Computational Data-Enabled Sciences and Engineering (Ph.D.)
The doctoral program in computational and data enabled science & engineering (CDS&E) is a research oriented program that requires a minimum of 72 credit hours beyond the Bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 48 credit hours beyond the Master's degree. The program shares resources with the departments and schools offering concentrations in CDS&E and operates under the College of Science, Engineering, and Technology (CSET). The CDS&E Ph.D. program at JSU serves as a model Ph.D. program to the traditional computational and computer science fields Ph.D. programs embodying high performance computing with data science and big data analytics, long in demand by industry, government and private labs and coming into its own as demanded by the nation’s need to create knowledge from the overwhelming world of data thrust upon us in today’s global world of sensors and its permeation in all disciplines. The CDS&E program seeks to improve our ability to extract knowledge from large and complex digital data as we endeavor to meet the national imperative to accelerate discoveries in science and engineering, strengthen our national security and transform teaching and learning. 1Transdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research is at the core of the CDS&E and hence JSU’s CDS&E meets the challenges by:
- Providing core courses that allow transitioning students from all disciplines
- Integrating and adapting the Affinity Research Group (ARG) Model a cooperative learning approach involving students with diverse backgrounds and emphasizing the conscious development of students’ domain knowledge, research abilities, team skills and professional identity [Such as been demonstrated as an effective means of ensuring student engagement2]
The educational objectives of the CDS&E Ph.D. program are met by:
- Providing students with advanced theoretical, analytical, and applied interdisciplinary research training of high quality at the Ph.D. level.
- Providing the necessary structures, learning opportunities, and experiences beyond the traditional university curriculum required for diversity and interdisciplinary collaborations in areas of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Computational Mathematics and Statistical Sciences, Computational Physical Sciences, Computational Public Health Science, and Computational Science and Engineering.
- Producing high quality graduates with terminal degrees in CDS&E capable of joining the workforce in industry, academia and state or federal agencies and of becoming the future leaders in computing-centric and Big Data fields.
Specialized Tracks in CDS&E
The following Specialized Tracks are being offered:
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
- Computational Mathematics and Statistical Sciences
- Computational Physical Sciences
- Computational Science and Engineering
- Computational Public Health Science
Admission Requirements
To be considered for admission, the following requirements should be met:
- Applicants must have completed the Graduate Application for Admission.
- Applicants must have provided official copies of transcripts from all colleges/universities attended.
- The applicant must have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in a STEM or Public Health Sciences, and
- A minimum GPA of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) on the highest degree earned.
- A satisfactory TOEFL score for international students whose native language is not English.
- Three letters of recommendation from three professors or professionals knowledgeable of the applicant’s professional academic ability, job experiences, and leadership potential.
- A statement of purpose.
The above listed are the minimal requirements, and do not guarantee acceptance into the program.
Degree Requirements
The requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Computational and Data-Enabled Science and Engineering are:
- A minimum of 72 credit hours beyond the Bachelor’s Degree or
- A minimum of 48 credit hours beyond the Master’s Degree.
These requirements are distributed as follows:
- Common Core = 12 credit hours
- Track Requirement = 12 credit hours
- Track electives = 24 credit hours
- Dissertation = Not more than 24 credit hours
For an applicant with at least a Master’s Degree, the course and Dissertation credit hour requirements shall be decided by the Graduate Admissions Committee of the Ph.D. program after evaluating the applicant’s transcripts and academic records.
Additional requirements include:
- Satisfactory performance on the Comprehensive Qualifying Examination (GNST 700 APPS FOR GRAD DEG CAND DOCTORA); and
- Satisfactory performance on the Graduate Area Comprehensive Examinations (GNST 888 GRAD COMP EXAM(DOCTORAL LEVEL)) and Successful defense of the dissertation research. The final basis for granting the degree shall be the candidate’s grasp of the subject matter in a specialized track of CDS&E, and a demonstrated ability to express thoughts clearly and forcefully in both written and oral presentations and publications in peer reviewed journals.
Comprehensive Qualifying Examination
(GNST 700 APPS FOR GRAD DEG CAND DOCTORA)
To ensure that the skills and basic knowledge have been acquired to carry out the research necessary for the dissertation, the student must demonstrate competence in the common core and concentration track areas. Competence will be demonstrated by a comprehensive qualifying examination which shall consist of written examinations in each of these two areas. The two parts comprehensive qualifying examination will consist of 3 of the 4 common core courses (CSC 601 COMPUTER ALGORITHMS, CSC 620 DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, and STAT 661 PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS or STAT 672 COMPUTATIONAL STATISTICS) as Part I, and all the 4 required courses for the chosen track as Part II. A good performance on both Part I and Part II exams will be required for passing. Knowledge of the content of the courses listed in the common core and specialized concentration tracks, such as the typical course sequence listed under each area, should be adequate preparation for the comprehensive qualifying examination. Study guides for each of the examination areas will also be available.
A Comprehensive qualifying examination will normally be scheduled at the beginning of the spring semester and once during the summer. To show satisfactory progress in his/her graduate studies, a student is normally expected to complete his/her comprehensive qualifying examinations by the end of the second full academic year of Ph.D. work or equivalently, completing the common core and concentration track course work. A student will be allowed to repeat an examination only once or as recommended by the faculty advisory committee.
Graduate Area Comprehensive Examination (GACE)
When the comprehensive qualifying examination has been passed, the Graduate Advisory Committee is formed. The Doctoral Committee and mentor are selected with the dissertation research topic chosen, and when all course work on the program of study has been completed, the student may request the Graduate Area Comprehensive Examination [GACE] to be scheduled. The GACE will be an examination in the core courses as well as an in-depth examination in the track. It will be administered by the student's doctoral committee and must contain an oral component. Pass or fail will be determined by majority vote of the committee. The oral component of the examination is open to members of the faculty.
The Dissertation
After the GACE has been passed, the student's doctoral committee will be reconstituted to form the dissertation committee. The student and the major professor of the doctoral committee will select the student's dissertation committee, subject to the approval of the CDS&E Ph.D. Advisory Committee. The dissertation committee will consist of at least five graduate faculty members, including a major professor and at least three additional graduate faculty members from the other concentration tracks, including an external member. The primary responsibility of the committee will be to supervise the student's research and writing of the dissertation in the chosen concentration track, and its members should be chosen with this mission in mind.
In the early stages of the research effort, the student will make a formal dissertation proposal to the dissertation committee. The dissertation will be an original work that makes a significant contribution to the student's area of specialization. An external person who has expertise in the dissertation area will be enlisted by the student and his/her committee to serve as an external examiner for the dissertation. This person will read the dissertation and submit written comments regarding its quality and significance to the student's committee. It is highly recommended that at least two publications in professionally refereed journals be resulted from the dissertation.
Final Defense Examination
After all other examinations and the dissertation have been completed, the student's committee will schedule the final defense examination for the student. This examination will consist of an oral defense of the dissertation and will be open to the public.
After consultation with the CDS & E Ph.D. program coordinator, the major professor will publicize the time and place that the examination will be held. This announcement should be at least one week prior to the scheduled date of the examination.
A pass or fail on this examination will be determined by a majority vote of the student's committee. In making its decision, the committee will give due consideration to the external examiner's assessment of the dissertation and the refereed publications that resulted from the dissertation.
Requirements for Students Who Hold a Master’s Degree (in Mathematics/Computer Science/Engineering) – A Minimum of 48 Credit Hours
These students will consult with an adviser within their chosen track to develop a degree plan for a minimum of 48 credit hours. The Common Core Course work covering 12 credit hours is required. Students who pass the Admission to the CDS & E Ph.D. Candidacy Exam (The Comprehensive Qualifying Examination) before completing the common core courses can transfer those courses into the developed degree plan.
A student with a Master’s degree in a CDS&E discipline can transfer at most 24 credit hours of coursework from their Master’s degree transcript to the categories of Common Core, Track Requirements and Track electives (as applicable, decided in consultation with the adviser). This implies, for the PhD degree, a student who already has a Master’s degree in a CDS&E discipline should do a minimum of 24 credit hours of additional coursework (to satisfy the overall 12, 12 and 24 credit hour requirements for Common Core, Track Requirements and Track Electives respectively) and at most 24 credit hours of dissertation as well as pass the Comprehensive Qualifying Examination and the Graduate Area Comprehensive Examination.
Progress Towards Earning the CDS&E Ph.D.
To become a candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in CDS&E, the student must have:
- Completed the formal coursework with a GPA of 3.0 or better.
- During the first two semesters of study, students are required to attend CDSE 700 SEM N COMP DATA SCI & ENG (focus on ARG and understanding of the profession)
- Passed a comprehensive qualifying examination. A good performance (or average of 80% scores) on the Common Core and Concentration track exams will be required for passing. The student entering the program with a bachelor’s degree will be required to take the comprehensive qualifying examination, for the first time, no sooner than in their third semester (when the common core and concentration tracks course work has been completed), and within the first 2 years of admission into the program. The student will be required to pass within five (5) semesters of admission and will have two (2) opportunities for passing.
- Students who pass the Comprehensive Qualifying Examination must immediately meet the IRB/IACUC regulations compliance and apply for Graduate Degree Candidacy-and form a doctoral advisory committee in consultation with their chosen faculty advisor or mentor and enroll in CDSE 899 DISSERTATION RESEARCH-continuation of the ARG model implementation engaging student weekly presentations and their faculty advisors.
- Complete all the required course work with at least 6 credit hours of internship or research experience at a High-Performance Computing Facility or Laboratory, or as on campus training with IT. Obtain the IRB approval or exemption, if applicable.
- Form a dissertation committee and submit a dissertation proposal.
- Complete the Graduate Area Comprehensive Examination.
- Follow the guidelines for preparing a Doctoral Dissertation from the Division of Graduate Studies.
- Submit preliminary copies of the dissertation to the committee.
- Schedule the Dissertation Defense.
- Public announcement of Dissertation Defense.
- Submit Committee Report of Dissertation Defense to Graduate Studies-(Follow Graduate Studies Deadlines).
- Submit Final Draft of the dissertation to the Chairperson of the committee and committee members.
- Final Submission of Corrected (or proofed) Dissertation before final graduation clearance deadline.
- Removal of “Incomplete” or “In-Progress” Grades.
- Apply for Online Graduation Clearance- Follow the University Deadlines-Registrar.
- Participate in the Commencement Exercises-Optional.
Transfer of Credits
A course for which transfer credit is sought must have been completed with a grade of "B" or better. Holders of at least the Master’s degree can transfer up to 24 credit hours. Please refer to the Division of Graduate Studies guidelines.
Time Limit
Students with adequate computational sciences and concentration area subject disciplines preparation at the undergraduate level can take at least five years and three years at the master’s level to complete the CDS & E Ph.D. program. However, all students must complete their programs within five years of becoming a candidate for the CDS&E Ph.D. degree.
Curriculum
Requirements for Students with a Bachelor’s Degree
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Common Core | 12 | |
| Track Requirements | 12 | |
| Track Electives | 24 | |
| Dissertation 1 | 24 | |
| Total Hours | 72 | |
- 1
At most 24 credit hours.
Total = 72 credit hours: Minimum requirements; additional requirements
may be recommended by the Doctoral Committee
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Common Core Courses | ||
| CSC 552 | APPLIED PROGRAMMING | 3 |
| CSC 601 | COMPUTER ALGORITHMS | 3 |
| CSC 620 | DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS | 3 |
| STAT 672 | COMPUTATIONAL STATISTICS | 3 |
| or STAT 661 | PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS | |
| Track Requirements | ||
| CSC 651 | FNDS OF PROGRAMMING & COMP SYS | 3 |
| BIO 509 | GENERAL GENETICS | 3 |
| BIO 540 | CELL BIOLOGY | 3 |
| BIO 679 | 3 | |
| Elective Courses | ||
| Select 24 hours of electives. A sample list is as follows: 1 | 24 | |
| PRINCIPLES OF BIOREMEDIATION | ||
| SYSMS BIO & SIGNALING NETWORKS | ||
| ADVD TPCS IN COMPUTATIONAL BIO | ||
| SEM N COMP DATA SCI & ENG | ||
| INT N COMP DATA SCI & ENG | ||
| CURRENT TRENDS IN CDS&E | ||
| Dissertation | ||
| Select a total of 24 hours of the following: | 24 | |
| DISSERTATION RESEARCH | ||
| Total Hours | 72 | |
- 1
Elective Courses will be approved by the students graduate committee. A sample list of elective courses for this track is as follows.
Computational Mathematics and Statistical Sciences Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Common Core Courses | ||
| CSC 552 | APPLIED PROGRAMMING | 3 |
| CSC 601 | COMPUTER ALGORITHMS | 3 |
| CSC 620 | DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS | 3 |
| STAT 672 | COMPUTATIONAL STATISTICS | 3 |
| or STAT 661 | PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS | |
| Track Requirements | ||
| MATH 670 | COMPUTATIONAL METHODS N MATH I | 3 |
| MATH 671 | COMPUTATNL METHODS IN MATH II | 3 |
| STAT 661 | PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS | 3 |
| MATH 673 | QUANTITATIVE EXPLORATN OF DATA | 3 |
| Track Electives | ||
| Select 24 hours of the following. A sample list of elective courses are as follows: 1 | 24 | |
| OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING | ||
| TPCS N MATH & STATS A N CDS&E | ||
| NUMERICAL ANALYSIS | ||
| NUMERICAL ANALYSIS I | ||
| ORDINARY DIF EQUATIONS I | ||
| ORDINARY DIF EQUATION II | ||
| ADVD PARTIAL DIFF EQUATIONS I | ||
| ADVND PARTIAL DIF EQUATIONS II | ||
| CMPTNL DATA ANLYSIS & VISUAL I | ||
| SEM N COMP DATA SCI & ENG | ||
| INT N COMP DATA SCI & ENG | ||
| CURRENT TRENDS IN CDS&E | ||
| Dissertation | ||
| Select a total of 24 hours of the following: | 24 | |
| DISSERTATION RESEARCH | ||
| Total Hours | 72 | |
- 1
Elective Courses will be approved by the student's graduate committee. A sample list of elective courses for this track are as follows.
Computational Physical Sciences Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Common Core Courses | ||
| CSC 552 | APPLIED PROGRAMMING | 3 |
| CSC 601 | COMPUTER ALGORITHMS | 3 |
| CSC 620 | DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS | 3 |
| STAT 672 | COMPUTATIONAL STATISTICS | 3 |
| or STAT 661 | PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS | |
| Track Requirements | ||
| CSC 651 | FNDS OF PROGRAMMING & COMP SYS | 3 |
| CHEM 768 | MOLECULAR QUANTUM MECHANICS | 3 |
| PHY 522 | 3 | |
| PHY 533 | 3 | |
| Track Electives | ||
| Select 24 hours from the following: | 24 | |
| PHYSICAL BIOCHEMISTRY | ||
| ATOMIC & MOLECULAR SPECTROSCRO | ||
| QUANTUM CHEMISTRY | ||
| NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY | ||
| SEM N COMP DATA SCI & ENG | ||
| INT N COMP DATA SCI & ENG | ||
| CURRENT TRENDS IN CDS&E | ||
| Dissertation | ||
| Select at most 24 hours of the following: | 24 | |
| DISSERTATION RESEARCH | ||
| Total Hours | 72 | |
Computational Science and Engineering Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Common Core Courses | ||
| CSC 552 | APPLIED PROGRAMMING | 3 |
| CSC 601 | COMPUTER ALGORITHMS | 3 |
| CSC 620 | DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS | 3 |
| STAT 672 | COMPUTATIONAL STATISTICS | 3 |
| or STAT 661 | PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS | |
| Track Requirements | ||
| CSC 511 | OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING | 3 |
| CSC 571 | PROGRAMMING FOR BIG DATA | 3 |
| CSC 621 | MACHINE LEARNING | 3 |
| CSC 641 | NETWORK SCIENCE | 3 |
| Track Electives | ||
| Select 24 hours of electives. A sample list of elective courses are as follows: 1 | 24 | |
| CLOUD COMPUTING | ||
| SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS | ||
| BIG DATA MINING | ||
| INT N COMP DATA SCI & ENG | ||
| CURRENT TRENDS IN CDS&E | ||
| Dissertation | ||
| Select at most 24 hours of the following: | 24 | |
| DISSERTATION RESEARCH | ||
| Total Hours | 72 | |
- 1
Elective Courses will be approved by the student's graduate committee. A sample list of elective courses for this track are as follows.
Computational Public Health Science Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Common Core Courses | ||
| CSC 552 | APPLIED PROGRAMMING | 3 |
| CSC 601 | COMPUTER ALGORITHMS | 3 |
| CSC 620 | DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS | 3 |
| STAT 672 | COMPUTATIONAL STATISTICS | 3 |
| or STAT 661 | PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS | |
| Track Requirements | ||
| CSC 751 | 3 | |
| PHS 701 | ADV BIOSTATISTICS & COMPTR SCI | 3 |
| PHS 707 | LEADERSHIP FOR PHS PROFESSNLS | 3 |
| PHEP 711 | BEHAVIORAL & PSYCHOSOC EPIDEM | 3 |
| Elective Courses | ||
| Select 24 hours of electives. A sample list of elective courses are as follows: 1 | 24 | |
| PRINCIPLES OF EPIDEMIOLOGY | ||
| RESEARCH & QUANTITATIVE MTHDS | ||
| HEALTH BEHAVIOR,PROMOTION & ED | ||
| DESGNG RES STUD ON MIN&SPEC PO | ||
| ADVOCACY AND PUBLIC HLTH POLIC | ||
| PRIN OF ENVMNTAL & OCCU HLTH | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH | ||
| ENVNMNTL & OCCUPATION HEALTH | ||
| INTRO TO REMOTE SENSING | ||
| REMOTE SENSING APPLIED | ||
| WATERQUALITY MANAGEMENT | ||
| AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY | ||
| RISK ASSESSMENT&MANAGMNT | ||
| SEM N COMP DATA SCI & ENG | ||
| INT N COMP DATA SCI & ENG | ||
| CURRENT TRENDS IN CDS&E | ||
| Dissertation | ||
| Select at most 24 hours of the following: | 24 | |
| DISSERTATION RESEARCH | ||
| Total Hours | 72 | |
- 1
Elective Courses will be approved by the student's graduate committee. A sample list of elective courses for this track are as follows.