College of Engineering and Applied Science

To get a PhD in CSIS from the University of Colorado Denver, you will complete these requirements in addition to your existing master’s degree in either computer science or information systems. If your master's degree is in another area, you will need to complete additional MS-level course work during your PhD program. Please see your advisor for more information.   Exceptionally motivated students with B.S. degrees in computer science, information systems, or closley related fields may apply to the CSIS PhD program directly. Students without a master's degree must complete at least 30 hours of CSIS PhD required course work in addition to the 30 hours of dissertation.

You will complete 30 hours of CSIS courses beyond the master's degree level.

The coursework provides exposure to advanced CSIS areas, as well as a solid research methodology background and breadth in other areas of CSIS. Students may transfer up to 21 hours to satisfy course requirements  based on the recommendation of their PhD advisor and with the consent of the program director.

You will also need to take at least 30 hours of dissertation research, in accordance with the rules of the Graduate School.

You will take a minimum 9 hours of PhD courses in the school or college to which you were admitted and a minimum of 3 hours in the other school or college. Each area—computer science or information systems—may impose additional requirements, either for the area as a whole or as an advisor's requirements.

Review detailed program requirements and sample program design for the full-time and part-time CS-track and IS-track PhD programs. CSIS-PhD Program Requirements & Design

PhD in CSIS Degree Components

Program Components: To complete the doctoral program, you will satisfy a 30-hour course work requirement, pass a preliminary exam, a comprehensive exam, defend your dissertation proposal, and successfully defend your final dissertation. See the program components for the required exams and PhD committees.

All CSIS PhD students will study under the supervision of a faculty member. For further details, see the CSIS PhD supervision and committee requirements.

PhD Preliminary Exam: You must sign up for the CSIS PhD Preliminary Exam by December 5. You can review the ​guidelines to the CSIS PhD preliminary examination.

PhD Student Progress Form: Keep track of completing your degree requirements on this form. 

Graduation: Upon completion of all degree requirements, including the dissertation defense, you will receive a doctor of philosophy degree.

If you apply through the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, your PhD will be from the College of Engineering and Applied Science. If you apply through the Business School's information systems discipline, your PhD will be from the Business School.

Existing graduate courses in the CSE department and the Business School support the breadth requirements of your PhD. You can select other courses to satisfy the breadth requirement with the consent of your advisor.

• PhD Courses 
• Breadth Requirement Courses

Research Methodology Requirement

You will fulfill the research methodology requirement to gain background and improve the rigor in your research. To fulfill the research methodology requirement, you may select from graduate courses in computer science, biometrics, math, economics, behavior sciences, engineering, education, business and computational biology.

You may select other courses to satisfy the research methodology requirement with the consent of your advisor and the CSIS program co-director.

Computer science students are encouraged to take computer science PhD-level courses; you can refer to the computer science list of courses.

Note: Business students must take ISMG 7220, Research Methods: Design and Analysis, as one of their research methodology courses unless an equivalent graduate statistics course has already been taken. A waiver for ISMG 7220 must be given by your advisor and program co-director.

CSIS Program Co-Directors

Gita Alaghband, Professor and CSE Department Chair
Co-Director of CSIS PhD Program in Computer Science
E-mail: Gita.Alaghband@ucdenver.edu

Michael Mannino, Professor, Business School
Co-Director of CSIS PhD Program in the Business School
E-mail: michael.mannino@ucdenver.edu

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering The CSE department is located on the Auraria Campus in the North Classroom Building, Room 2605. Office hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Telephone: 303-556-4314

Fax: 303-556-8369

Mailing Address:
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Campus Box 109
PO Box 173364
Denver, CO 80217-3364