CS Graduate Orientation

August 25, 2010

Slides from today are available at

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

grad/orientation10f/

Welcome

• Introductions

• Degree Requirements and Administrative Information

• Computer Systems

• Peer advisors

• Mixer

• Photos

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?

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

Introductions

• 26 new students, of which 14 are new to RPI

• About 92 total CS students

• About 75% are PhD students.

• 13% female

• 53% from US, 20% China, 11% India, 5% Turkey, 11% others.

People: Students

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

• Terry Hayden, Manager of Student Affairs

• Bob Ingalls, Executive Officer

• Chris Coonrad, Lally, Dept Secretary

• Shannon Carrothers, MRC, grad. adm., SCNARC

• Pam Paslow, Amos Eaton, payroll

• Sharon Simmons, Assistant to Chair

• Jacky Carley, Tetherless World

People: Administrative Staff

• 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 within a few days, stop by my office.

Contacting Me

• Joey Armstrong

• Steven Lindsey

People: Labstaff

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

• Martin Hardwick, Acting Dept. Head

• Boleslaw Szymanski, Chair, GCC

• Mark Goldberg, Graduate Program Director (but contact via Terry)

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

People: Faculty

• 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

• If you were not admitted by a particular advisor, you are a “department admit.”

• You have an academic advisor, but not a research supervisor.

• Talk to faculty and try to get a research supervisor soon.

Department Admits

• Most students are in the general CS program, but there are also tracks for Computational Molecular Biology and Computational Science and Engineering.

• The qualifying exam courses are different for the different tracks.

• There are no required courses for the general PhD program, but there are some for the tracks.

PhD Tracks

• 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

• The four components of the exam, based on the content of four courses, are taken separately.

• You may pass each component by course or by oral.

• You have two chances at each component.

• The PhD qualifying exam must be passed by the end of the first year (last chance is Fall 2011 oral exams).

PhD Qualifying Exam

• CSCI-4020 Computer Algorithms (spring)

• CSCI-6050 Computability and Complexity (fall)

• CSCI-6140 Operating Systems (fall)

• CSCI-6969 Programming Languages (fall and spring)

Qualifying Exam Courses

• Must get final grade of A.

• A- does not count.

• You may not take the course twice as a grad student. (May re-take as grad if you have taken previously as undergrad)

• If you took at RPI before joining PhD program and got A, contact Terry.

• If you took elsewhere, demonstrate your knowledge in oral exam.

Qualifying Exams: Taking the courses

• Offered at start of Fall & Spring semesters.

• You will meet with 3 faculty examiners.

• You will be asked one or several questions from a list available in advance.

• Password to view questions online: 5components

• Some components give you time to prepare after you are told the questions; others don’t.

Oral qualifying exams

• 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

• No more than 12 credits at 4000 level

• 6 credit thesis

• 30 credits total

• Colloquium attendance

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

• 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.

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

How many credits to take

• 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.

• Research credits are graded S/U.

• S grade indicates progress, real goal is thesis submitted at time of degree completion.

• Keep taking research credits until thesis done.

Research Credits

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

• If you can’t find the right type of research credits on the class hour schedule, contact Bob Ingalls and he will add them.

Registering forResearch Credits

• Three classes is a reasonable load.

• If you are TA, you might take only two.

• Most new students will take:CSCI-6050 Computability and ComplexityCSCI-6140 Computer Operating Systems

• You might take a course recommended by your advisor.

• MS students might take courses to fulfill the breadth requirement.

• You might also take some research credits.

What 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

• 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.

• Could do once near beginning and once near end.

• 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

• Many forms need to be signed by Graduate Program Director and Dean of Graduate Education.

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

• For Graduate Program Director, give form to Terry Hayden.

• For Dean of Graduate Education, give form to Kate Norman, 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. 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).

• The number of pay periods may vary from semester to semester, which means the amount of your paycheck may change. The total paid per semester will stay the same.

Financial support, p. 2

• Some of you will not get paid until the second payday.

• The total amount for the semester will be the same.

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 email address.

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

• Check mailbox in Amos Eaton.

Stay informed

• We have poster sessions about once a month 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

• AE 107, 205, or 206, were previously unoccupied. Talk to Terry Hayden or Chris Coonrad about getting more furniture.

• For other offices, you will be joining an office which is already occupied.

• 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.

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

• 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

• Get your photo taken

• Key rings

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

What’s next?