Transitioning to Semesters
CSE PhD Program
Prof. Gagan Agrawal
Grad Studies Chair
Quarters Vs. Semesters
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Quarter System
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Academic Year Divided into 3 quarters
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Fall, Winter, Spring
10 weeks of classes in each, 1 week final exams
Semester System
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Academic Year Divided into 2 semesters
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Fall and Spring
14 weeks of classes, final exams
Basic Conversion Rule
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1 quarter credit == 2/3 semester credit
Follow all semester program requirements +
conversion rules if you finish coursework
Summer 2012 onwards
Conversion rules designed to allow easy
transition
PhD Program
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Three Stages
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Qualification Process
 Quals or Acceleration Option
 Maximum Change
Post-quals – Pre-candidacy
 Research and Coursework
 Straight-forward conversion for major and minor requirements
Post-candidacy
 Dissertation Research
 No Impact
The Graduate (Foundational) Core
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Quarter System
5 classes form the graduate core
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725
755
760
775
780
(Theory of Computation)
(Programming Languages)
(Advanced Operating Systems)
(Computer Architecture)
(Algorithms)
3 credits each, each offered 2-3 times a year
Ph.D: Core/Qualifying (Current)
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Qualifying examination
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Offered twice a year, September and March
4 1.5 hr exams based upon the 4 out of core areas (780 required)
A max of two attempts are allowed
Direct Ph.D track students are normally expected to take it after the first
year
Must pass within your second year to be eligible for support later
Acceleration Option
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Take 4/5core classes for credit within first three quarters (780 required)
Have a 3.6 average in these classes
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Can count best 4 – but must include 780
Need to complete the `fifth’ core class with C
or better
Semester Rules for
Core/Qualifying
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Each Core Class Extended to be 3 Semester Credits
– CSE 6321 - Theory
– CSE 6331 - Algorithms
– CSE 6341 - PL
– CSE 6421 - Architecture
– CSE 6431 – OS
For acceleration/quals, take
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CSE 6331 (Algorithms)
CSE 6321 (Theory) OR CSE 6341 (PL)
CSE 6421 (Architecture) OR CSE 6431 (OS)
Acceleration: 3.6 in three courses (as above) within first 2 semesters
Qualifiers: 2 hour exam in each area (6 hours total, over 1 ½ days)
More Details of Acceleration
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If you take multiple tries in a course
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Conditional pass only
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We will count the first attempt only
Need to finish a research piece in second year!
These rules are unchanged
Ph.D Qualifying
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A max of two attempts are allowed
Direct Ph.D track students are normally expected to take it
after the first year
Must pass within your second year to be eligible for support
later
No change in these rules!
Timing for Comps/Quals
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August (2012 onwards)
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March (2013 onwards)
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Just before Fall Classes start
During spring break (middle of spring semester)
2 days, 3 2-hour exams (August 2013
onwards)
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Day 1 morning, Day 1 afternoon, Day 2 morning
Transition Plan for Quals
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PhD quals/comps will follow old format for
August 2012, March 2013
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Transition to New Format in August 2013
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5 90 minute exams, take exam in 4 areas
Exams based only on material covered in quarter
courses
3 2-hour exams, based on semester courses
Best to be done before that!
Transition Plan for Core Class
Requirements
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General rule
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Need 9 sem-cr-hours of graduate core (a quarter
class only provides 2)
If you finish acceleration in spring 2012
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Will need the fifth core class
Might be better off finishing it in quarter system
Acceleration for Students Starting
in Wi/Sp 2012
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On a case by case basis
Hopefully, no one in this situation!
Types of Classes (Ph.D students)
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Core Classes - 6xxx
Primarily Undergrad Courses
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Other 5000 and 6000 level letter graded courses
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5xxx, 2 credits
Meets with a 3 credit 3xxx courses
Mostly for making up deficiencies in background - could count for certain
minors
5xx9 replaces 788s, research-oriented but letter graded
Research Credits
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888s replaced by 6xx9
Independent Study (793) is now 8193
999s for MS students - 6998 and 6999
999s for PhD students - 8998 (Pre-candidacy) and 8999 (Post-Candidacy)
Stage 2 - Ph.D Coursework
Requirements - Quarters
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One major and two minors
Major:
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15 graded credits, not including core
Minor:
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9 credits in each, not including core
A total of 3 credits across 2 minors could be nongraded: 793/888
PhD Coursework (Semesters)
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PhD Major will be 10 semester credits
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Semester Credits + 2/3rd of Quarter Credits
Only letter graded courses
Can use a semester core class not used for
qualifying
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E.g. Semester Architecture, if Semester OS used for
qualifying
Details for each area coming soon
PhD Coursework (Semesters)
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PhD Minors will be 6 semester credits each
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Semester Credits + 2/3rd of Quarter Credits
At most 1 S/U credit (e.g. 888 or 6xx9).
Can use a semester core class not used for
qualifying

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E.g. Semester Architecture, if Semester OS used for
qualifying
Details for each area coming soon
Transition Rules
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Follow semester requirements if finishing courses after summer
2012
– Semester Credits + 2/3 * Quarter Credits
Core + Major + Minor-1 + Minor-2 >= 31 semester credits
Will allow short-fall of up to 1 credit in each major/minor area
i.e.
– Major >= 9 semester credits
– Each Minor >= 5 semester credits
Clarification/Questions
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Documents
Your academic advisor
Your academic advisor 
Please do not e-mail me or ask to meet me
– 350 graduate students to be managed in 10% of my time !!
– Already dealing with 2200 grad program related e-mails
annually – before semester conversion!!
– I can answer clarification questions if approached by
your advisor!