Transitioning to SemestersCSE MS Program
Prof. Gagan Agrawal
Grad Studies Chair
Quarters Vs. Semesters
Quarter 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
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
CSE MS Programs
Components of Requirements– Total Credit Requirements – Graded Credit Requirements – (Foundational) Core Requirements– Applied Core Requirements – Limit on Primarily Undergrad Classes – Outside CSE classes– MS Examination – Project Option
Credit Requirements (Quarters)
MS thesis – 45 total, 30 graded
MS Non-Thesis, W/O Project– 50 total, 45 graded
MS Non-thesis, with Project– 50 total, 39 graded, 6 project credits
Credit Requirements (Semester)
MS thesis – 30 total, 20 graded
MS Non-Thesis, W/O Project– 33 total, 30 graded
MS Non-thesis, with Project– 33 total, 24 graded, 6 project credits
For Students in Transition
Apply Semester Credit Rules Credits = Semester Credits Taken + 2/3*Quarter Credits
Apply this rule separately for total credits and graded credits
Will allow shortfall of 1 graded credit during transition – Cannot do anything about total credit
requirements
Types of Classes (MS students)
Foundational Core Classes - 6xxx (see list) Applied Core Classes – 5xxx or 6xxx (see list) Primarily Undergrad Courses
– 5xxx, 2 credits – Meets with a 3 credit 3xxx course– Mostly for making up deficiencies in background
Other 5000 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 - 6998 and 6999
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
MS Foundational Core in Quarters
Must finish 3 foundational classes – Must include 780 – Must include at least one of 760 and 780
Masters comprehensive examination based on above – All non-thesis option students– 3 exams, 90 minutes each, offered twice a year
Foundational Core in Semesters
Each Core Class Extended to be 3 Semester Credits– CSE 6321 - Theory– CSE 6331 - Algorithms – CSE 6341 - PL– CSE 6421 - Architecture– CSE 6431 – OS
All MS Students Need to Take – CSE 6331 (Algorithms)– CSE 6321 (Theory) OR CSE 6341 (PL) – CSE 6421 (Architecture) OR CSE 6431 (OS)
Masters Comprehensive: 2 hour exam in each area (6 hours total, over 1 ½ days)
Timing for Comprehensive Exmas
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
Transition Plan for Foundational Core and Masters Examination
Need 3 core classes – semester or quarter – Won’t enforce `theory or pl’ requirement during transition
MS comps will follow old format for August 2012, March 2013 – 5 90 minute exams, take exam in 3 areas – Exams based on material covered in quarter courses
Transition to New Format in August 2013 – 3 2-hour exams, based on semester courses – Can’t take both os and architecture any more – Best to be done before that!
Applied Core
Quarters: 6 classes in the list 3 or 4 credits each Thesis students need 2, non-thesis need 3
Semester: 6 classes from the same areas AI, High Performance, Graphics, Networking, DB,
Compilers All 3 credits each See MS Program Document for Course numbers Thesis students need 1, non-thesis need 2
Applied Core Transition Rules
A 4 quarter credit class counts as 1 class in semester system– 681 or 756
A 3 quarter credit class counts as 0.67 class in semester system
If graduating in a semester term, follow semester rules – 2 applied core (calculated above) for non-thesis – 1 applied core (calculated above) for non-thesis
Primarily Undergrad Courses
9 classes in quarters system– 616, 625, 630, 655, 660, 670, 675, 677, 680, – Can count at most 3 for MS degree
11 classes in semester system– See program document for numbers – 2 credit classes (a 2 credit 5xxx class meets with a 3 credit
3xxx or 2xxx class) – At most 6 credits or 3 classes
Transition Rule: 3 classes at most (quarter or semester) from the group
Non-CSE Classes
Limit of 9 credits in quarters Limit of 6 credits in semesters Must be on topics closely related to CSE
– Check with advisor first!
Transition Rule: At most 6 semester credits equivalent
Masters Examination
Thesis Option– Thesis defense, no change in format/procedure
Comprehensive Exams for Non-Thesis– See earlier slides
Masters Examination for Project – See later slides for a new option
Project Option
Quarter – 6 S/U credits over 2 terms– A 3-4 page project report– Must still take MS comprehensive exam
Semester– 6 S/U credits over 2 terms – A 6-8 page project report – Might be able to take MS Examination in a different
format (See Next Slide)
Project Option MS Exam (New)
Only if you have a B average in core classes You take MS Examination Based on Project
– Skip written comprehensive exam– A longer project report
10 single spaced pages
– Form a committee with at least 2 CSE Faculty Including your project supervisor
– Have a 1 hour oral examination Presentation and Q/A
Clarification/Questions
Documents Your academic advisor Your academic advisor Please do not e-mail me or ask to meet me
– 350 graduate students to be managed in 10% of my time !! – Already dealing with 2300 grad program related e-mails
annually – before semester conversion!!– I can answer clarification questions if approached by
your advisor!