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CS & CE Graduate Programs
Frequently Asked Questions

[General]   [Advisory Committee & Degree Plan]   [Funding]   [Registration Requirements]   [Internships]  

General Questions

Advisory Committee and the Degree Plan: requirements, restrictions, etc.

  • What is an Advisory Committee and when do I need to form one?

    The Chair of the student's Advisory Committee usually has immediate supervision of the student's research. An Advisory Committee has either one Chair or two Co-Chairs. The Chair or a Co-Chair must be a member of the Department's graduate faculty, and in the case of computer engineering degrees, the Chair or a Co-Chair must be a member of the computer engineering faculty. (see the Graduate Brochure (pdf) for a listing of computer engineering faculty). For all degrees, a clear majority of the members of the Advisory Committee must be from the department and at least one committee member must be from another department (the Chair(s) count as members). Advisory committees must have at least 3 members for Master's degrees and at least 4 members for Doctoral degrees. Note that all faculty with joint appointments in the Department will be considered as Departmental faculty when evaluating the composition of the committee.

    Advisory Committees can have supplemental members that are not members of the Texas A&M graduate faculty (and hence do not count when evaluating the composition of the committee). Supplemental members are usually added because they have some special expertise that is relevant to the student's research topic. Such members are added by ``special appointment'' requests; check with the advising office for more information.

    The Advisory Committee needs to be formed before the degree plan can be submitted because all members for the committee sign the degree plan.

  • What is a degree plan and when do I need to file one?

    A degree plan lists the courses you plan to take to fulfill the requirements for the degree you are pursuing. It is signed by you and your Advisory Committee, signifying that you accept those requirements and that your Advisory Committee accepts the responsibility of guiding you during your studies. Normally, masters students must have a degree plan on file by the end of their second semester and PhD students must have one on file by the end of their third semester. Details about course requirements for the various degrees offered by the Department can be found in the Graduate Brochure (pdf).

  • Do I need to put anything on my degree plan if I want to do an internship or co-op?

    Maybe. If you are an international student and you are interested in participating in an internship or co-op during your graduate studies, then you should probably put 1-2 credit hours of CPSC 684 (Professional Internship) on your degree plan so that you will be eligible for Curricular Practical Training (CPT). If you do not find an appropriate internship, then you can petition to remove them from your degree plan later. Consult the internship and co-op FAQ for additional information about internships and co-ops.

  • Are there any graduate CPSC courses that cannot appear on degree plans for graduate degrees offered by the Department of Computer Science?

    Yes. CPSC 601, 602, 603, 611 and 612 cannot appear on degree plans for graduate degrees in the Department of Computer Science because they are service courses offered by our department for graduate students in other departments.

  • Can any undergraduate courses appear on the degree plans for graduate degrees offered by the Department of Computer Science?

    Yes and No. No undergraduate courses can be used on PhD degree plans. However, all Master's degrees offered by the Department of Computer Science allow at most one approved 400-level CPSC undergraduate course to be used on the degree plan. Courses that cannot be used include courses apparently the same as courses the student took for their own previous degree(s) and courses that are required for the CS or CE undergraduate degree at Texas A&M. The latter include CPSC 410 (Operating Systems), CPSC 420 (Artificial Intelligence), CPSC 431 (Software Engineering), CPSC 433 (Formal Languages), CPSC 462 (Microprocessor Systems), and CPSC 483 (Computer Systems Design).

  • Can I use a course that I took at Texas A&M on my degree plan if I took a more or less equivalent course at another institution?

    No, not if that other course was used towards a previous degree. However, if you did not use the other course towards a previous degree, then you could use the TAMU course towards a TAMU degree. In this case, however, you should consider transferring the other course and applying it directly towards your TAMU degree.

  • Can I use courses that I used towards a previous degree towards my current graduate degree?

    Yes and No. In general, courses used for one degree cannot be used to reduce the number of credit hours required for another degree. An exception is that a previous related Master's degree can be used to reduce the total number of hours required for the PhD degree from 96 credits to 64 credits. However, graded courses used for a previous degree can be used to reduce the number of graded courses that need to be taken for the current degree. Typically, the student replaces the credit hours that would have been used for the courses with CPSC 691 credit hours.

    For example, if a student pursuing a PhD in Computer Science took a graduate algorithms course for a Master's degree at another institution, then the number of graded CPSC graduate coursework hours that the student needs to take for the PhD is reduced by 3 hours and they would already have satisfied the (CPSC 629, CPSC 627) core pair. As another example, suppose a student obtained a MS in computer science from our department and that they took 24` hours of graded graduate coursework as part of that degree. Then, they would file a 64 hour PhD degree plan and it would only need to have 6 credit hours (i.e., 2 courses) of graded graduate coursework on it.

  • Can I use courses I took at another university, but did not use for a degree, toward a graduate degree at Texas A&M? How do I list them on my degree plan? What do I need to do to get them transferred to TAMU?

    Yes, in many cases you can use courses you took elsewhere toward a degree at Texas A&M. The current Graduate Catalog limits transfer work for Master's students to 12 hours. While the current Graduate Catalog provides no limitation on the number of hours that may be transferred for Doctoral students, departmental regulations require that all PhD students take a minimum of 6 credit hours of graded CPSC graduate coursework (excluding 681, 684, 685, and 691) at Texas A&M University in College Station. In order to use a transfer course on your degree plan, the course cannot have been used toward a previous degree, you must earn a grade of `B' or better in it, and you must have been in degree-seeking status at either that institution or at TAMU at the time the course was taken. Other restrictions are noted on the OGS Transfer Work Factsheet.

    Transfer courses should be listed together on your degree plan and identified with an asterisk. For each course, list the department, course number and course title from the other institution (do not list information about the `equivalent' course at TAMU) and note the institution in parenthesis. If you have already taken the course, then list the grade you received (must be an 'A' or a 'B'); grades received for transfer courses do not affect your TAMU GPR.

    Credit will not be given for transfer courses until you (i) submit a degree plan which lists them and (ii) submit an official transcript from the other institution to the Office of Graduate Admissions which includes the courses.

  • Is there a limit on the number 689 courses (Special Topics) that can be used on a degree plan?

    No. Effective Spring 2005, there is no longer a limit on the number of 689 hours allowed on a degree plan. (Previously, at most 12 credit hours from a combination of 689 and transfer courses could be used on Master's degree plans.)

  • How do I enter multiple 689 courses into my online degree plan?

    The 689 courses you took may not be on the list of choices. With the online degree plan, the student first selects the 689 topic listed, even if that is not the topic they will use. Once the 689 is selected, another field will pop up to enter the topic title. Repeat this process as many times as necessary to enter all the different 689 topics that will appear on your degree plan.

  • Can I use courses taken as non-degree (G6) student towards a graduate degree?

    Maybe. If at a later date, a post baccalaureate non-degree student is admitted to a graduate degree program, with the approval of the student's graduate advisory committee, the department head, the college dean, and the Office of Graduate Studies, a maximum of 12 credit hours taken in post baccalaureate non-degree status may be used on a student's degree plan. The student should understand, however, that a college or a department may decide whether or not to accept any G6 work toward the student's graduate degree. (Previously, the department did not allow courses taken in non-degree status to be used on graduate degree plans.)

Funding Information: assistantships, scholarships, out-of-state tuition waivers, etc.

  • How can I apply for a teaching assistantship (GAT)?

    You should submit a GAT application. You should update it each semester if you want to keep your application active.

  • How can I apply for scholarships or fellowships that are administered by the department, college, or university?

    Information about awards and scholarships and fellowships, that are administered by the department, college or university can be found on the scholarship and fellowship page. This includes descriptions of the awards, a listing of previous recipients, and information about how to apply for them.

    In addition to the scholarships that are listed there, the department often awards a number of additional $1000 scholarships that qualify the recipient for in-state tuition. Students can apply for these scholarships by submitting a teaching assistantship (GAT) and scholarship application and indicating that they are interested in a scholarship.

    Since the department can receive additional monies during the year, sometimes awards are made on short notice. Students should be sure to keep their application up to date to ensure they receive full consideration for all awards.

  • What are out-of-state tuition waivers? How can I get one?

    In some cases, students that are not Texas residents can obtain out-of-state tuition waivers that enable them to pay in-state registration fees instead of the higher out-of-state registration fees. Graduate assistants (GAT, GANT or GAR) with 50% appointments are eligible for the semester in which they are employed; qualifying employment in the spring semester will also make the student eligible for an out-of-state waiver in the summer semester. Also, Students with fellowships of $1,000 or greater per academic year are eligible for all semesters during that academic year.

    In order to actually receive the out-of-state tuition waiver, eligible students must satisfy the requirements listed on OGS website, which include among other things, full-time registriation. Students that are employed in the Department will have their tuition waiver automatically processed for them. Students that are employed outside the department need to submit an Out-Of-State Tuition Waiver Form to OGS by the listed deadlines (12th day of class in fall or spring, or 4th day of class in the summer). This form is signed by the student, the Computer Science Graduate Advisor, and by the employing department. Please bring a copy of your offer letter describing your duties and pay rate when you bring the form to the advising office for the approval.

Registration/Enrollment Requirements

  • What is considered full-time enrollment for a graduate student? Is is different in summer than in the fall and spring semesters?

    A graduate student is considered full-time if they are registerd for a minimum of:

    • 9 semester credit hours during a fall or spring semester,
    • 6 semester credit hours during a 10-week summer semester, or 3 semester credit hours during a 5-week summer term (qualifies as full-time registration during that 5-week term only).

    The summer semester is confusing because there is a 10-week term and two 5-week terms that overlap it. This causes some strange situations. For example, if you register for 3 hours in the 10-week term and 3 hours in one 5-week term, then you are not considered to be full-time during the other 5-week term! Or, if you register only for the first 5-week term, you will not be able to defend your thesis/dissertation or take a prelim exam during the second 5-week term (this is true even if you took 6 hours during the first 5-week term). So, make sure your summer enrollment plans will satisfy whatever requirements you need. Generally, the safe thing is to register for 6 hours for the 10-week term.

    Note: There was a different requirement in effect for summer 2005 only that defined full-time registration as 3 semester credit hours total in any combination of 10-week or 5-week summer sessions. This pilot program was not extended, and we have returned to the summer registration requirements listed above.

  • What are (continuous) registration requirements? Do the University and the Department have the same requirements?

    The University and the Department both have registration requirements and students must satify them both.

    The Department requires a minimum enrollment of 3 credit hours a semester (fall, spring, and summer) if the student is using departmental facilities. As explained below, this is more credit hours than are required by the University for continuous registration, and it applies to all students in the Department unless they are registered In Absentia.

    The University requires all students in graduate degree programs to be in continuous registration until all requirements for the degree have been completed. This can be satisfied by registering for at least one credit hour during the fall, spring and 10-week summer semesters. Summer registration will not be required unless a student plans to take examinations, or use University resources including any interaction with their graduate committee, during the summer. The continuous registration requirement may be satisfied by registering either In Absentia or In Residence. See the graduate catalog for more details on the university registration requirements.

  • What are the registration requirements for students with fellowships or graduate assistantships (GAT, GANT, or GAR)? Is the summer different?

    Students holding fellowships or graduate assistantships must be registered full-time during the fall, spring and summer semesters in order to be paid during that semester. (It used to be that some students on assistantships did not have to register during the summer. This is no longer true.) Remember, full-time registration is also required for out-of-state tuition waivers.

  • What are the registration requirements for students to qualify for out-of-state tuition waivers?

    Students must be registered full-time to qualify for an out-of-state tuition waiver.

  • Are there different registration requirements for international students?

    Important: Since each student's situation can be unique, what is described below may not apply to all students. Thus, each student should verify their situation with International Student Services.

    The University and Department do not have any special or extra registration requirements for international students. However, the student's visa status may impose additional requirements. Usually, international students must be full-time students during fall and spring semesters, and they do not need to be registered in the summer unless they need to for academic reasons (e.g., defending, graduating) or if they have an assistantship (in which case they must also be full-time in the summer according to registration requirements for assistantships).

    Students may qualify for a full course waiver during their last semester - but you should be sure to check with International Student Services about the consequences if you do not complete the degree in a semester of a full course waiver.

  • What are the circumstances under which a graduate student can be certified as full-time even though they are registered for less than the number of hours required for full-time enrollment? What do I need to do get approved for this?

    Notes: (1) All students holding an assistantship or fellowship must be registered for the number of credits required for full-time enrollment. The only exception applies to some students in their last semester and is described here. (2) International Students must acquire approval from the International Student Services Office. (3) If you believe that you meet the requirements listed below, then contact the advising office to ask them to submit a request for full-time certification on your behalf.

    Students completing an internship or co-op experience for which academic credit is awarded may be certified as full-time with less than the number of hours required for full-time enrollment. Beginning in Fall 2005, students should register for CPSC 684 (Professional Internship); until then, CPSC 685 (Directed Studies) can be used instead.

    Students in their last semester may be certified full-time with registation of less than the number of hours required for full-time enrollment if they have completed ALL course work on their degree plan or they are registered in the final course(s) that will complete all course work on the degree plan. This will be approved for one semester only.

  • Special situations applying to a student's last semester:

  • Do courses taken from the English Language Institute count toward enrollment requirements?

    Yes and No. In most cases they can be used like any other credits. However, they do not count toward a full load that is required for fellowships, assistantships, or scholarships that qualifies for a waiver of out-of-state tuition. Also, grades in ELI courses are not included in GPR calculations and hence do not count when computing the degree plan and cumulative GPRs needed for eligibility for graduation, etc.

  • What is the difference between "In Residence" registration and "In Absentia" registration?

    The cost of In Absentia registration is less than for In Residence registration. Students normally register In Residence. In order to qualify for In Absentia registration, a student must not have access to or use facilities or properties belonging to or under the jurisdiction of The Texas A&M University System at any time during the semester or summer term for which he or she is enrolled.

  • Is there a maximum number of hours that I can enroll in during any given semester? What should I do if I want to enroll for more?

    Yes, the maximum allowed number of hours for graduate students is 18 hours in a fall or spring semester, 15 hours in a 10-week summer session, and 9 hours in a 5-week summer session. It a student wants to take more hours, then they must submit a Petition for Waivers or Exceptions to University Requirements. The petition should list the courses (numbers and section numbers) that the student wishes to take, and it should be handled like all other petitions - brought to the advising office after it has been signed by the student and their committee (except for MCS and MEN students who have the default committee and so do not need to collect signatures).

Internships and Cooperative Education

  • How do I get an internship?

    Students obtain internships like most other jobs - by applying in response to announcements, from their advisor's contacts, through the career center, etc. In many cases, companies and national laboratories will have application deadlines early in the spring semester for summer internships. Most, but not all, internships will be in the summer.

  • What are Co-ops and what is the difference from an internship?

    Cooperative Education jobs are similar to internships. The main difference is that the employer has agreed to a set of rules that govern the employment, certain responsibilities including mentoring the student, and good faith efforts to continuing employment of such students.

  • Do I need to register when I am on an internship or co-op?

    U.S. citizens and permanent residents on internships do not have to enroll during the summer, but they need to register for at least one credit hour of CPSC 684 during fall and spring semesters to satisfy the continuous registration requirement. Registration requirements are similar for cooperative education students except they must also register in the summer. (CPSC 684 will be available starting Fall 2005.)

    International students can participate in internships and co-ops during their academic program as Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or Optional Practical Training (OPT). To be eligible for CPT, students usually need to have CPSC 684 (Professional Internship) or, before fall 2005, CPSC 685 (Directed Studies), on their degree plan. During the internship or co-op, the student should register for at least one credit hour of CPSC 684 (or, prior to fall 2005, CPSC 685) during the summer and full-time during the fall and spring semesters. Students on internships can request full-time certification for less than the number of hours required for full-time enrollment when they are on internships and co-ops. Students should check with International Student Services for information about CPT and OPT.



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