{"id":126,"date":"2011-10-20T13:48:30","date_gmt":"2011-10-20T17:48:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cs\/?page_id=126"},"modified":"2024-12-11T14:03:07","modified_gmt":"2024-12-11T19:03:07","slug":"phd-program-breadth","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cs\/phd-program\/phd-program-milestones\/phd-program-breadth\/","title":{"rendered":"Ph.D. Breadth Requirements"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Course Requirements<\/span><\/h2>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[Revised as of 06\/01\/2019]<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sixteen semester courses (64 credits) approved for graduate study are required.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Specific course requirements include <strong>six<\/strong> breadth courses. <span><strong>Three<\/strong> courses need to be from three different areas among<\/span> the following four areas:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Algorithms\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Systems\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Software\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Theory of Computation\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, one course must be taken from any of the following areas:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Artificial Intelligence<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Computer Graphics<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cryptography &amp; Security<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data Mining &amp; Data Management<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Finally, t<span>he remaining two classes can be taken from any of the following areas:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Algorithms\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Artificial Intelligence<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Computer Graphics<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cryptography &amp; Security<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data Mining &amp; Data Management<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Systems\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Software\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Theory of Computation<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A list of what courses satisfy what areas is available below.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any remaining courses will provide a reasonable breadth of background in computer science as well as mastery of the basic tools relevant to the research area selected, and may include research-focused courses such as Special Topic (CS591 or CS791) or Directed Study sections (CS 900+).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Students with prior graduate work may be able to transfer course credits. For details, see the<a href=\"http:\/\/www-staging.bu.edu\/academics\/grs\/policies\/transfer-of-credits\/\"> GRS Transfer of Credits policy<\/a>. Similarly, while not transferring credits, students with prior graduate work or experience may be able to request a waiver of a particular breadth requirement that would be redundant, or substitute a different course in lieu of those listed. Please first discuss any waiver or substitution request with your advisor and then follow the process described in the CS PhD handbook.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>A minimum grade of B\u2212 is required in all courses. The GPA in the six breadth courses must be 3.5 or higher.\u00a0Official program requirements are what is listed in the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/academics\/grs\/programs\/computer-science\/phd\/\">GRS Bulletin<\/a>, should there be any conflict between the content above and the Official GRS Bulletin.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Breadth Area Courses<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Algorithms Area (must take at least 1)<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 507 Introduction to Optimization<\/span><\/li>\n<li>CS 530 Advanced Algorithms<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 531 Advanced Optimization Algorithms<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 533 Spectral Methods<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Software Area (must take at least 1)<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 511 Formal Methods I<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 512 Formal Methods II<\/span><\/li>\n<li>CS 516 <span>Software Foundations via Formal Languages\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 520 Programming Languages<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 525 Compiler Design<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Systems Area (must take at least 1)<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 551 Streaming and Event-driven Systems<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 552 Intro to Operating Systems<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 651 Distributed Systems<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 654 Embedded Systems Development<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 655 Graduate Networks<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Theory of Computation Area (must take at least 1)<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 535 Complexity<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 537 Random Computing<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Must take at least one additional course from any of the following areas:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Artificial Intelligence<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 505\u00a0<span>Introduction to Natural Language Processing<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 542 Machine Learning<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 585 Image &amp; Video Computing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 640 Artificial Intelligence<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Computer Graphics<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 581 Computational Fabrication<\/span><\/li>\n<li>CS 582 Geometry Processing<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 680 Graduate Graphics<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cryptography &amp; Security<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 538 Cryptography<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 548 Cryptography 2<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 558 Network Security<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 568 Applied Cryptography<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Data Mining &amp; Data Management<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 504 Data Mechanics<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 506 Tools for Data Science<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 561 Data Systems Architectures<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 562 Advanced Databases<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 565 Algorithmic Data Mining<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CS 660 Graduate Databases<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Course Requirements [Revised as of 06\/01\/2019] Sixteen semester courses (64 credits) approved for graduate study are required. Specific course requirements include six breadth courses. Three courses need to be from three different areas among the following four areas: Algorithms\u00a0 Systems\u00a0 Software\u00a0 Theory of Computation\u00a0 Additionally, one course must be taken from any of the following [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4378,"featured_media":0,"parent":130,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/126"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4378"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=126"}],"version-history":[{"count":47,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/126\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19682,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/126\/revisions\/19682"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}