Computational Modeling and Simulation, PhD

Requirements

Course Requirements

http://cmsp.pitt.edu/course-requirements

All students enrolled in the program will be required to satisfy the following requirements:

1. Two courses (3 credits each) in Numerical Methods
2. Two courses (3 credits each) in Scientific Computing/Programming
3. Two courses (3 credits each) from a participating department outside Computer Science, Math, and Statistics, in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences or the Swanson School of Engineering
4. 12 credits in a concentration area in a participating department in the School of Arts and Sciences or in the Swanson School of Engineering
5. Enrollment in the Computational Modeling and Simulation Seminar series for all fall and spring semesters in residence

A minimum of 30 credits from categories I-IV are required, there can be overlap in courses satisfying requirement IV and those satisfying I, II, and III.

Preliminary Exam

A student will satisfy the preliminary exam requirements by passing (grade B or higher) the six courses in areas I-III described above. In the case that a student received one grade below B in one of the three main areas, he/she can counter that with a grade of B or above in an additional approved course in that area. If a student receives two grades below B, he/she will no longer be able to continue in the he program. Students who do not meet these requirements but who have an overall grade average of B or better, have the option of doing a literature-based Master’s thesis.

Proposal Presentation and Comprehensive Exam

The proposal presentation and comprehensive exam will be taken by the end of the student’s seventh semester at Pitt and will focus on the progress that the student has made to date on his/her research. It will consist of a written report/proposal prepared by the student on his/her research, followed by an oral comprehensive examination. The exam will be administered by the doctoral committee of four graduate faculty members, three of whom are affiliated with the CMS program and at least one of whom will be from outside the student’s research department. Beyond the four graduate faculty members, the student may add external committee members from outside the graduate faculty.

If a student does not pass the proposal presentation and comprehensive exam, he/she will have the option of continuing in the program for another semester and submitting a Master’s thesis based on independent research. The student’s committee will decide on whether the thesis warrants awarding the MS degree.

Dissertation/Thesis Defense 

Every graduate student has to write and defend a thesis or dissertation before being awarded a MS or PhD degree. All theses and dissertations are submitted online. Visit the EDT Web site for more information on the process.