The UNIVERSITY of NORTH CAROLINA at CHAPEL HILL Advising Info (rules, etc) Janet Jones Jan Prins Anselmo Lastra

The UNIVERSITY of NORTH CAROLINA at CHAPEL HILL

Advising Info (rules, etc)

Janet JonesJan Prins

Anselmo Lastra


Format

• Slides with topics♦ And a few auxiliary slides

• We’ll chime in with information

• Add topics/ask questions as needed


Factors In Course Selection (1)• Definitive source for course

offerings♦ www.cs.unc.edu/Admin/Schedules♦ http://facultystaffcentral.unc.edu/

trails

• Distribution courses ♦ vs. getting started on research courses

• Remediation courses♦ Advisor takes the lead!

• Generating a qual slate


Factors (2)

• Courses external to the department

• Appropriate courses and tuition remission

• Graduate credit (100 and above)

• Full-time registration and waiver of hours


Registration, Drop/Add

• Department registrars♦ Karen Thigpen♦ David Stotts

• PINs♦ faculty access from dept academic affairs page

• Deadlines♦ Late fee for late registration (Tues, 30th)♦ Last add is on Tues, Sept. 6

• Tuition penalty for late drops (next)!


Course Drop

• Official Deadlines♦ Sept. 12 – last day to drop & adjust

tuition♦ Nov. 21 – last day for grad. drop

• Dropping after first may cost the student $2200+!!!

• Seehttp://gradschool.unc.edu/pdf/tuition_drop_dates.pdf


Factors (3)

• Transfer and waiving of courses♦ We’re often asked about waiving

distribution courses♦ Alsohttp://handbook.unc.edu/coursecredit.html

• COMP 390 vs. 391 vs. 393 vs. 394

• Module courses


Residence credit

• MS 2 semesters, PhD 4 (2 contiguous)♦ Nine or more credit hours earn a full

semester of residence.♦ Six to eight credit hours earn one-half

semester of residence.♦ Three to five credit hours earn one-fourth

semester of residence.♦ Fewer than 3 hours do not count toward

residence credit.


The Qual

• Deadlines♦ Fri Aug 26 - declaration of intent + proposed

slate of courses

• Qual permission and bypass♦ considered in Sep 2 faculty meeting

• Rules governing course selection♦ http://www.cs.unc.edu/Admin/Exams/Qual/

• Forfeit – take it or lose it

Orientation 2004


Residency• In or Out of state (delta of $8800)

♦ paid from the department’s tuition remission allocation♦ when this runs out

• we may be bailed out– but not unless we can show due diligence in establishing in-state residency

• we may have to cover from trust funds• latest out-of-state tuition raise is not matched by increase in tuition

remission allocation– plus the grad school’s allocation is insufficient to begin with

• Extent of arm twisting• What it takes to establish residency

http://gradschool.unc.edu/residency/index.html• How to do it

♦ For 1st year students, there are some steps that help• NC drivers license• Register car in NC

• Deadlines♦ Tue Sep 6

• Dept. will contact students who may be eligible this year


Full-Time Status

• Registers for 9 or more graduate credit hours in a fall or spring semester; or

• Registers for a minimum of 3 hours of thesis (393), or dissertation (394) in a fall or spring semester. Note: A student may register for additional courses as needed, but if registering for less than 9 hours, this must include a minimum of 3 hours of 392/393/394 to be considered full-time; or

• Registers for fewer than 9 graduate credit hours in a fall or spring semester, exclusive of 392/393/394, and has been granted a “waiver of hours” for that semester.

• Waiver of hours form


Foreign Students

• OPT, CPT♦ Optional Practical Training♦ Curricular Practical Training

• Consequences of academic ineligibility

• Consequences of dropping below full-time registration

• http://oisss.unc.edu/


IP and Writing Requirement• MS technical writing

requirement♦ Register for 291


Other Possible Topics

• Leaves of absence♦ First year granted automatically♦ Second year requires letter of

support from advisor♦ Typically no 3rd year♦ Can’t get one if you’re on an

extension


Rules

• Department web site♦ Academic affairs

• http://www.cs.unc.edu/Admin/• Official MS and PhD requirements • Student progress forms

• Grad School Rules♦ http://handbook.unc.edu/

Orientation 2004


BACKUP SLIDES


Distribution requirement

Four of the following, at least one from each category

Systems204 - Software Design and Impl. 240 - Compilers241 - Internet Architecture and

Performance

242 - Operating Systems 243 - Distributed Systems

Diverse203 - Parallel and Distributed Computing 206 - Computer Architecture and

Implementation 235 - Graphics, Images, Vision 261 - Elements of Hardware Systems

Formal

202 - Algorithm Analysis 250 - Scientific Computing244 - Advanced Programming

Languages 247 - Concurrent and Distributed

Algorithms281 - Computational Geometry


Possible ways to make up missing background

• take the missing course• complete a more advanced

course that subsumes the content

• arrange an independent study♦ variable credit graduate module courses♦ Reading course


Background Courses

• Computer Science ♦ COMP 120 Computer Organization ♦ COMP 121 Data Structures ♦ COMP 122 Algorithms and Analysis ♦ Any two of the following

• COMP 130 Files and Databases • COMP 140 Compilers • COMP 142 Operating Systems

♦ COMP 144 Programming Language Concepts ♦ COMP 181 Models of Languages and Computation

• Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Engineering♦ MATH 33 Calculus of Functions of Several Variables ♦ MATH 81 Discrete Mathematics ♦ MATH 147 Linear Algebra♦ MATH 191 Numerical Analysis (Scientific Computing I) ♦ STAT 126 Probability♦ COMP 160 Digital Logic and Computer Design


Qual Course Rules

• All courses must be UNC-CH COMP courses numbered 100 or higher carrying 3 hours of credit.

• At least one of the courses must involve "formal thinking". Courses in this category include 122, 181, and any course in the Formal area of the distribution requirements, but others may qualify as well.

• A course not taken for credit in our program may be included in the list, provided it is not a prerequisite of another course in the list. This means, for example, that COMP 122 (the undergraduate algorithms course) may not be included if COMP 202 (the graduate algorithms course) is on the list, unless COMP 122 was taken for credit. The UNC syllabus for the appropriate course defines the content area that the student will be expected to address in the exam.


COMP 390 - 304

• COMP 390 Research Seminar in Computer Science (0.5-3)

Prerequisite, permission of the instructor. Seminars in various topics offered by members of the faculty.

• COMP 391 Reading and Research (1-3) Prerequisite, permission of the instructor. Directed reading and research in selected advanced topics.

• COMP 393 Master's Thesis (Variable) • COMP 394 Doctoral Dissertation (Varia

ble)


Module Courses• COMP 220 Mathematical Theory for Computer Science (Variable, 0-

2.5 each)

• COMP 221 Mathematical Theory for Computer Science (Variable, 0-2.5 each)

• COMP 222 Programming Languages and Techniques (Variable, 0-2.5 each)

• COMP 223 Programming Languages and Techniques (Variable, 0-2.5 each)

• COMP 224 Mathematical Models in Computer Science (Variable, 0.2-5 each)

• COMP 225 Mathematical Models in Computer Science (Variable, 0.2-5 each)

• COMP 226 Computer Systems (Variable, 0.2-5 each)

• COMP 227 Computer Systems (Variable, 0.2-5 each)


Grades

GradeH+

H H- P+ P P- L+ L L- F

Weight

+5 +3 +1 -1 -3 - 5 -7 -9 -11 -∞

• Graduate grades♦ H, P, L and F

• Augmented with +, - in this department only

• PC (Peter Calingaert) score♦ weighted average of grades

Orientation 2004


Grade requirements

• Academic eligibility (Grad school rule)♦ no failing grades♦ at most two “L” grades

• Distribution course grades (our rule)♦ four distribution courses with grade P- or better♦ four distribution courses with PC score

-3.0 (MS) 0.0 (PhD)

Orientation 2004


Course requirements

Technical writing (0 – 3 hrs) Electives (6 – 18 hrs)

up to 12 hrs outside dept up to 6 hrs transferred from

previous graduate work

Total: 30 credit hours

Technical communication (3 hrs) Individualized program of study (0 – 30 hrs)

primary concentration secondary concentration mathematical skills external supporting program

Dissertation research ( 3 hrs)

Total: no fixed hour requirement

M.S. Degree

Background Courses (0 – 6 hrs) Distribution Courses (12 hrs) Program Product (0 – 3 hrs) Ph.D. Degree

Orientation 2004


Exam structure

• Integrative paper

OR

• MS comprehensive oral exam

• Qualifying exam (“Qual”) or a bypass

• Integrative paper (“IP”)

• (Dissertation proposal)

• Doctoral oral exam

• Final oral examination: the “Defense”

M.S. Degree Ph.D. Degree


Admission to PhD program • By vote of faculty based on consideration of

♦ Grades• overall PC score 0 expected but not required

♦ Performance in assistantships♦ Research potential and accomplishments♦ Qualifying examination

• Examination of creativity, ability to integrate material, and formal thinking

• May be waived if PC score > 2.0 and there exists strong faculty support for admission

• May be attempted twice - forfeit counts as a failure

• Generally first considered in 3rd semester♦ Faculty provides guidance on Qualifying exam

candidacy• Proceed, waive, or not recommended

♦ Admission considered following administration of Qualifying exam

Orientation 2004


Additional requirements

• Technical writing requirement (MS only)

• Writing course option (COMP 291)• Thesis option • Outside review option

– previously written document meeting requirements

• Program product• Course option

– Software Engineering (COMP 145)– Advanced software engineering topics courses

» XP, systematic testing• External project

– Industry or academic experienceOrientation 2004


Additional requirements

• Residence credit♦ MS: 2 semesters♦ PhD: 4 semesters

• Classroom teaching requirement (PhD only)

• Time limit♦ 5 years for MS♦ 8 years for PhD

Orientation 2004


Graduate Studies Committee

• Review customized programs of study against requirements

• Track progress and encourage it

• Act on petitions♦ Presentation to faculty and graduate school

• Back-up advising + signatures♦ me

Orientation 2004

Documents

The UNIVERSITY of NORTH CAROLINA at CHAPEL HILL Advising Info (rules, etc) Janet Jones Jan Prins Anselmo Lastra