The PhD program in Computing & Data Sciences is designed for those who hold a degree in one of the core areas of computing and data science, such as Computer Science, as well as students with degrees in applied areas of CDS, including information systems, earth & environment, journalism, and others.
In order to help foster a close-knit community, the program provides small incoming cohorts with unifying experiences. Students are not expected to identify a research or thesis advisor(s) before applying to the CDS PhD program; for the first two years, you are supported by CDS while you complete your methodology and subject area course requirements, ethics requirement, and lab rotations.
While the course requirements of the CDS PhD program incorporate core topics that are rooted in computer science, our program offers students the flexibility of choosing a subject area from which they can select elective courses. These subject areas allow students to build additional depth in core computing and data science topics, such as machine learning, or focus instead on the refinement or application of computational and data-driven approaches in domain-specific settings, such as economics.