The Double Benefits of World Gratitude Day

Friends hugging, overlooking a sunny field of hills

Sept. 21 is World Gratitude Day, a day dedicated to showing thanks and appreciation to the many different people in your life. While many people appreciate receiving gratitude, what they may not know is that expressing gratitude actually makes them feel better, too. Steven Toepfer, Ph.D., associate professor and the coordinator for the Human Development and Family Science bachelor degree program at Kent State University, has conducted research on how showing gratitude affects three aspects of well-being.   Happiness, life satisfaction and depression were all measured in the...

Undergraduate Students Present Summer Research

Neal-Barnett and Shackleford presenting

For Kent State University undergraduate students who don’t know where to start, research can be an exciting, but overwhelming experience. This doesn’t have to be the case, though.  On Sept. 13, Kent State's Division of Research and Economic Development hosted a research and innovation forum for its Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program, an eight-week research program that takes place during summer break. During the program, undergraduate students work directly with a faculty mentor to enhance their research skills, gain academic insight into their field of study as we...

Dissertation

A Dissertation describes original research performed by the student. The Dissertation topic must be approved by the advisor and Graduate Coordinator. A Dissertation committee, made up of graduate faculty, must be formed to assess the quality and value of the work. A public Dissertation defense is made by the student. The final Dissertation and defense must be approved by the advisor and Dissertation committee.

Candidacy Examination

Students who have passed the Preliminary Examination at the Ph.D. level  are expected to continue to broaden their general computer science background and to take courses in their areas of special interest. Before starting substantial work on a dissertation, the student is required to take the Candidacy Examination.

Preliminary Examination

The Preliminary Examination is intended to assess a student’s understanding of the basic prerequisite concepts for entrance into the Doctoral program in Computer Science. It also insures that all incoming students have the ability to effectively reason with and integrate the underlying knowledge and concepts in the broad field of Computer Science. This ability is necessary to continue the student’s studies in the Doctoral program.

Computer Science - Ph.D.

The Ph.D. degree in Computer Science provides students with an educational and research environment that fosters personal and intellectual growth, flourishes academic goals and develops career paths through necessary training with emerging technologies. The program promotes research, discovery and integration, and is designed for students interested in becoming professional scholars, college and university professors or researchers in private, industrial or government research institutions.

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Program Information for Computer Science - Ph.D.

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Have all around breadth-of-knowledge and understanding of essential facts, concepts, principles and theories relating to advanced topics in computer science to be regarded as a scholar of computer science.
  2. Demonstrate depth of knowledge at least in one specialized topic.
  3. Conduct independent research by advancing the body of knowledge in the area through the doctoral dissertation research.
  4. Clearly articulate advanced research problems and their solutions.
  5. Present general computer science topics in a learning environment.
  6. Develop and write publishable papers that clearly articulate advanced research problems and their solutions.
  7. Demonstrate integrative and deep knowledge of essential literature, facts, concepts, principles and theories relating to a chosen area of research.
  8. Perform complete and thorough literature searches.
  9. Evaluate, comprehensively and critically, the extent to which a particular work relates to and/or contributes to a given field.
  10. Publish and participate in a chosen research community.

Admissions for Computer Science - Ph.D.

Admissions

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree or higher in computer science (or closely related field) from an accredited college or university1
  • Minimum 3.000 GPA on a 4.000-point scale
  • Official transcript(s)
  • GRE scores
  • Résumé
  • Goal statement
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:2
    • Minimum 71 TOEFL iBT score
    • Minimum 6.0 IELTS score
    • Minimum 50 PTE score
    • Minimum 100 DET score
1

Students whose records clearly indicate a potential to do doctoral-level work in computer science may be directly admitted and must fulfill the requirements of both the master's and doctorate degrees.

2

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores may be considered for conditional admission.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester
    • Application deadline: June 15
  • Spring Semester
    • Application deadline: November 1
  • Summer Term
    • Application deadline: April 1

Applications submitted after these deadlines will be considered on a space-available basis.

Coursework

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Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements
Computer Science Electives (CS 70000 level) 127-57
CS 89191DOCTORAL SEMINAR 23
Culminating Requirement
CS 89199DISSERTATION I 330
Minimum Total Credit Hours for Post-Baccalaureate Students90
Minimum Total Credit Hours for Post-Master's Students60
1

Maximum 9 credit hours of CS 89098 or CS 89991 may be applied towards the degree.

2

Students must make a public presentation of project and/or research work (excluding dissertation defense and candidacy examination) at least two times before graduation. The presentation must take place in the doctoral seminar at least one full term before graduation and not more than two years after entering the program. The doctoral seminar is offered for 1 or 2 credit hours; therefore, the student must enroll in this course at least two times. This course can be taken multiple times but only 3 credit hours count toward the degree.

3

Each doctoral candidate, upon admission to candidacy, must register for CS 89199 for a total of 30 credit hours. It is expected that a doctoral candidate will continuously register for Dissertation I, and thereafter CS 89299, each semester, until all requirements for the degree have been met. A dissertation describes original research performed by the student. The dissertation topic must be approved by the advisor and graduate coordinator. A dissertation committee, made up of graduate faculty, must be formed to assess the quality and value of the work. A public dissertation defense is made by the student. The final dissertation and defense must be approved by the advisor and dissertation committee.

Graduation Requirements
Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
- 3.000

Proficiency Requirements and Candidacy

Students must clear core area proficiency requirements. Students admitted after completing a master's of computer science degree must take the Prelims examination within the first two semesters. Other students, including directly-admitted Ph.D. students, must take the Prelims examination within the first three semesters

The candidacy examination is a comprehensive examination in the field of the major subject. The format of the candidacy examination will be determined by the student’s Candidacy Examination Committee, which is composed of the student’s advisor and two other graduate faculty members. The Candidacy Examination Committee must be approved by the graduate coordinator. The student must complete the candidacy examination at least one year before the dissertation defense.

Program Delivery

Program Delivery

  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus

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