Guidelines for Directed Study and Project/Thesis

When you are in unconditional status and finish or almost finish your 5000-level graduate course work, you should plan for your project or thesis work.

The first step of your project or thesis work is to find an advisor. You should talk to at least three professors before you decide whom you'd work with. You may check the Faculty Research Interests to find faculty members whose research interests may fit your needs.

After finding your advisor, you should register for CS 6910 (Directed Study). You work with your advisor to develop a project or thesis proposal.

After you complete at least 1 unit of CS 6910 for the project option or 2 units of CS 6910 for the thesis option and your proposal has been approved by your advisor, you should form a project or thesis committee. All of your committee members should read the proposal and sign the proposal approval form.

After your proposal approval form is signed by three committee members for thesis or two committee members for project, you will receive a letter grade for CS 6910. Your advisor will do the grade assignment work.

After you receive a letter grade in CS 6910, you may register for CS 6950 for project or CS 6960 for thesis/project. You work with your committee on your research work.

Make sure on the semester of graduation you need to be registered in CS 6950, CS 6960 or CS 6990.