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Orientation for New Grad Students

Welcome to the orientation for new graduate students in the Department of Computer Science at Virginia Tech. This session covers essential topics such as degree programs, coursework options, and research opportunities. You'll learn about the M.S. and Ph.D. tracks, including thesis and coursework routes, and what to expect in terms of credit hours and milestones. Discover the importance of research, tips for selecting an advisor, and how to get involved early. Join us for engaging discussions that balance academic rigor with fun activities and networking opportunities!

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Orientation for New Grad Students

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  1. Orientation forNew Grad Students Department of Computer Science Virginia Tech http://www.cs.vt.edu/~gpc

  2. What I am going to talk about • Some rules • Some philosophy • Some fun

  3. First things first • Degree programs and classification • M.S. • Thesis option • Coursework option • Ph.D.

  4. Masters degree • Thesis option • 30 credit hours = 7*3 (courses) + 3*3 (research) • Coursework option • 33 credit hours = 10*3 (course) + 1*3 (indep. study) • What to do: • Sem 1: Decide track • Sem 2: Independent study • Sem 3: Thesis possibly or remaining courses

  5. Ph.D. degree • Thesis option (duh!) • 90 credit hours with at least 11*3 (courses) • Structured program • Qualifying exam • Preliminary proposal • Research defense • Final defense • What to do: • End of sem 1: Take qualifier (Feb) • Sem 2: Select advisor • Sem 3: Work with advisor to set milestones

  6. Good standing • 12 credits/semester (if full time) • More than 3 courses is brutal! • Ph.D. students can take at most 2 • Maintain overall GPA of 3.0 • Remove incomplete grades • File program of study before end of first year

  7. Why do research? • Good for your soul! • Learn a set of skills you can’t otherwise acquire • Unstructured discovery • Tackle real problems • Become an expert in a way nobody else can • More opportunities

  8. How to do research? • Don’t just take classes • Talk to us! • Get involved in research projects • Attend research seminars • Talk to current graduate students • Browse faculty websites • Checkout project group meetings

  9. Picking an advisor • Determine what you want from an advisor • Multiple factors interplay • Mentoring style • Research area • Availability of projects • Peer student research group • Talk to a lot of people • Faculty • Current students

  10. Some quick opportunities • To get better ‘researchy-minded’ • Take Dr. Shaffer’s CS 5014 (Research Methods in CS) • Pick courses to suit potential interests • HCI, SE, Systems: Obvious candidates • Bioinformatics: PPWS/GBCB 5314, CS 5124 • Parallel computation: CS 4234 • Graphics: CS 4204

  11. Some dates to mark • Open house for new CS building • September 14th (KnowledgeWorks Phase II, 2202 Kraft Drive) • FFF (Food + Fellowship + Faculty) • August 25th, 2pm (McBryde 655)

  12. Questions? • Just walk in! • Torgersen 2160L • Email • naren@cs.vt.edu

  13. What’s the fun stuff?

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