of your adviser, you will complete research credits relevant to your dissertation project.

Program Milestones

In addition to coursework, the Ph.D. in Informatics program includes several milestones:

You will take a qualifying exam after the first year of study. In this college exam, we assess your ability to understand and apply critical thinking across several different disciplinary perspectives and to demonstrate proficiency in research writing and oral competency.
After successful completion of the qualifying exam and before the comprehensive exam, you will formally select your doctoral committee.
The comprehensive exam is taken within 12-18 months of passing the qualifying exam. You will develop and defend a dissertation proposal to your doctoral committee.
The final defense occurs when you defend your dissertation project to your doctoral committee.

Funding Opportunities

All Ph.D. students are funded through their first and second semesters in the form of research assistantships, teaching assistantships, or fellowships. Graduate assistantships include a stipend sufficient to cover living expenses in the region, full tuition coverage, and health benefits. While we cannot guarantee funding beyond this first year, we have historically been able to fund students through at least their fourth year in the program, so long as they are making acceptable academic progress.

For other financial aid, contact the Office of Student Aid for information on loans and grants or the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards for information on internal and external fellowships.

Our students and faculty are engaged in cutting-edge projects in a variety of research areas , collaborating extensively with scholars within and outside the college on cutting-edge interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary research.

Our research aims to solve society’s most challenging problems that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries—from responding to natural disasters to improving human health and well-being, from protecting national security to making sense of big data, from exploring the connections between gender and technology to utilizing GIS for humanitarian efforts.

Their work is done in the college's research centers and labs , which are led by national and international scholars that cover a broad spectrum of research areas. In addition to our own facilities, we maintain relationships with related centers and labs across the Penn State campus and collaborate around the world.

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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Graduate School Updates>

The latest COVID-19 news and information is available at Penn State's Coronavirus Information website .

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Update

On March 11 th the University announced that beginning March 16 th instruction for all students will be moving to a remote delivery format. Graduate students enrolled in resident courses should plan on participating remotely, and not coming to campus specifically for face-to-face instruction. Learn more at gradschool.psu.edu/covid19 .

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Graduate Admissions

/ Graduate Admissions

The Graduate School at Penn State is one of the largest in the nation with more than 13,000 graduate students enrolled at the University Park campus, Penn State Erie, The Behrend College; Penn State Great Valley; Penn State Harrisburg; Penn State College of Medicine; and the Penn State World Campus.

We take pride in being one of the largest graduate schools in the nation and in our exemplary faculty and high-quality degree programs, many of which are nationally ranked.

Application Process

Before applying to the Graduate School at Penn State, applicants are encouraged to first review the Graduate Bulletin and contact the graduate program they are interested in applying to. Graduate programs set their own application deadlines and timeline for review.

Throughout the application process, applicants will interact with the graduate program and the Graduate School's Office of Graduate Enrollment Services (GES). All applications to the Graduate School at Penn State are reviewed by GES to verify academic credentials (transcripts, diplomas, and other educational documents), ensuring eligibility requirements established by the Graduate Council are met.

Browse Graduate Programs

The Graduate School at Penn State offers over 160 graduate degree programs, including doctorates and both academic and professional master's degrees. Additionally, the Graduate School offers a multitude of postbaccalaureate and graduate credit certificates.

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For admission to the Graduate School, an applicant must hold a degree from an officially recognized degree-granting institution in the country in which it operates.

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Individuals looking to resume academic study, change of major/degree or add a certificate must submit an application.

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Computer Science Graduate Student FAQ

Please note: Many of these links will take you to web pages located on different servers. Therefore, to return to this page, you should always use your browser’s back button.

How do I apply?
Where do I send in my application materials?
What are the fees for applying?
What are the tuition fees and other expenses?
What are the entrance requirements?
What if I do not meet the entrance requirements?
What if my undergraduate degree is not in Computer Science or a closely related field?
What if I do not have an undergraduate degree in any field?
What materials are necessary for admission?
What are the application deadlines?
What is the difference between provisional and full admission?
How do I determine what will transfer into the program?
How do I get financial aid?
What do I do if I want a Graduate School assistantship?
What are my housing options?
What do I do when I first get to campus?
Who is my advisor?
How do I decide which classes to take?
How do I choose a project advisor?
How can I see what classes are offered?
How can I register for classes?
What should I do if a class I want to take is full?
Where can I get information regarding transcripts, etc.?
What are the standards of academic performance?
What is considered full-time for a graduate student?
Can I take courses over? If so, what happens to my GPA?
Can I get help with writing papers, etc.?
What is the master’s defense?
What do I need to do to prepare for the defense?
What do I need to do to prepare for graduation?
What is an Access account?
How do I get an Access account?
How can I use my Access account to connect to the Internet?
How do I get the “free” Microsoft software?
What are the Sun Lab machines used for?
How do I get a Sun Lab account?
How can I get into the Sun Lab?
How can I learn how to use the Sun Lab machines and Unix?
What uses of the Sun Lab machines are appropriate and ethical?
Can I use the Sun Lab machines from home (or some other location)?
Can I maintain a personal Web page in my Sun Lab account?

Penn State Harrisburg Graduate Admissions Office Swatara Building 777 West Harrisburg Pike Middletown, PA 17057-4898

All test scores (such as GRE, TOEFL, and IELTS) should be sent to Graduate Enrollment Services. TOEFL and GRE should be sent electronically by selecting the option for “Penn State University” (school code 2660). Until IELTS scores can be sent electronically, applicants should have hard copies sent to Penn State’s Graduate School at:

The Pennsylvania State University Graduate Enrollment Services 114 Kern Building University Park, PA 16802

NOTE: If you plan to apply for an assistantship, you must take the GRE exam.

Admission to the program is based on a review and evaluation of the following items from the applicant:

Transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate education. A minimum GPA of 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale) is required for admission.
Three letters of reference, at least one of which is from an academic source.
A letter outlining significant work experience and academic and career objectives.
At the discretion of the program, students may be required to provide scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and/or the GRE subject test in computer science. NOTE: GRE scores MUST be submitted if the applicant is applying for an assistantship.
The language of instruction at Penn State is English. International applicants must take and submit scores for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), with the exceptions noted below. The minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL is 550 for the paper-based test, 213 for the computer-based test, or a total score of 80 with a 19 on the speaking section for the internet-based test. The minimum composite score for the IELTS is 6.5. International applicants are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement who have received a baccalaureate or a masters degree from a college/university/institution in any of the following: Australia, Belize, British Caribbean and British West Indies, Canada (except Quebec), England, Guyana, Republic of Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, the United States and Wales.
A copy of an official transcript from each college or university attended (with the exception of Penn State University) must be submitted as part of your online application. If you are offered admission and accept, you will be required to have official transcripts sent from each of these institutions.
For fall semester, the deadline is May 31
For spring semester, the deadline is September 30
For summer semester, the deadline is February 28

The Computer Science admissions committee needs time to review your application. Therefore, even though we do not have a deadline for applications, we require some time to review applications. Typically, once we receive your completed paperwork from the admissions office, we can review applications and send letters in approximately 2-3 weeks.

Regarding transferring non-degree graduate credits into a graduate degree program : at most, 15 non-degree graduate credits from a Penn State location and at most 10 non-degree graduate credits from a non-Penn State location can be transferred into a graduate degree program (the actual number is up to the program). This is done by filling out a form available from the staff assistant.
Regarding transferring PSU undergraduate credits into a graduate degree program : a student can transfer up to 9 credits into a graduate program if these credits were not used in fulfilling the undergraduate degree requirements and they are at the 400 or 500 level. No undergraduate credits from other schools can be transferred. This is done by filling out a form (available from the staff assistant).

After you have started course work, you will need to choose a project advisor. This advisor will be the person who helps you with your master’s project. Steps on how do choose this advisor can be found in the “How do I choose a project advisor” section.

Once you have selected your project advisor, this advisor will take over academic advising duties in addition to helping you with your project and defense.

Each spring, the department has a graduate open house where the faculty members discuss their various research interests and potential master’s projects. As a new graduate student without a project advisor, you will want to attend this open house. It will give you an idea of what is being done by other graduate students in the department as well.
Take courses from professors in the area in which you are interested.
Make an appointment to speak with all the professors. You can see the individual faculty members’ interests on their web pages here .
Speak with other grad students.

Once you have selected a project advisor, you will need to set goals, communicate expectations and establish a timeline for completion of your project. Be sure you and your advisor are in agreement about the progression of your education and its completion. You should discuss course work, publication of papers, presentations, your defense, meeting times, your graduate committee, and all the necessary paperwork for your project and graduation.

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Doctoral Degrees

Online penn state doctoral degree programs online penn state doctoral degree programs.

Advance your studies while completing course work online in a flexible doctorate level program.

Stand Out in Your Field Stand Out in Your Field

A doctoral degree from Penn State, a nationally-recognized institution, can benefit your career and professional advancement.

The Real Penn State — Online The Real Penn State — Online

Your diploma will be identical to one earned by a resident Penn State student.

4 Doctoral Degrees

Education Doctor of Education program
Engineering Doctor of Engineering program
Nursing Practice - Leadership Doctor of Nursing Practice program
Nursing Practice - Nurse Practitioner Doctor of Nursing Practice program

The flexibility of the course offerings via an online format allowed me to work full time as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. The program also enabled me to apply the education I was receiving directly to my own practice environment.

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School of Science, Engineering, and Technology

Computer Science at Penn State Harrisburg

Computer science (b.s.).

This program is designed to prepare students for employment as computer scientists in engineering, scientific, industrial, and business environments as software developers, programmers, and systems analysts. While most students will enter the job market directly upon graduation, graduate school in computer science or related areas is also an option. Selection of electives can be tailored for students pursuing this path.

Career Opportunities

The Computer Science major provides comprehensive preparation in the areas of algorithm design and analysis, systems programming, programming languages, and software engineering and design. Elective courses provide deeper coverage of these areas, as well as background in diverse areas such as artificial intelligence, database design, compiler construction, and computer network and security. The program is strong in mathematical and statistical components, and students should expect to develop a solid background in the mathematical sciences, to master skills in computer science, and most importantly to become good problem solvers. Through this program students are prepared to work as computer scientists in engineering, scientific, industrial, and business environments. While most students will enter the job market directly upon graduation, graduate school in computer science or related areas is also an option. Selection of electives can be tailored for students pursuing this path.

A computer scientist can hold a number of professional positions. The following list provides some examples of positions a computer scientist might hold: Computer Programmer, Computer Engineer, Hardware Engineer, Information Systems Analyst, Software Engineer, Systems Analyst, Data Communications Analyst, Programmer-Analyst, Telecommunications Specialist, Computer Security Specialist, Computer Support Specialist, Technical Salesperson, and Teacher.

Job Outlook

Computer Science jobs are expected to be among the top three fastest growing occupations and one of the top 20 in the number of new jobs created. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities for Computer Science graduates are projected to grow 12 percent from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average for all occupations. This increase is in part due to a greater emphases on cloud computing, big data, and internet-of-things. Over the last few years, Penn State Harrisburg Computer Science graduates have obtained positions with companies such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Google, Boeing, Microsoft, Intel, IBM, Oracle, General Dynamics, Northrop and Grumman, GEOS, Hershey Medical Center, Woolworth, Rite Aid, and EDS.

Professional Affiliations

Professional societies provide insight, experience, and networking in a chosen field. Students in Computer Science often become members of the Association for Computing Machinery, the world’s first educational and scientific computing society dedicated to advancing the art, science, engineering, and application of information technology.

Internships

Computer Science students are encouraged to incorporate internships into their academic program. Provided in a variety of local business and government settings, internships can provide valuable hands-on experience that will benefit graduates during their job search. Previous students have completed successful internships with state government, IBM, UNISYS, and other businesses.

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School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Academic Programs
Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology
Clinical Psychology Program Overview

Clinical Psychology Curriculum and Course Descriptions

The M.A. in Clinical Psychology is a 48-credit program with optional graduate-level course work for Licensed Professional Counselor preparation. Starting in Fall 2024, the program will shift to a 60-credit program, integrating additional courses needed for licensure.

The program can be pursued full time or part time; new students can begin the program only in a fall semester. The Graduate School of Penn State University allows eight years to complete a graduate degree.

Psychology Core Courses

Psychology Core course work (21 credits) offers a foundation in professional ethics, individual differences and cultural diversity, the scientific bases of behavior, and scientific research skills.

PSYC 500 Ethics and Professional Practice in Psychology and Counseling (3) The standards of ethical conduct related to research and practice in psychology and counseling.
PSYC 501 Cultural Competency in Psychology (3) Familiarize students with the need for sensitivity to individual and group differences associated with culture and ethnicity.
PSYC 520 Research Methods (3) Review experimental and quasi-experimental designs, program evaluation, between-subject designs, and intra-subject designs.
PSYC 521 Statistics (3) Discusses the nature, computation, computer analysis, interpretation, and APA-style communication of statistical tests. Prerequisites: PSYC 520 and satisfactory performance on a statistics proficiency exam.
PSYC 524 Biological Basis of Behavior (3) The biological determinants of behavior, including evolution, hormones, sensory systems, internal states, reproduction, emotions, learning, and memory.
PSYC 530 Research Paper (3) Supervised research in psychology for students nearing completion of their degree.
PSYC 573 Career Counseling (3) Knowledge of career counseling theories and methods, the use of empirically supported career assessment instruments, the knowledge to work with clients with diverse backgrounds, and the current issues, trends, and ethics in the field.

Clinical Core Courses

Clinical Core course work (27 credits) provides a general background in clinical diagnosis, assessment, and interventions. Supervised experience allows you to develop the clinical skills appropriate for a master’s-level practitioner.

PSYC 510 Human Growth and Development (3) Human development across the life span.
PSYC 517 Psychopathology (3) A broad look at psychopathology using an applied emphasis. Includes biological, social, cognitive, psychological, and neuropsychological approaches.
PSYC 518 Interviewing and Counseling (3) Basic clinical interviewing and counseling techniques from both the didactic and experiential perspectives.
PSYC 519 Theories and Models of Psychotherapy (3) Advanced psychotherapies and applications in diverse settings. Prerequisite: PSYC 518
PSYC 540 Group Interventions (3) Application of psychotherapeutic techniques in a group setting. Prerequisite: PSYC 518
PSYC 571 Tests and Measurements (3) Administration, analysis, and interpretation of psychological evaluation methods.
PSYC 595A Clinical Practicum (3) An interviewing and counseling practicum experience. Prerequisites: PSYC 500, 517, 518, and 519, and purchase of professional liability insurance.
PSYC 595B Clinical Internship (6) A supervised clinical experience in a community setting. Prerequisites: PSYC 595A and purchase of professional liability insurance.

Additional program-specific information can be found in Penn State’s University Bulletin .

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CS Graduate - Ph.D.

Program information.

The computer science program offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in computer science. The Ph.D. degree is designed to help address the global need for research and education in computer science. Note that the Ph.D. program at SDSU is offered jointly with Dakota State University (DSU).

Areas of research interest within the department currently include:

Applied computing
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning
Computer network and cyber security
Computer vision and image processing
Precision agriculture

Program Objectives

The objectives of the computer science graduate program are to:

Contribute to the advancement of the fundamentals of computer science.
Discover and disseminate knowledge germane to the discipline of computer science.
Provide leadership for increasingly complex roles in computer science and industry.
Serve the needs of the region and the nation in the field of computer science.

Additional Admission Requirement

GRE: Not required
English: Minimum requirement of 550 PBT (79-80 IBT) or IELTS 6.5 for Ph.D.

Placement Exam

A course placement exam may be given to incoming students.

For the candidates in the CS graduate program, we evaluate the candidate's transcript(s) and make a recommendation on prerequisite courses listed below for the new incoming graduate student. This effort is intended to provide the best chances for a successful pursuit of our graduate program by the incumbent.

CSc 317 - Computer Organization and Architecture
CSc 354 - Introduction to Systems Programming
CSc 445 - Introduction to the Theory of Computation
CSc 446 - Compiler Construction
CSc 456 - Operating Systems

We will provide a course placement examination for each prerequisite course that a student requests to waive from the recommendation. We advise the student to work with a graduate advisor in the department to pursue this option. The placement policy based on the examination follows:

Prerequisite course is waived for a score of 80% or above in the above-mentioned exam.
Prerequisite course is not waived for a score between 70—79% in the above-mentioned exam.
Prerequisite course is not waived and further remedial coursework from the undergraduate curriculum is required for a score of 69% or below in the above-mentioned exam.

If a student requests this exam, it is administered anytime within the first month of their first semester in the program.

Graduate Courses

Once enrolled in the program, students will select from the following courses .

Dissertation 24-30 credit hours

Comprehensive Written Exam – See detail in Comprehensive Written Exam section.
Qualifying Exam – See detail in Qualifying Exam section.
Comprehensive Exam (Dissertation Proposal Exam) – See detail in Dissertation Proposal Exam section.
Final Dissertation Defense – Submit the completed Dissertation document, in the current format of the SDSU Graduate School, to the dissertation committee for review at least 10 working days prior to the final dissertation defense date– See details in Final Dissertation Defense Section.

Assistantships

Funded projects.

Graduate research assistantships (GRAs), which typically support the research of Ph.D. students in the department, are available in many areas of CS. These assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis and on the discretion of the individual faculty member that serves as the principal investigator (PI) for the project. Students seeking a GRA are encouraged to contact the research-active faculty in the department for potential appointment. GRA positions provide the graduate student with a significant reduction in tuition costs and a monthly stipend.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs)

Assistantships are very competitive and require excellent all-around records. The department usually does not offer GTAs for an incoming student for the first semester. Our graduate students can have a GTA position in the department, as well as another department on campus. The number of GRA positions are varying for every academic year.

Qualifying Exam Requirements

All CS Ph.D. candidates must pass a qualifying exam. The examination is offered twice in an academic year, usually in the third week of the fall and spring semesters. A student must register to take the exam by the deadline. The qualifying exam consists of a written qualifying part and an oral qualifying examination.

Eligibility: The student must complete the following core courses and receive at least a B in the each course.

CSC 705 Design and Analysis of Computer Algorithms
CSC 710 Structure and Design of Programming Languages
CSC 718 Operating Systems & Parallel Programming
CSC 720 Theory of Computation
CSC 722 Machine Learning Fundamentals
CSC 770 Software Engineering Management

Written Qualifying Exam

The student receives the paper(s) from the committee and has four weeks to submit his/her research paper. The student writes an 8-10 page research paper (ACM or IEEE conference format, excluding references). The research paper must be submitted with the qualifying exam application. The research for this paper must be done by the student and must be accepted by the qualifying examination committee.

Oral Qualifying Exam

Upon successful completion of the written qualifying examination, the student will arrange with the qualifying exam committee members to take the oral qualifying examination within two weeks. The student arranges with the committee the time and location for the oral qualifying examination. The student will present his/her research paper for 50 minutes. The committee asks questions regarding the research, presentation, research paper and related topics from the six core courses.

Qualifying Exam Committee

The qualifying exam committee must have CS Graduate Faculty status. The CS Graduate Coordinator assigns a committee consisting of three members for a given student. The committee will administrate the exam and will provide written report on both written research paper and oral exam, and summary of discussion and recommendations.

Dissertation Proposal Exam Requirements

All CS Ph.D. students must complete the dissertation proposal exam at least six months prior to the final dissertation defense. The dissertation proposal exam typically takes place one to two years after passing the qualifying exam. The dissertation proposal exam consists of two parts: written proposal submission and oral presentation.

The dissertation proposal must follow the dissertation proposal format and should be self-contained document providing an introduction of the research topic and objectives, related works and preliminary work that the student already completed, and the planed work and timeline. The suggested length is 20 – 30 pages. The proposal must be submitted to the committee at least 10 working days prior to the oral exam. The proposal must be approved by the student’s advisor and co-advisors prior to the submission.

The oral examination is to evaluate the student’s preparation for the proposed dissertation research. The student will present the research plan for 20-30 minutes. The committee asks questions to evaluate the suitability of the research plan and the student’s expertise in a given research area for the planned dissertation research. The student should consult with her/his advisor and the CS Graduate Coordinator to form an advisory committee for the dissertation proposal exam and final dissertation defense. The Dissertation Proposal Exam form must be submitted to the Graduate School at least two (2) weeks prior to the exam date. The submission of this form initiates the necessary paperwork to be provided by the Graduate School to the student and committee members. The Dissertation Proposal Exam must be completed at least three (6) months before the Final Dissertation Defense. Upon satisfactory completion of the Dissertation Proposal Exam, the student is formally admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. If the student does not receive the Ph.D. degree within three (3) years after becoming a candidate, Dissertation Proposal Exam must be repeated.

Copies of the written examinations must be kept on file in the major department. Upon successful completion of the comprehensive written examination, the student will arrange with his/her advisor and committee members to take the comprehensive oral examination . The comprehensive oral exam form must be submitted to the Graduate School at least two weeks prior to the exam date. The submission of this form initiates the necessary paperwork to be provided by the Graduate School to the student and committee members. The comprehensive examinations must be completed at least three months before the final oral examination. Upon satisfactory completion of the comprehensive examinations, the student is formally admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. If the student does not receive the Ph.D. degree within three years after becoming a candidate, comprehensive examinations must be repeated.

Final Dissertation Defense Requirements

The student arranges with his/her advisory committee the time and location for the Final Dissertation Defense, also known as the final oral exam. The student will submit the final oral exam form final oral exam form to the Graduate School no less than two weeks prior to the defense date. While the advisory committee determines the character and length of the examination, sufficient time should be devoted to the dissertation, including literature review, to evaluate the ability of the student to defend the research. In addition, questions to test the student’s general knowledge, judgment and critical thinking powers are usually asked. The graduate faculty representative and all but one of the graduate committee must vote to pass the student. The final oral examination cannot be taken earlier than three months following successful completion of the Dissertation Proposal Exam comprehensive examinations and must be completed three weeks prior to the end of the semester in order to graduate.

Remediation Opportunity: Students who fail an academic exercise will be afforded a remediation opportunity. The student should 1) be provided feedback regarding the deficiencies of his/her performance; 2) be provided resources useful to remediate his/her deficiencies; and 3) be allowed an appropriate length of time to prepare for the next attempt.

Academic Performance Requirements

Be sure to understand the graduate student requirements to maintain good academic standing:

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Computer Science

The title of the table
Graduate Program Head	Vahid Motevalli
Program Code	COMP
Campus(es)	Harrisburg (M.S.)
Degrees Conferred	Master of Science (M.S.) Integrated B.S. in Computer Science and M.S. in Computer Science
The Graduate Faculty

The program is professionally oriented and designed to prepare students for employment in industry or government. Courses emphasize practical concerns as well as the relevant theoretical background. The program will provide appropriate background for diverse tasks such as:

developing scientific and engineering applications,
developing system software,
developing safety or security critical systems,
solving computationally hard problems, and
developing distributed applications.

While not intended as preparation for subsequent entrance to a Ph.D. program, this goal is not precluded. Once the specific course requirements are met, appropriate selection of electives will enable individual interests to be met within the program.

Admission Requirements

Applicants apply for admission to the program via the Graduate School application for admission . Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-300 Admissions Policies .

Applicants must present a baccalaureate degree in Computer Science or a related field from a regionally accredited institution. A minimum GPA of 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale) is required. While a bachelor's degree in Computer Science is not required, admission without deficiency requires that an applicant has completed courses in analysis of algorithms, operating systems, database, and linear algebra. If these courses are not taken before admission to the program, they may be taken at Penn State Harrisburg, but the student will receive at most 3 credits toward the M.S. degree for these courses.

At the discretion of the program, applicants may be required to provide scores from the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) and/or the GRE subject test in computer science. In addition, applicants must provide three letters of reference, at least one of which is from an academic source, and a letter outlining significant work experience and academic and career objectives.

Degree Requirements

Master of science (m.s.).

Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-600 Research Degree Policies.

A total of 30 credits (400-, 500-, 600-, or 800-level) is required for the Master of Science in Computer Science. Students are required to take the following courses:

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Required Courses
	Theory of Computation	3
	Design and Analysis of Algorithms	3
	Advanced Operating Systems	3
	Advanced Topics in Database Management Systems	3
Total Credits		12

Additionally, students are required to complete either a thesis or a paper according to one of the two options described below. Students who believe that they have completed a course substantially similar to one of the specific course requirements may apply to have their previous work evaluated for the purpose of exemption to that requirement. If the exemption is granted, another approved course shall be taken in place of that required course. The remaining 18 credits must be completed according to one of the following options:

Thesis Option

Research into a specific computer science problem, development of a scholarly written paper, and an oral defense. This option requires:

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
	Thesis Research	6
3 credits from approved 500-level electives in computer science, mathematics, engineering, and information systems courses		3
9 credits from approved 400- and 500-level electives in computer science, mathematics, engineering, and information systems courses		9
Total Credits		18

Paper Option

In-depth study of specific computer science problems, development of a written paper or project, and an oral defense. This option requires:

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
	Master's Studies	3
9 credits from approved 500-level electives in computer science, mathematics, engineering, and information systems courses		9
6 credits from approved 400- and 500-level electives in computer science, mathematics, engineering, and information systems courses		6
Total Credits		18

A maximum of 9 transfer credits will be allowed for course work completed as a graduate student at another institution, subject to restrictions outlined in GCAC-309 Transfer Credit .

Integrated Undergrad-Grad Programs

Integrated b.s. in computer science and m.s. in computer science.

This Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate (IUG) degree program combines the B.S in Computer Science with the M.S. in Computer Science offered at the following campuses:

Undergraduate Degree

Graduate Degree

The graduate portion of this IUG is currently offered as face-to-face residential instruction. While the undergraduate curriculum for this IUG may be completed at multiple campuses, the ease and feasibility of completing the integrated program may be heavily dependent upon the location of the graduate instruction. Please discuss the feasibility of completing the IUG with a representative for the graduate program before beginning the application process.

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in GCAC-210 Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate (IUG) Degree Programs .

The Computer Science program offers a limited number of academically superior Bachelor of Science candidates the opportunity to enroll in an integrated, continuous program of study leading to both the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and the Master of Science in Computer Science. The ability to coordinate as well as concurrently pursue the two degree programs enables the student to earn the two degrees in five years.

Students in the IUG program must satisfy the degree requirements for both Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees. However, the total course load is reduced due to the maximum of 12 credits that can count towards both degrees.

The first two years of the IUG program are identical to the first two years of the Bachelor of Science program. The third and fourth years of the IUG program differ from those of the Bachelor of Science program due to the courses that count toward the Master of Science degree requirements. Student performance will be monitored on an on-going basis. In addition, a formal evaluation of student academic performance will be performed when the student has completed 100 to 105 credits, which is at the end of the first semester of the fourth undergraduate year for a typical student in the program. Students who have not maintained a 3.0 GPA in their Math and Computer Science courses will be put on probationary status with respect to the IUG program. Their ability to continue in the IUG program will be based on their academic performance in the last semester of their fourth undergraduate year.

As part of the review in the fourth undergraduate year, students will be advised about the paper option and thesis option in the graduate program. Students intending to pursue the thesis option would be advised to do so only if they have been doing very well in the program and are in no danger of not being able to continue into the fifth year.

A minimum grade point average of 3.0 must be earned in all math and computer science course work that is applied toward the graduate degree. This includes any courses that count toward both the undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as all courses taken during the fifth year.

Students who successfully complete the courses listed in the recommended schedule will satisfy the requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree by the end of their fourth year.

To initiate the application process, students must submit an Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate (IUG) Degree in Computer Science Application Form, a transcript, and a faculty recommendation, in addition to applying for admission to the Graduate School .

Students must apply to the program via the Graduate School application for admission , and must meet all the admission requirements of the Graduate School and the Computer Science graduate program for the Master of Science degree, listed on the Admission Requirements tab. Before applying to the Graduate School, students must have completed entrance to their undergraduate major and have completed no less than 60 credits. Students must be admitted no later than the end of the second week of the semester preceding the semester of expected conferral of the undergraduate degree. Transfer students must have completed at least 15 credits at Penn State to enroll in an IUG.

In consultation with an adviser, students must prepare a plan of study appropriate to this integrated program, and must present their plan of study to the head of the graduate program or the appropriate committee overseeing the integrated program prior to being admitted to the program. The plan should cover the entire time period of the integrated program, and it should be reviewed periodically with an adviser as the student advances through the program.

For consideration for acceptance into the program, students must have completed and earned a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the following Computer Science and Mathematics courses:

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
	Calculus With Analytic Geometry I	4
	Calculus with Analytic Geometry II	4
	Matrices	2-3
	Introduction to Programming Techniques	3
or	Programming and Computation I: Fundamentals
	Intermediate Programming	3
or	Programming and Computation II: Data Structures
	Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science	3

Student applications will be evaluated based on their overall academic performance, in addition to the above requirements. In all cases, admission to the program will be at the discretion of the Graduate Admissions Committee in Computer Science.

Students must fulfill all degree requirements for each degree in order to be awarded that degree, subject to the double-counting of credits as outlined below. Degree requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science are listed in the Undergraduate Bulletin . Degree requirements for the Master of Science in Computer Science are listed on the Degree Requirements tab. Students must sequence their courses so all undergraduate degree requirements are fulfilled before taking courses to count solely towards the graduate degree. Students are expected to complete the undergraduate degree requirements within the typical time to degree for the undergraduate major. In the semester in which the undergraduate degree requirements will be completed, IUG students must apply to graduate, and the undergraduate degree should be conferred at the next appropriate Commencement. If students accepted into the IUG program are unable to complete the M.S. degree, they are still eligible to receive their undergraduate degree if all the undergraduate degree requirements have been satisfied.

Up to 12 credits may be double-counted towards the degree requirements for both the graduate and undergraduate degrees; a minimum of 50% of the double-counted credits must be at the 500 or 800 level. Independent study courses and credits associated with the culminating experience for the graduate degree cannot be double-counted.

A graduate minor is available in any approved graduate major or dual-title program. The default requirements for a graduate minor are stated in Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-600 Research Degree Policies and GCAC-700 Professional Degree Policies , depending on the type of degree the student is pursuing:

GCAC-611 Minor - Research Doctorate
GCAC-641 Minor - Research Master's
GCAC-709 Minor - Professional Doctorate
GCAC-741 Minor - Professional Master's

Student Aid

Graduate assistantships available to students in this program and other forms of student aid are described in the Tuition & Funding section of The Graduate School’s website. Students on graduate assistantships must adhere to the course load limits set by The Graduate School.

Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 699 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.

Computer Science (COMP) Course List

Learning Outcomes

KNOW: Graduates will be able to demonstrate mastery of core principles in Computer Science.
THINK: Graduates will demonstrate analytical and critical thinking within the practice of computer science and, where appropriate, across disciplines.
APPLY/CREATE: Graduates will be able to critically and creatively conceptualize, evaluate, formulate, and solve computing problems, including, where appropriate, in the process of creating new knowledge in the discipline of computer science.
COMMUNICATE: Graduates will be able to effectively communicate, to diverse audiences, solutions to complex problems.
PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: Graduates will be able to demonstrate an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility and conduct themselves accordingly.

Harrisburg Program and Contact Information
Campus	Harrisburg
Graduate Program Head	Vahid Motevalli
Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) or Professor-in-Charge (PIC)	Sukmoon Chang
Program Contact	Jamie L Bell W255 Olmsted 777 West Harrisburg Pike Middletown PA 17057 (717) 948-6081
Program Website

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