The CS qualifiers will be oral, though the student or faculty involved may petition for a written exam. Any student planning on being a Ph.D. candidate must take the qualifier. M.S. candidates who wish may formally petition for admissions to the Ph.D. program. If accepted they must take the qualifiers in the spring following the acceptance of their petition. Students that have passed the qualifier in one area are permitted, if they can find a willing advisor, to do research in a different area.
Comprehensives are to ensure a breadth of knowledge.
They are encouraged to complete them within the first 3 years. It expected that a well prepared CS student will finish them in their first year. While some courses are listed in multiple categories they can be used in only one. Courses from other universities or undergraduate studies may be used to satisfy these requirements, by petition, at the discretion of the division faculty. The CS qualifiers will be offered towards the end of January 2000 or early Feburary, with the dates to be announced around Jan 15, 2000.