Hello knowser-ga:
It is a pleasure to answer your question. I am going to describe here
the important aspects of getting admission into a PhD program provided
that you are a professional doing a full time job. I will also
discuss, how you may know which institutions fit your needs and how to
access information regarding their PhD program.
PART TIME PHD PROGRAM
It is certain that you will have to go for a part time PhD program, if
you are a busy professional. Actually, it depends on the institution
whether it provides a part-time PhD program or not. Fortunately, more
institutions in the United States are getting aware of the demanding
work environment these days and are allowing students to pursue a part
time PhD program. This is mainly done by providing additional evening
classes or extra lab and library timings.
It should also be noticeable that different institutions have
different requirements for part time PhD program. Some universities
require students to reside on campus for the first year. Other
universities may require students to attend certain courses in the
morning on specific days. Again, most universities are getting an
awareness of the demanding work schedules therefore more and more
institutions are flexible these days which increases the chances of
getting into a flexible part time PhD program.
ADMISSION CRITERIA
The admission criteria differ from institution to institution but
generally there are two basic requirements in order to get into a PhD
program. These include:
1. GRE test score for admission into computer science and related programs.
2. At least, a Masters degree from an accredited university or
college. (If you have a master?s degree from an institution outside
the United States, make sure that the degree is at least equal to a
Masters degree from the US institution. If you are not sure you may
send your documents to the educational credit evaluations services in
the United States such as Educational Services Inc.
http://www.evaluationservice.net/esiservi.html)
The above mentioned criteria are considered to be the basic
requirements. There may be other requirements by the universities
which may differ widely.
Again, it is important to note that there are few universities which
do not require a candidate to have a Master?s degree and evaluate a
candidate on a different scale. Furthermore, there are institutions
which have as very competitive selection criteria. A candidate may
fulfill all the requirements but still may not get into the program.
FINANCIAL AID
Most universities only grant financial aid to full-time students. It
is highly advisable that you seek independent grants and do not rely
on the university to finance your education.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
As with any other program, there are several other minor
considerations. Most universities that grant a PhD in computer science
and related field require to candidate to posses a related degree in
Masters or at least in their Bachelor?s program. A few universities
require students to reside in the immediate geographical area although
it is rare. Similarly, federal and private organizations provide aid
to students based on their residency status in the United States i.e.
Citizen, Permanent Residence or international etc.
WHERE TO GET THE INFORMATION?
So, where to start from? The first step is to seek which universities
provide a PhD program in computer science and related fields. It is my
personal opinion that the best online resource to start this kind of
research is ?Princeton Review? website. Log onto their advanced
graduate school section at
http://www.princetonreview.com/grad/research/advsearch/match.asp
It will allow you to select an institution by the type of program,
tuition, GRE score, geographic area and much more. First locate the
institutions that provide a PhD in computer science and related fields
and than you may access their graduate admissions website to see if
they will offer a part-time PhD. Also note that you will also be
provided a brief summary of each institution.
I have tried it and to me it is very useful because you know
beforehand that this school provides a PhD in computer science. The
only thing left is to look if they offer a part-time PhD.
Another very important webpage is located at
http://www.isworld.org/isprograms/graduate/graduatealphabetic.asp
which lists Masters Programs in MIS throughout the world and primarily
in the US. Many of these programs are tailored towards professionals
like yourself.
VERY IMPORTANT!
It is useful to know that many institutions do not list that they
offer a pert time PhD program. You should always browse through their
WebPages or FAQ section.
A SAMPLE OF PART TIME PHD PROGRAMS
University of Connecticut
http://www.cse.uconn.edu/cse/grad/Admission_to_PHD.html(Please refer
to FAQ section where they have stated that many students pursue a
part-time degree).
MIT
http://mitsloan.mit.edu/phd/program.php
(Please refer to their FAQ section where they state that the
university considers part-time students.)
University of Wisconsin
http://www.cs.uwm.edu/cs/phd-info.html
(They should offer part time program as the manual states ?Prior to
completion of 12 credits (nine credits for part-time students), the
student must select a Major Professor who will normally also be the
thesis advisor.?
USEFUL ONLINE RESOURCES & BOOKS
One of the most useful books in this context is ?Research-Doctorate
Programmes in the United States? by the National Research Council. You
may order it here http://www.nap.edu/catalog/4915.html
Here is a ranking of 108 PhD Computer Science Programs in the United
States by Computer Research Association:
http://www.cra.org/statistics/nrcstudy2/rankcs.html
Another PhD ranking website is available at http://www.phds.org/rankings/
USEFUL WEBSITES
Graduate School Information
http://www.gradschools.com
?GradSchools.com is a service of Educational Directories Unlimited,
Inc., an online service provider. This site is composed of
post-baccalaureate educational information, including a unique
directory with comprehensive program listings categorized by
curriculum and subdivided by geography. Users select their desired
curriculum and receive pages of thorough information through their
browser software.?
Peterson?s Graduate School and Programs
http://www.petersons.com/GradChannel/default.asp
This is one of the web?s most comprehensive resources for accredited
programs. There are over 950 programs listed.
USNEWS
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/grad/rankings/rankindex_brief.php
This website provides information on graduate program for you with
personalization tools, including searches and comparisons, as well as
school directory pages and feature articles.
USEFUL SEARCH CRITERIA
< ?part time phd program, computer? >
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=part+time+phd+program%2C+computer&btnG=Google+Search
< ?PhD program, computer science? >
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=phd+program,+computer+science&spell=1
I hope this helps. Please let me know if you are not satisfied with my
answer. I will do my best to provide you further information until you
are satisfied.
Sincerely,
Leader-ga. |
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