PhD Application Guide Message from the Department Thank you for your interest in
our doctoral program in Computer Science. Our department is consistently ranked among the
top five departments in the country. In the last ten years it has grown considerably in
size as well as breadth. In addition to our traditional preeminence in theoretical
computer science, we are now pursuing state-of-the-art research in virtually all areas of
applied computer science. In particular, experimental research in our department has
expanded tremendously after our winning of the prestigious National Science Foundation
Institutional Infrastructure grant three times in a row. Today the department has over
$3,000,000 in computing equipment. Whatever your research interests, you will find the
department to be an exciting place to work. We've seen considerable growth in areas such
as artificial intelligence, computer graphics, and digital libraries. At the
same time, we've maintained or increased strength in traditional areas as
theory, programming languages and scientific computing. Another area of recent
expansion is the integration between Computer Science and Electrical and
Computer Engineering (ECE) via the Computer Systems Laboratory, where students
interested in systems-building work with faculty pushing the state of the art in
all aspects of the subject. The department provides an exceptionally
open and friendly atmosphere that encourages the sharing of ideas across all areas. We
maintain a favorable student to faculty ratio of about 3 to 1 to promote close interaction
and collaboration. Faculty members are highly accessible. Their offices are interspersed
with those of the students, and most have a policy of keeping their doors open. Faculty
members and students also interact outside the department. Many play on intramural
athletic teams, and some even play together in a rock band. Cornell is located in the heart of the
Finger Lakes region. The area provides many opportunities for recreational
activities such as sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, kayaking, scuba diving, both downhill
and cross-country skiing, ice skating, rock climbing, hiking, camping, caving, and
wine-tasting. In fact, Cornell offers courses in all of these activities. Again, thank you for your interest in
our program, and our best wishes to you during the coming months. An Overview of the Department of Computer Science
The department offers one of the
leading Computer Science Ph.D. programs in the U.S. It is distinguished by the excellence
of the faculty, by a long tradition of pioneering research, and by the breadth of its
Ph.D. program. The department has been growing steadily since its founding in 1965, and
currently has about 120 Ph.D. students and 45 faculty members. In addition, the Field of
Computer Science includes faculty members from other departments (Electrical
Engineering, Mathematics, Operations Research and Industrial Engineering, and
Architecture) who can supervise a student's Ph.D. thesis research. Research in our department includes both experimental and theoretical work
with a focus on the following areas: Networks, Concurrency and Distributed Computing; Operating Systems;
Algorithms; Theory of Computation; Parallel Computing; Scientific Computing; Computer Vision; Multimedia;
Programming Environments; Programming Languages and Methodology; Information Organization and Retrieval;
Applied Logic and Automated Reasoning; Artificial Intelligence; Robotics; Machine Learning; and Computer
Graphics. Thus, our Ph.D. program is suited to a wide range of study, and the department provides an
excellent environment to pursue research in virtually all areas of Computer Science. The Ph.D. Program The Ph.D. program complies with
the requirements of the Cornell Graduate School. These requirements (residency, minimum
grades, examinations, and dissertation) are described in the Graduate School's Guide to
Graduate Study. Each year, about 20 to 25 new PhD
students join the department. In the first two or three semesters, students become
familiar with the faculty members and their areas of research by taking graduate courses,
attending research seminars, and participating in research projects. By the end of the
first year, each student selects a specific area and forms a committee based on his/her
research interests. This "Special Committee" of three or more faculty members
will guide the student through to his/her Ph.D. dissertation. The Field believes that certain areas are so fundamental to Computer Science
that all students should be competent in them. Ph.D. candidates are expected to demonstrate
competency in four areas of computer science at the high undergraduate level: Theory, Programming
Languages, Systems, and Artificial Intelligence. Each student then focuses on a specific
topic of research and begins a preliminary investigation of that topic. The initial
results are presented during a comprehensive oral evaluation, which is administered by the
members of the student's Special Committee. The objective of this examination, taken in
the second or third year, is to evaluate a student's ability to undertake original
research at the Ph.D. level. The final public oral examination, a
defense of the dissertation, is taken before the Special Committee. To encourage students to explore areas
other than Computer Science, the department requires that students complete an outside
minor. Cornell offers almost 90 fields from which a minor can be chosen. Some students elect to minor in related
fields such as Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, or Operations Research. Others use
this opportunity to pursue interests as diverse as Music, Theater, Women's Studies,
Philosophy, and Finance. The Ph.D. Application Process Once you have decided to apply
formally and completed the necessary materials, you should send all application
materials, including transcripts, GRE scores and letters of recommendation, directly to the
Department of Computer Science at the following address: CS Graduate Office, PhD
322 Upson Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853 Letters of recommendation may also be submitted online using the online application process. You should NOT send any application
materials to the Cornell Graduate School (at Caldwell Hall): This may delay your application. Deadlines The department accepts
applications for the fall semester only. The deadline for the fall semester is December 15th. Applying
early is strongly advised. Transcripts Your application should include
complete and official transcripts of all previous college and university work, including
any work done at Cornell. If you cannot include your transcripts with your application,
ask your undergraduate institution to mail them directly to the CS Graduate
Office at the address above. Statement of Purpose
You should exercise particular care in writing your
statement of purpose. Express your plans and interests in Computer Science in a concise
and clear manner. It may be helpful to include a list of some of the principal reasons why
you consider yourself a strong applicant to our program. Letters of Recommendation
Your application must include three or more letters of
recommendation. The letters should be from professors who are familiar with your work and
who can testify to your potential as a researcher in Computer Science. These letters are a
very important part of your application, and you should ensure that they arrive at the
CS Graduate Office by the deadline. GRE (Graduate Record Examination)
The department requires that all applicants to the doctoral program take the GRE general test.
Please arrange to have scores sent directly to Cornell University (institution code 2098) from
the Educational Testing Service. We do not require the GRE subject test for computer science. Because the GRE exams are offered only a few times each year, we recommend that you plan ahead
and sign up for these exams as soon as possible. In order for your scores to arrive by the
December 15th deadline, you should take the GREs by October. Please note that we are aware
that the GRE may only be available in December for some applicants. We will accept these
scores after the December 15th deadline only if the remainder of your application is received by
December 15th and you attach a statement including the date you will be taking the exams. If your
scores are more than three years old, you should retake the GREs.
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
International applicants must demonstrate competency in the English language. Acceptable proof of competency is:
a. Internet-based Test (iBT) version of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). Each section (writing: 20, Listening: 15,
Reading: 20, Speaking: 22) has it's own minimum score as noted. Applicant scores must meet the minimums set by the Graduate school.
A cumulative score is NOT the correct measure and is NOT sufficient for an offer of admission; or
b. An undergraduate degree from a college or university in which all instruction is in English. The college or University
must be located in a country where English is the native language.
In some cases, international students who are admitted will be required to take a remedial course in English.
The Evaluation Process There is no formula that guarantees the admission of an
applicant. We will carefully evaluate all of the above components of your
application---transcripts, letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and statement of
purpose. In reviewing your transcript, we tend to look for the following:
a. A coherent body of course work with a grade average in the A- to A+ range.
b. Adequate mathematical background including freshman and sophomore calculus and at least
two other courses (e.g., linear algebra, abstract algebra, analysis, statistics).
c. Basic background in computer science.
It is important to stress that these are only guidelines and not a rigid policy. An
applicant whose record is weaker in some respect (e.g., GRE scores) may be admitted if
strength is revealed in some other respect (e.g., exceptional letters of recommendation).
Funding
Admission into the doctoral program in the Field
of Computer Science is based purely on academic merit. Financial need plays no role in the
admission procedure.
All Ph.D. students in Computer Science are fully supported as long as they remain in good
academic standing. Support from Cornell includes tuition and stipend. Support is available
in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships.
Applicants are also encouraged to apply for external fellowships, such as NSF,
Microsoft, IBM, Hertz, Intel, Yahoo, or DOD Fellowships. These fellowships are highly prestigious, and they free the student of
the responsibilities of an assistantship. Whenever possible, the department
helps students in the fellowship application process. Estimated Cost of Living For 2008-09, graduate dormitory
accommodations cost about $8000 per academic year. University-operated,
married student apartments rest for about $1000 per month. In addition, a
considerable range of privately owned accommodations can be found within commuting
distance. For more information on housing: Housing Forms of support For students entering in the fall 2008
semester a Teaching Assistantship (TA) or a Research Assistantship (RA) covers full tuition, and
pays a salary of $21,300 for nine months. Summer support pays an additional salary of
approximately $7600. Fellowships also cover tuition in full and pay a stipend, which is
higher than the TA or RA stipend. Teaching Assistantships
Each TA is assigned to a course and is expected to work
15 hours per week helping
the course instructor. TA assignments typically involve grading homework, holding office
hours, preparing assignments, or teaching recitations.
Research Assistantships
A RA is given to a student whose research
interests coincide with a sponsored research project. Typically, the work of a Research
Assistant is an integral part of his/her dissertation research. The faculty member in
charge of the project grants a RA. RAs are generally given to continuing, rather than
incoming, students. Fellowships
In 2008-09, approximately 12 of the
department's graduate students hold fellowships, some of which are granted by the National
Science Foundation, Intel, Microsoft, Hertz, and Cornell. Applicants are encouraged to apply for external
fellowships. Incoming students who have fellowships, receive an additional stipend from
the department.
The following is a partial list of
fellowships available to graduate students in computer science.
National Science Foundation
NSF fellowships are available to United
States citizens or permanent residents, and only to incoming or first-year students.
Support is for three years. The deadline for application is mid-November. You can obtain
an application from your undergraduate institution, or from the NSF directly (Fellowship
Office, National Research Council, 2101 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20418).
Also, see their Web site, http://www.nsf.gov/
National Science Foundation Graduate Engineering
Education
This fellowship is open to United States
citizens only. It was established by the NSF to encourage women, under-represented
minorities, and persons with disabilities to pursue doctoral studies in engineering. You
do not have to apply for this fellowship: The department nominates the candidates.
Hertz Foundation
This fellowship is open to United States citizens only. It
provides support for up to four years.
The deadline for application is November 1. You may obtain an application from your
undergraduate institution or from the Hertz foundation directly (Fannie and John Hertz
Foundation, P. O. Box 5032, Livermore, CA 94551-5032). Also, see their Web site,
http://www.hertzfndn.org/
Cornell Fellowships
The Graduate School awards a number of one
and two-year Cornell fellowships to incoming graduate students. Your application for
admission automatically serves as the fellowship application. However, your application
and all supporting credentials must be received by January 1 in order to be considered for
a Cornell Fellowship.
The McMullen Fellowship is a one-year fellowship for an incoming Computer Science student.
All incoming students are automatically considered. The department selects the recipient
of this fellowship.
IBM
This fellowship is open for continuing
students. The department nominates the candidates for this fellowship.
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