Masters completion rates 2003 cohort, 5 years later UofCG13rank
(%) including transfer to PhD Humanities84.981.18 Social
Sciences79.180.210 Sciences86.384.68 Engineering82.585.88 Health
Sciences84.585.47 Total82.581.99 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
Slide 3
G13:Group of Thirteen McGill University University of Western
Ontario University of Toronto University of British Columbia
Queen's University McMaster University University of Alberta
Universit Laval Universit de Montral University of Waterloo April,
2006 University of Calgary Dalhousie University University of
Ottawa 19 Century G3 1991 G10 20 Century G7
Slide 4
U15:Group of Fifteen McGill University University of Western
Ontario University of Toronto University of British Columbia
Queen's University McMaster University University of Alberta
Universit Laval Universit de Montral University of Waterloo April,
2006 University of Calgary Dalhousie University University of
Ottawa 19 Century G3 1991 G10 20 Century G7 February, 2011
University of Saskatchewan University of Manitoba
Slide 5
PhD completion rates, 2003 cohort, 5 years later UofCG13Rank
Humanities27.319.82 Social Sciences41.724.02 Sciences53.444.03
Engineering45.946.56 Health Sciences53.142.46 Total46.336.33
Slide 6
PhD completion rates, 1999 cohort, 9 years later UofCG13 Rank
Humanities47.153.810 Social Sciences78.464.73 Sciences73.372.46
Engineering72.771.46 Health Sciences75.076.36 Total72.567.76
Slide 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
Slide 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
Slide 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
Slide 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.
Slide 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
Slide 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
students 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.
Slide 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.
Slide 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.
Slide 15
Slide 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
Slide 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
Slide 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
Slide 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
Slide 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
Slide 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 supervisors research
Slide 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
Slide 23
Slide 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
Slide 25
Slide 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
Slide 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
Slide 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
Slide 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
Slide 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
Slide 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
Slide 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?
Slide 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 committees first chance to
give you feedback helps convince supervisor committee you
Slide 34
Elements (5) Plan time line allow time for writing thesis
organizing defense
Slide 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
Slide 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
http://www.cc.gatech.edu/faculty/ashwin/wisdom/what-is-a-
thesis-defense.html Cohen, Empirical Methods in AI Jeff Boyd 699
notes