Academics

Graduate Program

Core Qualifying Exam

Below are the guidelines for the core qualifying exam for students who enter the PhD program in Fall 2011 or later. Students who enter earlier have the option of changing to this format if they wish.

During the first few semesters, the student focuses on obtaining a breadth of knowledge in computer science. Full-time students must complete all requirements for the core qualifying examination by the end of their third semester. Part-time students may take up to six semesters to complete the core qualifying exam requirements. The timing is measured from the student's semester of PhD program entry, regardless of whether the student is concurrently enrolled in another degree program. The only exception is that students in the accelerated BS-PhD program may begin the timing when they complete 128 credits.

In order to pass the exam, students must meet the grading criteria in a course in each of five areas. The grading criteria are that the student must earn a grade of A in a course in at least two of the areas, and that no more than one of the five courses may have a grade of B+. No course with a lower grade than B+ will count. The student may earn A- in the remaining courses. Students who do not meet the grading criteria in an area may take additional courses in that area until the required grade is achieved.

Courses which may be used for the core qualifying exam are listed below. All students must pass Area 1, Area 2, and Area 3. Students may, in consultation with their advisors, choose any two additional areas from Areas 4-8. In general, when courses are offered at both the 4000-level and the 6000-level, only the 6000-level course is included on the list of eligible courses. In some cases, students who were enrolled at Rensselaer prior to joining the PhD program may have already taken 4000-level versions of courses whose 6000-level counterpart is a qualifying exam course. In this circumstance, up to two of the 4000-level versions of core qualifying exam courses may be counted toward the core qualifying exam.

Students who wish to count courses taken at other institutions toward the core qualifying exam should provide documentation about those courses (such as syllabi) to Terry Hayden. Terry will consult with faculty in the relevant areas, who will decide on the equivalency of the course and the grade.

Courses counted toward the core qualifying exam may not be counted toward the research qualifying exam.

When students have completed they requirements for the core qualifying exam, they can contact Terry Hayden. She will check their grades, and will record a core qualifying exam pass if the requirements have been satisfactorily fulfilled. Students may also consult with Terry Hayden before completing the exam to make sure they are on track to fulfill the requirements on time.

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