CS Graduate Orientation

August 24, 2011

Slides from today are available at

http://www.cs.rpi.edu/admissions/

grad/orientation11f/

Welcome

• Introductions

• Chair’s Welcome

• Computer Systems

• Degree Requirements and Administrative Information

• Peer advisors

• Mixer

Agenda

• Salmon form for your reference

• Blue information form to fill out and return.

• Goldenrod evaluation form to fill out and return at end.

• Keys

In your packets

• Where are you from? (country, school, job, etc.)

• Are you here for MS or PhD?

• What is your intended research area?

• What do you like to do for fun?

• Anything else you’d like to share about yourself?

Introductions

• Usual hours: M-F 8:30-5:00, lunch 12-1

• No appointment needed

• If my door is shut, I’m either not there, or busy.

• If I’m not there, Chris Coonrad can tell you whether I’ll be right back.

• If I don’t reply to your email, stop by my office.

Contacting Me

• Staff directory:http://www.cs.rpi.edu/people/staff.html

• Faculty research interests:http://www.cs.rpi.edu/people/faculty.html

• Committees:http://www.cs.rpi.edu/people/committee/

• When in doubt, contact Terry.

• Graduate students often call faculty by their first names, but if in doubt, faculty can be addressed as Professor [last name]

People

• Role of advisor

• Research advisor vs. CS advisor

• If you have a problem with your advisor, you can go to the department chair.

• If you want to change advisors, talk to the advisor you want to switch to. If he/she agrees to the change, let me know and I’ll make the change. You should also inform your original advisor about the switch.

Advisors

• Two types of admits: research supervisor and department.

• If you were a department admit, you have an advisor in your area, but this person might not be your permanent advisor.

Department Admits

• Indicates you are working on research.

• At first, take a few per semester.

• Later you’ll be taking all research credits.

• Keep taking research credits until thesis done, even if you have enough.

• Research credits are graded S/U.

• S grade indicates progress, real goal is thesis completion.

Research Credits

• You need at least 24 credits of CSCI-9990 to get a PhD.

• You need at least 6 credits of CSCI-6990 to get an MS.

• If you can’t find the right type of research credits on the class hour schedule, contact Terry.

• Don’t register for CSCI-6990 if you need CSCI-9990.

Registering forResearch Credits

• 1000, 2000, 4000 level: undergraduate, 4 credits

• 6000 level: graduate level, 3 credits.

• 1000 and 2000 level:

• Do not count for graduate degree.

• Do count toward credit total for tuition and full-time status.

Course credits, p. 1

• A limited number of 4000 level courses may count toward the degree.

• PhD: 15 or 1/3 of course credits may be 4000 level.

• MS: At least 18 credits must be 6000 level.

• 4000/6000 level courses.

• Meet together

• Requirements may be different.

Course credits, p. 2

• TAs must take at least 9 credits.

• Others must take at least 12 credits to maintain full-time status.

• Maximum number of credits covered by full-time tuition is 15.

• TAs often take 2-3 classes.

• You can use research credits to take more credits without taking more classes.

How many credits to take

• If you can’t register for a class because it is full, contact the professor and/or go to class the first day to find out if you can get it in anyway.

• The Authorization form allows you to register for a class even though it is full.

• An Independent Study form is required to register for an independent study.

Registration issues

• If you enter as full-time, you can’t change to part-time when you have few credits left. Instead, you must take as many credits as needed to attain full-time status.

• You can’t just not register for a semester. If you aren’t going to be taking any credits, you need to have some status such as in absentia, on leave, etc.

Maintaining your status

• 72 credits if you do not have prior MS– At least 36 course credits– At least 24 research credits – You can also get MS on way to PhD with a few

additional requirements.

• 48 credits if you have prior MS:– At least 12 course credits– At least 24 research credits

• At least 2/3 of course credits at 6000 level.

PhD Credits

• New this year.

• Ignore information on web site about oral exams – that is for students who entered previously.

• Must do well in courses in 5 areas.

• 3 required areas

• Choose 2 of 5 optional areas.

PhD Core Qualifying Exam, p. 1

• Must get at least 2 As, no more than 1 B+.

• If grade is not good enough, take another course in the area.

• Must complete by end of third semester.

• If course is offered at both 4000 and 6000 level, must take 6000 level.

• Details at http://www.cs.rpi.edu/academics/grad/qual.html

PhD Core Qualifying Exam, p. 2

• Area 1 CSCI-6050 Computability and Complexity

• Area 2 CSCI-6140 Computer Operating SystemsECSE-6660 Broadband and Optical Networks

• Area 3CSCI-6969 Programming Languages

Fall 2011 courses in required core qual areas

• Area 4CSCI-4480 Robotics ICSCI-6270 Computational Vision

• Area 5CSCI-4150 Artificial IntelligenceCSCI-4380 Database SystemsCSCI-6100 Machine LearningCSCI-6390 Database Mining

Fall 2011 courses in optional areas 4-5

• Area 6CSCI-4800 Numerical ComputingCSCI-6800 Computational Linear AlgebraMANE-6660 Fundamentals of Finite ElementsMATP-4600 Probability Theory and Applications

Fall 2011 courses in optional area 6

• Area 7 (do not take unless you have pre-requisites)BIOL-4760 Molecular Biochemistry IBIOL-6260 Advanced Cell BiologyBIOL-6690 Advanced Molecular Biology

• Area 8CSCI-6961 Data ScienceCSCI-6962 Semantic eScience

Fall 2011 courses in optional areas 7-8

• Committee

• End of second year: research qualifying exam

• End of third year: candidacy exam

• End of everything: defense

• 1 public talk

• Colloquium attendance

Other PhD requirements

• CSCI-6140 Operating Systems

• CSCI-6050 Computability and Complexity

• 1 systems course, 1 theory course

• At least 18 credits at 6000 level

• 6 credit thesis

• 30 credits total

• Colloquium attendance

• Committee

• Oral presentation

MS Requirements

• Full-time graduate students must attend at least 32 colloquia or 50% of those offered in their first 2 years.

• Sign-in sheet at colloquia.

• Checked in semiannual review of students.

• MS students who finish in less than 2 years must attend 8 per semester or 50%.

• Not applicable for part-time students.

• All are encouraged to attend.

Colloquium Attendance

• Graduate students are reviewed at the end of each semester.

• You will need to fill out an online form to report your progress.

• You will receive a letter about how you are doing and expectations for the coming semester.

Semiannual review of students

• Certifies department approval of your courses and research credits.

• Will be needed at graduation, and any time you submit a request to the Office of Graduate Education.

• Can re-do as often as needed if you change your plans.

• Credits must total 72 for PhD or 30 for MS.

• Signed by you, advisor, and GPD.

Plan of Study

• Prepare forms in advance of deadlines because signatures can’t be obtained instantaneously.

• For Graduate Program Director or Department Chair signature, give form to Terry Hayden.

• For Dean of Graduate Education, give form to Celia Paquette, or Terry will send.

Signatures

• Please register ASAP if on payroll

• International studentsSee Judy Sawyer, x2385, sawyej@rpi.eduBring Passport.

• Domestic studentsSee Pam Paslow in MRC 304, 7:00am-2:30pm M-F. (Except Aug. 26, 29) Bring – photo ID and social security card

OR– US passport

Financial support

• Pick up check in Academy Hall every other Friday or get direct deposit (see Pam Paslow and bring voided check).

• If picking up your check on a day other than payday, you’ll need to go the Rice Building (take shuttle bus).

Financial support, p. 2

• Your stipend will be divided by the number of pay periods per semester.

• If your information is entered late, you will not get paid until the second payday, but your checks will be larger.

• The number of pay periods may vary from semester to semester, which means the amount of your paycheck may change from semester to semester.

Financial support, p. 3

• It’s a rocky road to get a PhD

• Some people change advisors

• Some people fail the qualifying exams

• Some people join as a PhD student but leave with MS only

• Don’t be discouraged if you don’t follow the path you expected. Just find the path that’s right for you.

Changes

• Academic: Success in research requires initiative.

• Administrative: Don’t hesitate to ask me questions. Exceptions to rules may be possible.

• Social: The department can be as fun as you want to make it– Organize events– Party list– Photos on web site

Initiative

• Read mail sent to your CS and RPI email addresses.

• Contact me if you do not receive mail from csgrads email list.

• Check mailbox in Amos Eaton.

Stay informed

• We have poster sessions where you can learn about research going on in the department.

Poster Sessions

• Rest rooms in Lally

• Lally, Amos Eaton, MRC, Winslow.

• http://www.cs.rpi.edu/admissions/grad/floorplan.html

• Dept. office, faculty/staff mailboxes

• Student mailboxes, lounge

• Conference rooms, kitchenettes

• Department library (i.e. bookshelf) http://www.cs.rpi.edu/internal.html

Places

• You will share an office with others in your research group.

• If your research advisor is in a different department, your advisor should provide space there. If not, contact Terry Hayden to see if you can get space in CS.

• Use AE 217 for TA office hours.

Student offices, p. 1

• Talk with your officemates about sharing space, who sits at which desk.

• Work with officemates to make your office nice. Check with staff if your office needs anything, such as a chair, desk, white board, etc.

• Check phone and phone number.

• Repair problems may be sent to fixx@rpi.edu.

Student offices, p. 2

• Check with all your officemates, and if you find things that belong to none of the occupants, discard them. Or if you think someone may want them, check with department staff.

• When you move out, be courteous to future occupants and remove your stuff.

Student offices, p. 3

• Key rings available

• Staff have master keys

• If key is missing, you have a note

• If key missing and you don’t have note, see Terry in office

• Everyone has:– KA48 lab, lounge, coffee room, xerox– 1B59 Amos Eaton building

Keys, Part 1

• Some people also have an office key

• If your advisor is outside CS or in Tetherless World, get office assignment and key through advisor

• If your office is in MRC, you will have card access to the building, MG15 for conference room, and MG8 for xerox.

Keys, Part 2

• If your office is in Lally, you also have MOA25 for Lally building

• Lally building key works in front door and one of two back doors.

• To unlock Lally front door, turn key, then push button.

Keys, Part 3

• Return forms to Terry later– Evaluation form after mixer

• Peer advising

• Key rings

• Mixer– Pick up table assignments– Nametags– Change tables when bell rings.

What’s next?