Computer Science and Engineering

The department offers courses and is prepared to direct research in a variety of subfields of computer science and engineering, including VLSI, computer architecture, parallel/distributed processors and processing, multiprocessors, interconnection networks, pattern recognition and image processing, performance evaluation, reliability, fault tolerance, theory of computation, computer systems, numerical analysis and optimization, programming methodology, and analysis of algorithms. Research and instruction are supported by extensive computing facilities within the University's Information Technology Services and by the computer laboratories operated by the department.

Admission Requirements

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

All applicants must provide a statement of purpose, resume/CV, 3 letters of recommendation as well as official copies of transcripts, degree/study certificates and/or diplomas, as appropriate.  The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) Aptitude Test (verbal, quantitative, and analytical) is required for all M.S. and M.Eng. applications.  GRE scores are no longer required for doctoral applicants.  Please review the CSE Graduate Admissions website for additional details.

The language of instruction at Penn State is English. English proficiency test scores (TOEFL/IELTS) may be required for international applicants. See GCAC-305 Admission Requirements for International Students for more information.

For score reporting for TOEFL, the institution code is 2660.

International students seeking a Teaching Assistantship in Computer Science and Engineering will be required pass their AECOPT exam before being appointed as a Teaching Assistant.

Degree Requirements

Master of Engineering (M.Eng.)

Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-700 Professional Degree Policies.

A minimum of 30 credits at the 400, 500, or 800 level is required, with a minimum of 18 credits at the 500 or 800 level, and at least 6 credits at the 500 level.

The culminating experience for the program is a master's paper completed while the student is enrolled in CSE 594.

Master of Science (M.S.)

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

A minimum of 30 credits at the 400, 500, 600, or 800 level are required, of which a minimum of 21 credits are at the 500 level or higher, including a minimum of 15 credits of CSE 500-level courses, specifically. Students may choose to complete a thesis or a scholarly paper. Students choosing to complete a thesis must complete at least 6 credits in thesis research (600 or 610). Students choosing to complete a scholarly paper or capstone project must complete 3 credits of CSE 594, in their final semester, and 3 additional credits of a related CSE {500-589, 597} course in either the final or an earlier semester. 

In this blended program, students may take up to 12 credits online. The below course list indicates how many credits from each area may be taken online. In the absence of an annotation, the listed courses must be taken via resident instruction.

Students who choose to complete a thesis must pass a thesis defense. The thesis must be accepted by the advisers and/or committee members, the head of the graduate program, and the Graduate School. If the student completes a scholarly paper, the paper must be accepted by the supervising faculty member(s) and the head of the graduate program. The scholarly paper is completed while the student is enrolled in CSE 594.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

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

Students applying for and gaining admittance to the Ph.D. program will not be permitted to switch to the master's program at a later date, except under extenuating circumstances, at the discretion of the program.

To qualify for a Ph.D. degree, students who do not have an M.S. degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering must take a minimum of 33 credits, including:

Students admitted to the Ph.D. program with an M.S. degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering must take a minimum of 21 credits, including:

A student must pass the Ph.D. qualifying examination by the third regular semester after entering the program. After completion of most of the course work and meeting the English competency requirement, students must pass the Ph.D. comprehensive examination.

A dissertation must be completed under the direction of the Ph.D. committee and the results must be successfully defended in the final oral examination. To earn the Ph.D. degree, doctoral candidates must write a dissertation that is accepted by the Ph.D. committee, the head of the graduate program, and the Graduate School.

Dual-Titles

Dual-Title M.Eng., M.S., and Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering and Operations Research

Requirements listed here are in addition to requirements listed in GCAC-208 Dual-Title Graduate Degree Programs.

Admissions Requirements

Students must apply and be admitted to the graduate program in Computer Science and Engineering and The Graduate School before they can apply for admission to the dual-title degree program. After admission to their primary program, students must apply for admission to and meet the admissions requirements of the Operations Research dual-title program. Refer to the Admission Requirements section of the Operations Research Bulletin page. Doctoral students must be admitted into the dual-title degree program in Operations Research prior to taking the qualifying examination in their primary graduate program.

Degree Requirements

To qualify for the dual-title degree, students must satisfy the degree requirements for the degree they are enrolled in Computer Science and Engineering, listed on the Degree Requirements tab. In addition, students must complete the degree requirements for the dual-title in Operations Research, listed on the Operations Research Bulletin page.

The qualifying examination committee for the dual-title Ph.D. degree will be composed of Graduate Faculty from Computer Science and Engineering and must include at least one Graduate Faculty member from the Operations Research program. Faculty members who hold appointments in both programs’ Graduate Faculty may serve in a combined role. There will be a single qualifying examination, containing elements of both Computer Science and Engineering and Operations Research. Dual-title graduate degree students may require an additional semester to fulfill requirements for both areas of study and, therefore, the qualifying examination may be delayed one semester beyond the normal period allowable.

In addition to the general Graduate Council requirements for Ph.D. committees, the Ph.D. committee of a Computer Science and Engineering and Operations Research dual-title Ph.D. student must include at least one member of the Operations Research Graduate Faculty. Faculty members who hold appointments in both programs’ Graduate Faculty may serve in a combined role. If the chair of the Ph.D. committee is not also a member of the Graduate Faculty in Operations Research, the member of the committee representing Operations Research must be appointed as co-chair. The Operations Research representative on the student’s Ph.D. committee will develop questions for and participate in the evaluation of the comprehensive examination.

Students in the dual-title program are required to write and orally defend a dissertation on a topic that is approved in advance by their Ph.D. committee and reflects their original research and education in Computer Science and Engineering and Operations Research. Upon completion of the doctoral dissertation, the candidate must pass a final oral examination (the dissertation defense) to earn the Ph.D. degree. The dissertation must be accepted by the Ph.D. committee, the head of the graduate program, and the Graduate School.

Minor

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 policy GCAC-218 Minors.

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 J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School’s website. Students on graduate assistantships must adhere to the course load limits set by the Fox Graduate School.

Courses

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 and Engineering (CSE) Course List

Learning Outcomes

Master of Engineering (M.Eng.)

1. KNOW: Graduates will explain and apply core principles and methods in selected subfields of Computer Science and Engineering, with an emphasis on practical implementation and professional application.
2. APPLY/CREATE: Graduates will apply advanced problem-solving and analytical skills to evaluate and integrate current knowledge and technologies in computer science and engineering, producing practical solutions. 
3. COMMUNICATE: Graduates will be able to effectively communicate technical content, project outcomes, and practical applications in written reports and presentations tailored to professional and industry audiences. 
4. THINK: Graduates will be able to apply advanced technical knowledge and engineering practices to develop, evaluate, and improve computing systems and applications in professional or industrial contexts.
5. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: Graduates will be able to apply ethical principles and professional standards to the development, implementation, and communication of engineering solutions in computing, with a focus on integrity and accountability in applied and collaborative settings. 

Master of Science (M.S.)

1. KNOW: Graduates will demonstrate advanced, research-informed understanding of core theories, principles, and specialized knowledge in selected subfields of Computer Science and Engineering, with an emphasis on research.
2. APPLY/CREATE: Graduates will contribute to the advancement of knowledge in computer science and engineering by synthesizing research literature and applying research methods. 
3. COMMUNICATE: Graduates will be able to clearly present technical analyses, research results, and project outcomes through professional-quality oral and written communication suited to academic and technical audiences. 
4. THINK: Graduates will be able to design and implement computational methods and/or experiments, apply advanced analytical s.  techniques to solve complex engineering problems, and evaluate solutions using theoretical and empirical method.
5. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: Graduates will be able to recognize and apply established standards of research integrity and ethical conduct in the execution and reporting of research or project work in computer science and engineering.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

1. KNOW: Graduates will demonstrate original, comprehensive, and critical expertise in advanced core principles, research methods, and emerging knowledge across selected subfields of Computer Science and Engineering, with a focus on developing new knowledge. Such knowledge will be gained from state-of-the-art research results/papers beyond conventional textbooks and other sources.
2. APPLY/CREATE: Graduates will be able to design and conduct original research, advancing knowledge in specialized areas of computer science and engineering. 
3. COMMUNICATE: Graduates will be able to communicate complex research findings and theoretical concepts clearly and effectively through scholarly writing and oral presentations tailored to academic, professional, and interdisciplinary audiences. 
4. COMMUNICATE: Graduates will prepare publication quality research papers and presentations for world-class conferences and journals that will be reviewed by an expert audience for assessment of the originality and quality of their research.
5. THINK: Graduates will analyze existing solutions for research problems to identify deficiencies and come up with innovative approaches and/or enhancements to improve the state-of-the-art in computer science and engineering.
6. PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE: Graduates will be able to apply and uphold the highest standards of scholarship and research integrity by designing, conducting, and evaluating original research in accordance with ethical and professional norms in computer science and engineering. 

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