The Computer Science department offers both the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. The M.S. program has three options: thesis, project, and exam. The Ph.D. program culminates with a dissertation. A major emphasis of our graduate program is the blending of theoretical and applied aspects of computer science. Students pursuing a specialization in computer science theory are required to develop a strong background in systems and are encouraged, whenever possible, to identify applications for theory. Similarly, students specializing in applied areas of computer science are required to base their work on strong theoretical foundations.

We have approximately 65 graduate students enrolled in our program at a given time. Though most of our students are in the program on a full-time basis, other students prefer to enroll in the program on a part-time basis.

Our 11 faculty members have wide-ranging interests and research projects, with concentrations in artificial intelligence, computer graphics and scientific visualization, database and knowledge base systems, operating systems and computer networks, parallel computing and compiler design, and theoretical computer science. Most of our graduate students are mentored by a faculty member, which often leads to publication and participation in grant-funded projects.

Nearly all of our graduate students receive financial aid, often in the form of teaching assistantships, and research assistantships, as well as full and partial scholarships. For more information, go to the Graduate Appointments page at the Graduate School web site.

The Computer Science graduate program is geared toward students with a B.S. degree in Computer Science. Students with undergraduate degrees in other fields are invited to apply; if accepted into the program, they will be required to satisfy courses equivalent to those listed below. If a student is only missing a small number of the pre-requisites, it may be possible to be accepted into the graduate program on the condition that the remaining pre-requisites be completed at UNH.

Apply to our Master's or Doctoral Degree Program online: http://www.gradschool.unh.edu/home/apply_instruct.html.

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ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

All students are required to take the GRE General Test. The GRE Subject Test in Computer Science is recommended. International students are required to take the written TOEFL Test. For more information on procedures for international students, go to the International Information page of the Graduate School web site. For students without a B.S. degree in Computer Science, the minimal formal course work includes an introduction to computer science, object-oriented programming, data structures, operating systems, programming language concepts, and computer science theory. These pre-requisites can be satisfied at UNH by the following undergraduate courses: 

NOTE: Computer Science graduate students are required to get a minimum of a B+ in pre-requisite undergraduate courses and a minimum of a B- in graduate level courses.

Although the Master's program is normally a two-year program, someone admitted with just this minimal background should anticipate taking two-and-a-half to three years to complete the degree. Students without a B.S. or M.S. in computer science are not normally admitted directly into the Ph.D. program, but it is possible to transfer from the M.S. program to the Ph.D. program.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
(Effective Fall 2004)

M.S. Thesis Option

1. CS 900 - Computer Science Seminar.
2. Eight CS graduate courses of at least three credits each.
   a. Two must be implementation intensive.
   b. At least one course must be chosen from three different breadth areas.
   c. At least two courses must be above 900.
3. Thesis (six credits). The student must complete a thesis under the supervision of a thesis adviser and a thesis committee of at least three members.

M.S. Project Option

1. CS 900 - Computer Science Seminar.
2. Ten CS graduate courses of at least three credits each.
   a. Two must be implementation intensive.
   b. At least one course must be chosen from four different breadth areas.
   c. At least three courses must be above 900; one of these must be related to the project area.
3. Project (three credits). The student must complete a project under the supervision of a faculty adviser.

M.S. Exam Option

1. CS 900 - Computer Science Seminar.
2. Ten CS graduate courses of at least three credits each.
   a. Two must be implementation intensive.
   b. At least one course must be chosen from four different breadth areas.
   c. At least three courses must be above 900.
3. Comprehensive exam that includes four different examination topics. One topic must be selected from the theory breadth area; the other three topics must be selected from three different breadth areas (which can include a second theory topic).

Ph.D. Degree requirements

1. CS 900 - Computer Science Seminar.
2. Seven CS graduate courses (three credits or more) beyond the MS or fifteen CS graduate courses beyond the BS plus a reseach tool for a total of 16 courses.
   a. Two must be implementation intensive.
   b. At least one course must be chosen from four different breadth areas.
3. Breadth examination that includes four different examination topic areas: one topic must be selected from the Theory Area; the other three topics must be selected from three different areas (which can include a second theory topic).
4. Research tool. A research tool represents knowledge and skills in another discipline that can help the student carry out his or her research plan. This is typically satisfied by taking a non-computer science graduate level course.
5. Depth requirement. Under the direction of a depth adviser and a depth committee, the student carries out some preliminary research that is likely to lead to a dissertation topic. The student must produce two written reports (a literature survey and a research report) and make a presentation as part of an oral examination on the material.
6. Dissertation Research: A minimum of two semesters of registration in Doctoral Research is required. However, doctoral students at candidacy must register for 999 each semester during the academic year, even if the minimum requirement has been met.
7. Dissertation. The student must complete original research and present and defend a dissertation describing that research. The research is carried out under the supervision of a faculty member dissertation adviser and a dissertation committee of at least five members, including one from outside the department.

Implementation Intensive Courses

Implementation intensive courses include: CS 812, CS 819, CS 820, CS 830, CS 870.

Examination Topic Areas

The list below identifies the six topic areas used for both the M.S. comprehensive exam and the Ph.D. breadth exam.

Breadth Course Areas

The list below identifies the six breadth course areas and the introductory (800-level) graduate courses in each area. It is also acceptable to satisfy an area requirement by taking an advanced course (900-level) in the specified area. (Note that there are courses in the curriculum that are not in any of the identified groups.)

* Not all breadth courses form the basis for topic exams. There is no current exam for the following courses:
CS 820, CS 821,CS 860 and CS 867.