Advancement to Candidacy

Have Classified status and be in good academic standing with no conditions.
Read and understand the list of available theses.
Obtain the permission from a tenured or tenure-track Computer Science faculty who will act as the student’s advisor per the below timeline:
- Upon completion of 9 units toward the degree;
- Prior to the completion of 18 units toward the degree;
- Must be before working on the last 12 units of your degree.
Work with your advisor to come up with the plan of study for the cumulative experience (i.e. thesis):
- A thesis proposal must be prepared as part of CS 500.
- The format and the content of the proposal will be decided by your advisor.
After your advisor approves the proposal, work with your advisor to choose another tenured or tenure-track CSIS faculty to be on the committee:
- One additional member may be added to provide expertise in the research area.
Complete the Advising Sheet and submit to the Graduate Coordinator of Computer Science.
Complete an Advancement to Candidacy Form, attach your proposal and submit to the Computer Science Graduate Coordinator.

Travel Money: While working on your thesis , visit the Office of Graduate Studies & Research if you need to go to a conference.

Courses to Take for Thesis

CS 699 for Thesis (5 units for credit)

Switching Thesis Advisor: When you choose an advisor for your thesis, you are expected to stick with them throughout the duration of your studies. Any request for changing advisors will be subject to meticulous scrutiny and only permissible with compelling reasons. Furthermore, it is important to note that if you switch advisors, credit for work completed under your initial advisor will not be counted towards your graduation requirements.

If Additional Time is Required

Register for CS 700 if you need one additional semester to finish Thesis.
GRAD E699: if you have already submitted the thesis draft to the Committee and have set a date for the defense but need more time.