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!