1. Transitioning to Semesters CSE PhD Program
Prof. Gagan Agrawal
Grad Studies Chair

2. Quarters Vs. Semesters Quarter System Semester System
Academic Year Divided into 3 quarters
Fall, Winter, Spring
10 weeks of classes in each, 1 week final exams
Semester System
Academic Year Divided into 2 semesters
Fall and Spring
14 weeks of classes, final exams

3. Basic Conversion Rule 1 quarter credit == 2/3 semester credit
Follow all semester program requirements + conversion rules if you finish coursework Summer 2012 onwards
Conversion rules designed to allow easy transition

4. PhD Program Three Stages Qualification Process
Quals or Acceleration Option
Maximum Change
Post-quals – Pre-candidacy
Research and Coursework
Straight-forward conversion for major and minor requirements
Post-candidacy
Dissertation Research
No Impact

5. The Graduate (Foundational) Core
Quarter System
5 classes form the graduate core
725 (Theory of Computation)
755 (Programming Languages)
760 (Advanced Operating Systems)
775 (Computer Architecture)
780 (Algorithms)
3 credits each, each offered 2-3 times a year

6. Ph.D: Core/Qualifying (Current)
Qualifying examination
Offered twice a year, September and March
4 1.5 hr exams based upon the 4 out of core areas (780 required)
A max of two attempts are allowed
Direct Ph.D track students are normally expected to take it after the first year
Must pass within your second year to be eligible for support later
Acceleration Option
Take 4/5core classes for credit within first three quarters (780 required)
Have a 3.6 average in these classes
Can count best 4 – but must include 780
Need to complete the `fifth’ core class with C or better

7. Semester Rules for Core/Qualifying
Each Core Class Extended to be 3 Semester Credits
CSE Theory
CSE Algorithms
CSE PL
CSE Architecture
CSE 6431 – OS
For acceleration/quals, take
CSE (Algorithms)
CSE (Theory) OR CSE 6341 (PL)
CSE (Architecture) OR CSE 6431 (OS)
Acceleration: 3.6 in three courses (as above) within first 2 semesters
Qualifiers: 2 hour exam in each area (6 hours total, over 1 ½ days)

8. More Details of Acceleration
If you take multiple tries in a course
We will count the first attempt only
Conditional pass only
Need to finish a research piece in second year!
These rules are unchanged

9. Ph.D Qualifying A max of two attempts are allowed
Direct Ph.D track students are normally expected to take it after the first year
Must pass within your second year to be eligible for support later
No change in these rules!

10. Timing for Comps/Quals
August (2012 onwards)
Just before Fall Classes start
March (2013 onwards)
During spring break (middle of spring semester)
2 days, 3 2-hour exams (August 2013 onwards)
Day 1 morning, Day 1 afternoon, Day 2 morning

11. Transition Plan for Quals
PhD quals/comps will follow old format for August 2012, March 2013
5 90 minute exams, take exam in 4 areas
Exams based only on material covered in quarter courses
Transition to New Format in August 2013
3 2-hour exams, based on semester courses
Best to be done before that!

12. Transition Plan for Core Class Requirements
General rule
Need 9 sem-cr-hours of graduate core (a quarter class only provides 2)
If you finish acceleration in spring 2012
Will need the fifth core class
Might be better off finishing it in quarter system

13. Acceleration for Students Starting in Wi/Sp 2012
On a case by case basis
Hopefully, no one in this situation!

14. Types of Classes (Ph.D students)
Core Classes - 6xxx
Primarily Undergrad Courses
5xxx, 2 credits
Meets with a 3 credit 3xxx courses
Mostly for making up deficiencies in background - could count for certain minors
Other and 6000 level letter graded courses
5xx9 replaces 788s, research-oriented but letter graded
Research Credits
888s replaced by 6xx9
Independent Study (793) is now 8193
999s for MS students and 6999
999s for PhD students (Pre-candidacy) and 8999 (Post-Candidacy)

15. Stage 2 - Ph.D Coursework Requirements - Quarters
One major and two minors
Major:
15 graded credits, not including core
Minor:
9 credits in each, not including core
A total of 3 credits across 2 minors could be non-graded: 793/888

16. PhD Coursework (Semesters)
PhD Major will be 10 semester credits
Semester Credits + 2/3rd of Quarter Credits
Only letter graded courses
Can use a semester core class not used for qualifying
E.g. Semester Architecture, if Semester OS used for qualifying
Details for each area coming soon

17. PhD Coursework (Semesters)
PhD Minors will be 6 semester credits each
Semester Credits + 2/3rd of Quarter Credits
At most 1 S/U credit (e.g. 888 or 6xx9).
Can use a semester core class not used for qualifying
E.g. Semester Architecture, if Semester OS used for qualifying
Details for each area coming soon

18. Transition Rules
Follow semester requirements if finishing courses after summer 2012
Semester Credits + 2/3 * Quarter Credits
Core + Major + Minor-1 + Minor-2 >= 31 semester credits
Will allow short-fall of up to 1 credit in each major/minor area i.e.
Major >= 9 semester credits
Each Minor >= 5 semester credits

19. Clarification/Questions
Documents
Your academic advisor
Your academic advisor 
Please do not me or ask to meet me
350 graduate students to be managed in 10% of my time !!
Already dealing with 2200 grad program related s annually – before semester conversion!!
I can answer clarification questions if approached by your advisor!