About Ph.d. In Computer And Information Sciences in DePaul University

The following degree requirements apply to both the Computing Track (C-track) and the Information Systems and Human-Computer Interaction track (I-track).

• Degree Requirements for students entering with relevant MS degree: At least 60 hours.
• Degree Requirements for students entering without relevant MS degree: At least 100 hours.

Course requirements

Most of the courses that PhD students will take will be geared toward preparing the student for the Breadth exams, and for whatever other preparation the advisor deems necessary. There are some specific requirements for courses, as specified below.

Number of credits

Students must take at least 60 credits in the CDM 420 - CDM 699 range, including at least 12 credits of CSC 699 (or equivalent as approved by advisor). Non-CDM courses may be substituted with permission of the advisor.

CSC 426

Students must take CSC 426 in their first two years.

CSC 500

Students must take at least two quarters (4 credits) of CSC 500 in their first two years.

Other requirements for conditionally admitted students

Students who do not have a master's degree are considered "conditionally admitted" students. These students must complete an additional 40 credits (typically 10 courses) of graduate coursework, including 36 credits (9 courses) of CDM courses in the range of 420 - 598. No courses under CSC 420 shall count toward the PhD degree. Non-CDM courses may be substituted with permission of the advisor.

Grade requirements

Students must maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or better to remain in good standing in the program. Any course grade below B- is unsatisfactory and will not be counted toward degree requirements.

Continuous enrollment

Students must remain continuously enrolled in CSC 701 in Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters if they are not taking any other courses.

C-track

In consultation with their advisor, students in the C-track can choose two exams from among the following.

• Artificial Intelligence
• Automata Complexity and Computability
• Data Analysis and Data Mining
• Databases
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Networking
• Programming Languages and Compilers
• Software Engineering
• Systems

I-track

In consultation with their advisor, students in the I-track can choose two exams. One of the breadth exams must be selected from the following topic areas. The second breadth exam can be either one of the I-track exams listed below or a C-track exam from the previous list.

• IS Analysis
• IT Project Management
• Information Security and Compliance
• IT Policy, Strategy, and Management
• E-Commerce Technology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Graduate applicants are those who have completed, or are in process of completing, the equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution, either in the U.S. or abroad, and are applying to a graduate or professional program of study (Master's, PhD, LLM, JD).  Each graduate program establishes its own application and admission standards and deadlines, which may differ from program to program even within the same department.  

The minimum scores for direct admission are a TOEFL score of 80 (ibt), with all section scores at 20 or higher, or an IELTS score of 7.0, with all section scores at 6.5 or higher, or a Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 53. We prefer to see scores of 96 (ibt) with all section scores of 22 or better, or a 7.5 on the IELTS. Duolingo English Test scores of 110 and above qualify you for full admission; Duolingo scores of 90-109 qualify for conditional admission. Test scores are official only when received directly from the testing vendor.

Annual Cost to Attend

Tuition : $55,816

Depaul University Cost of Attendance

Tuition Rate 2020-2021 for students willing to pursue an undergraduate and postgraduate degree at DePaul University:

The distribution of expenses in the form of an estimated budget for international students looking to study in the US for 2020- 21 semesters are tabulated below: