The PhD requirements are organized in two stages. Please see GRS bulletin pages for more information.

Stage 1. Qualification Stage

  1. Breadth Requirement:
    • Satisfied by completing six graduate courses that carry breadth-requirement credit.  
    • Three courses need to be from three different areas among Algorithms, Software, Systems, and Theory.
    • One course needs to be from one area among Artificial Intelligence, Computer Graphics, Cryptography and Security, and Data Mining and Data Management.
    • The remaining two classes can be taken from any  of the following areas: Algorithms, Software, Systems, Theory, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Graphics, Cryptography and Security, and Data Mining and Data Management. 
    • Each of the six courses must be passed with a grade of B- or higher, with an average of at least 3.5 for all six courses.
    • A list of specific courses that satisfy each area is available at the PhD Breadth Requirement page.
  2. Subject Qualifying Exams:
    • Part I: Written in-Depth Exam: Satisfied by having students pass an in-depth written depth exam in a designated area of Computer Science. One or more depth exams will be available in each area. The syllabus for a depth exam and its format are designed by faculty members that specialize in that subject. Students must register for a depth exam before October 15 of each academic year. Exams are held within 6 weeks of that date and results are available by the end of the Fall semester.
    • Part II: Qualifying Oral Exam: The purpose of this requirement is to demonstrate ability to conduct research on a topic chosen by the student and approved by a research advisor. A qualifying oral exam requires the formation of a qualifying oral exam committee, which is a precursor to the dissertation committee. This is equivalent to a master’s thesis defense and could be used to award terminal master’s degrees to students judged unable to complete a PhD by the oral examination committee.
    • After Completing Exams: Students must complete the Report of Examination form and submit this form to the CS PhD Program Administrator via email at csphd@bu.edu. The CS PhD Program Administrator submit the completed form to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
  3. Course Credit and Registration Information:
    • Students are required to complete a minimum of 64 graduate units, although specific degree programs may require more.
    • These units may be earned through graduate courses, seminars, or directed study or research with an individual faculty member.
    • Specific requirements of courses, seminars, and research or directed study are determined by the student’s department or graduate program.
    • Graduate units are those earned from courses numbered 500 or higher.
    • Students must be registered for every term or summer term during which a degree requirement is completed or University facilities are used unless on an official leave of absence.
    • When finishing the degree, students must be registered in the term in which the final degree requirements are completed, as well as in the preceding term.

Stage 2. Dissertation Stage

  1. Dissertation Prospectus:
    • The purpose of this requirement is to provide students with early feedback on their proposed thesis.
    • A dissertation prospectus must be approved by an official thesis committee (1st, 2nd, and 3rd readers). If the first reader (primary advisor) is an affiliate to the CS department, then ​a designated CS faculty member (the student’s CS Point of Contact) must serve as ​second reader and chair of the thesis committee.​
    • Students must complete the Dissertation Prospectus Approval Form and submit this form to the CS PhD Program Administrator via email at csphd@bu.edu. The CS PhD Program Administrator submit the completed form to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
  2. Final Dissertation Defense: 
    • Candidates shall demonstrate their abilities for independent study in a dissertation representing original research or creative scholarship.
    • The dissertation will be evaluated by an academic examination committee. A prospectus for the dissertation must be approved by the committee ahead of the submission of the dissertation (see above).
    • In addition, candidates must undergo a final oral examination in which they defend their dissertation as a valuable contribution to knowledge in their field and demonstrate a mastery of their field of specialization in relation to their dissertation.
    • All portions of the dissertation and final oral examination must be completed as outlined in the GRS requirements.
    • Upon completion of the final dissertation defense, students must complete the Report of Examinations form and submit this form to the CS PhD Program Administrator via email at csphd@bu.edu. The CS PhD Program Administrator submit the completed form to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Meeting Graduation Requirements

  1. Please refer to the PhD Graduation Information to ensure all requirements are met, including the intent to graduate form.

Milestone Deadlines

The following are the deadlines for achieving the various milestones described above. These deadlines are not to be construed as expected times to complete the various milestones, but rather as “worst-case” times. In other words, a student in good standing will typically meet these milestones earlier (and hopefully much earlier) than the bounds specified below. Please take note!

PhD Timeline (Post-BA)

  • Breadth Requirements: at most 6 semesters (3 years)
  • Qualifying Depth Exam: at most 6 semesters (3 years)
  • Qualifying Oral Exam: at most 8 semesters (4 years)
  • Dissertation Prospectus: at most 10 semesters (5 years)
  • Final Dissertation Defense: at most 12 semesters (6 years)

PhD Timeline (Post-MA)

  • Breadth Requirements: at most 4 semesters (2 years)
  • Qualifying Depth Requirements: at most 4 semesters (2 years)
  • Qualifying Oral Exam: at most 6 semesters (3 years)
  • Dissertation Prospectus: at most 8 semesters (4 years)
  • Final Dissertation Defense: at most 10 semesters (5 years)

Obtaining a Master’s

PhD students may also obtain a Master’s as per GRS guidelines. The requirements for a Master’s for PhD students (terminal or not) are as follows:

  • Completion of a minimum of 32 credits, as required by GRS to obtain a MS degree
  • The course (breadth) requirements are the same as for a PhD.
  • In addition, candidates shall demonstrate their abilities for independent study in the form of a master’s thesis that describes either original research or a comprehensive study that demonstrates mastery of a technical topic in CS. The thesis will be evaluated by an academic committee who will also perform an oral examination where the candidates will demonstrate mastery of the material presented in the master’s thesis. The master’s thesis work can be used as a foundation for a future PhD thesis; however, research described in the master’s thesis cannot be counted as original research toward fulfillment of the PhD requirements.