{"id":616,"date":"2020-10-15T16:15:48","date_gmt":"2020-10-15T20:15:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/?page_id=616"},"modified":"2025-09-09T07:46:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T11:46:17","slug":"phd-degree","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/programs-admissions\/phd-degree\/","title":{"rendered":"PhD Degree"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Why CDS?<\/h2>\n<p>The PhD program in Computing &amp; Data Sciences at Boston University prepares you to make significant contributions to the art, science, and engineering of computational and data-driven processes that are woven into all aspects of society, economy, and public discourse. It is our goal that this program leads to solution of problems and synthesis of knowledge related to the methodical, generalizable, and scalable extraction of insights from data as well as the design of new information systems and products that enable actionable use of those insights to advance scholarly as well as practical pursuits in a wide range of application domains.<\/p>\n<h2>PhD Program Requirements<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>completion of coursework covering breadth and depth topics spanning the foundational, applied, and sociotechnical dimensions of CDS<\/li>\n<li>completion of research rotations in which students engage in on-going projects under the supervision of CDS-affiliated investigators<\/li>\n<li>completion of a cohort-based training on ethical and responsible conduct of CDS research<\/li>\n<li>successful passage of an oral area exam, presentation of a dissertation prospectus, and defense of a final thesis<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Upon completion of the program, students will be prepared to pursue careers in which they lead independent cutting-edge research and development agendas, whether in academia (by teaching, mentoring, and supervising teams of students engaged in scholarly pursuits) or in industry (by collaborating, directing, and effectively managing diverse teams of practitioners working at the forefront of industrial R&amp;D).<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"x_normaltextrun\"><b><i><span>The PhD in Computing and Data Sciences is currently designated by US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a <\/span><\/i><\/b><\/span><span class=\"x_normaltextrun\"><b><i><span>STEM<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/span><span class=\"x_normaltextrun\"><b><i><span>-eligible degree program. International students in F-1 student\u00a0status may be able to apply for a 24-month extension of their 12-month Optional\u00a0Practical Training (OPT) employment authorization.\u00a0 More information about\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/span><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/isso\/employment-internships\/student-off-campus-work-and-training\/24-month-stem-opt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-safelink=\"true\" data-linkindex=\"0\"><span class=\"x_normaltextrun\"><b><i>STEM<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/isso\/employment-internships\/student-off-campus-work-and-training\/24-month-stem-opt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-safelink=\"true\" data-linkindex=\"1\"><span class=\"x_normaltextrun\"><b><i>\u00a0OPT\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/isso\/employment-internships\/student-off-campus-work-and-training\/24-month-stem-opt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-safelink=\"true\" data-linkindex=\"2\"><span class=\"x_normaltextrun\"><b><i>eligibility<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/a> <span class=\"x_normaltextrun\"><b><i>is available from the BU International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO).<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"max-width: 608px;\">\n<div style=\"position: relative; padding-bottom: 66.1184%; text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"608\" height=\"402\" style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; border: 0;\" id=\"kaltura_player\" src=\"https:\/\/cdnapisec.kaltura.com\/p\/2159741\/embedPlaykitJs\/uiconf_id\/54272102?iframeembed=true&amp;entry_id=1_yguocj6c\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"webkitallowfullscreen\" mozallowfullscreen=\"mozallowfullscreen\" allow=\"autoplay *; fullscreen *; encrypted-media *\" sandbox=\"allow-downloads allow-forms allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation allow-pointer-lock allow-popups allow-modals allow-orientation-lock allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-presentation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\" frameborder=\"0\" title=\"Oct 25 PhD in CDS Webinar\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Program Details<\/h2>\n<h3>Admission Requirements<\/h3>\n<p>Applicants are expected to have earned a bachelor\u2019s or master\u2019s degree in one of the methodological or applied disciplines relating to the computational and data-driven areas of scholarship in CDS. Applicants with degrees in one of the core areas of CDS (namely, Computer Science, Electrical &amp; Computer Engineering, and Mathematics &amp; Statistics, or equivalent) are expected to have a portfolio that demonstrates propensity for cross-disciplinary work.<\/p>\n<p>Applicants with degrees in applied areas of CDS (such as information systems, economics, bioinformatics, physics, astronomy, earth &amp; environment, emerging media, among others) are expected to possess basic mathematical and computational competencies, including probability, statistics, linear algebra, programming, data structures, and algorithms.<\/p>\n<p>Given the inherently demanding nature of pursuing cross-disciplinary research, students admitted to the program are expected to have exceptional credentials and letters of reference that attest to their readiness.<\/p>\n<p>To accommodate a diversity of backgrounds and preparations of prospective students, a holistic admission review process will be utilized, including the conduct of online interviews for finalists.<\/p>\n<p>As such, GRE tests and scores are not required, but could be optionally provided and considered as part of the applicant\u2019s portfolio, which could also include evidence of prior, relevant preparation, including creative works, code repositories, etc. Boston University requires TOEFL scores. <span>This should not stop you from applying to the PhD Program in CDS as we take a holistic approach to the application process. CDS may require the TOEFL score as a condition of acceptance.\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/programs-admissions\/resources\/prospective-phd-students\/toefl-ielts\/\">Learn more about our English proficiency requirements here.<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Application Requirements include:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Official Transcripts<\/strong> from institutions in which you received undergraduate and\/or graduate degrees*<\/li>\n<li><strong>Three Letters of Recommendation<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>CV\/Resume<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Personal Statement<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Research Statement<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Proof of English Proficiency<\/strong>(TOEFL, IELTS, etc.)**<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These requirements are covered in greater detail within the online application.<\/p>\n<p><em>*Unofficial transcripts may be submitted in lieu of official transcripts for the purpose of your application; official transcripts must be provided to BU in the event you are admitted to the program.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>**Applicants who received their degree(s) from an institution(s) in which the primary instruction was English are exempt from this requirement.<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Application Deadline is December 15th.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Please direct any questions to <a href=\"mailto:cds-admissions@bu.edu\">cds-admissions@bu.edu<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bu-cds.liaisoncas.com\/\" class=\"button-primary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apply Now<\/a><\/h2>\n<h3>Course Credits Requirements<\/h3>\n<p>Sixteen semester courses (64 credits) are required for post BA\/BS students and twelve semester courses (48 credits) are required for post MA\/MS students.<\/p>\n<p>Students with prior graduate work (including master\u2019s degrees) may be able to transfer up to two courses (8 credits) as long as these credits were not used to fulfill matriculation requirements, upon the recommendation of the student\u2019s academic advisor, and subject to approval by the Associate Provost for CDS.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/cds-faculty\/files\/2022\/05\/Frame-2-2.png\" alt=\"Graphic of typical timeline milestones for completion of PhD Degree in CDS\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2554 size-full\" width=\"3840\" height=\"2048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/files\/2022\/05\/Frame-2-2.png 3840w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/files\/2022\/05\/Frame-2-2-636x339.png 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/files\/2022\/05\/Frame-2-2-1024x546.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/files\/2022\/05\/Frame-2-2-768x410.png 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/files\/2022\/05\/Frame-2-2-1536x819.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/files\/2022\/05\/Frame-2-2-2048x1092.png 2048w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/files\/2022\/05\/Frame-2-2-300x160.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3840px) 100vw, 3840px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/programs-admissions\/phd-degree\/faqs\/\" class=\"button-primary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">View FAQs<\/a>\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/bu-cds.liaisoncas.com\/\" class=\"button-primary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apply Today<\/a><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why CDS? The PhD program in Computing &amp; Data Sciences at Boston University prepares you to make significant contributions to the art, science, and engineering of computational and data-driven processes that are woven into all aspects of society, economy, and public discourse. It is our goal that this program leads to solution of problems and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17518,"featured_media":0,"parent":1709,"menu_order":10,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/616"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17518"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=616"}],"version-history":[{"count":48,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17813,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/616\/revisions\/17813"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}