PhD Computer and Information Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy

Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media

PhDArtificial Intelligence and ComputingDigital FluencyCritical ThinkingIn-Person
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The PhD in Computer and Information Sciences (CIS) offers an opportunity for exceptional students to pursue substantial research in the computer sciences and related areas. To earn a PhD degree, a student must demonstrate breadth of knowledge in at least two research areas and significant depth in a chosen dissertation area. In addition, the student must conceive, write, and defend a PhD dissertation representing a significant and original contribution to current academic research as demonstrated by a public dissertation defense and publication in established peer-reviewed academic conferences and/or journals.

For international students: this is a STEM-designated program, which can qualify you to extend your post-graduation stay in the United States.

Degree Requirements

Learning Outcomes 

Students will be able to​:

  • Propose a research problem and novel solutions that make significant and unique contributions to advance knowledge.
  • Select and apply appropriate research methods and experimental designs within the selected research area.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of core concepts, theories, and seminal work in the general field of Computer Science (Computing Track) or Information Systems (Information Systems and HCI Track).
  • Communicate research results in academic publications including a clear motivation and problem statement, a rigorous survey of related work, a clear explanation and analysis of work performed, and a summary of the novel research contributions.
  • Orally communicate complex and novel research concepts.
  • Describe the ethical issues of conducting and publishing research using human subjects.
  • Evaluate the novelty, correctness, and rigor of research papers describing research in areas related to the selected research.

  • Computing Track

  • Information Systems and HCI Track

    • Admission and Aid

    Visit the Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media’s Graduate Admission Office page for additional information, FAQs, to schedule an appointment with an admissions officer and more.

    CDM Grad Admission Office
    Admission Requirements
    Get information about the application deadlines and specific materials required for admission to this program.
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    Funding
    Full time PhD students are eligible for funding in the form of tuition waivers and a living stipend. In addition, DePaul offers student health insurance and various types of leave.
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    Graduate Ambassadors
    Get a current student’s perspective. Graduate Ambassadors are available to answer questions about DePaul, the program’s curriculum, and, most importantly, their personal experience.
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    Research & Innovation

    <div class="ck-content"><p>Our faculty engage in cutting-edge research in fields like cybersecurity, AI, medical informatics and more, and have been awarded grants from the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Education, National Security Agency, and several other institutions. Collaborate with them on research projects that move the field forward.&nbsp;</p></div>

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    Faculty

    At the School of Computing, you’ll connect personally with faculty while collaborating on research and projects that advance the field.

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    Peter Hastings
    Professor
    Dr. Hastings' research interests include natural language processing, cognitive science, intelligent tutoring systems, and artificial intelligence.
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    Alexander Rasin
    Professor
    Dr. Rasin's primary research interest is in cybersecurity problems, including preventing data tampering and exfiltration, establishing standards for database forensic analysis, and developing fine-grained access control policies. He directs the Data, Infrastructure, Computation, and Environments (DICE) Lab. His
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    Daniela Stan Raicu
    Associate Provost of Research and Professor
    Dr. Raicu's research interests include biomedical and health informatics, medical imaging, computer vision, data mining and machine learning. She has authored more than 150 journal and conference papers in these areas, and her projects have been funded by the National Science Foundation, Argonne National Laboratory, Department of Education, and MacArthur Foundation.
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    Full-Time or Part-Time

    <p class="feature--text">The Ph.D. program in CIS is flexible enough to accommodate not only full-time students, but part-time students as well. All of the graduate classes are in the evening (and most are also offered online), so preparation for breadth exams can be done after work. Advisors offer flexible hours for research meetings and independent studies.</p>

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    Research Talks

    <p class="feature--text">The School of Computing hosts weekly talks on creative and breakthrough research by faculty, students, and industry professionals. Regularly scheduled events include the <abbr title="Artificial Intelligence">AI</abbr> Frontiers Research Seminar, the Data Science Seminar, the iD LabSpeaker Series, the Math/CS Seminar, and the Jarvis Center Speaker Series. </p>

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