usc computer science phd deadline

Undergrad, Master's, and PhD

• First Year Applicants

USC defines first year applicants as current high school seniors or anyone who has not attended college since finishing high school.

Get more information about how to apply, how to visit, and more at the Viterbi Admission page.

• Transfer Applicants

USC defines prospective transfer students as anyone currently enrolled in college or anyone who has attended college since finishing high school.

Get more information about which courses to take in order to be strong transfer applicant, how to visit, and more at the Viterbi Admission page.

Master's Applicants

USC defines Master's applicants as those who have completed or are in process of completing a four-year degree from a college or university.

Get more information about how to apply, how to visit, and more at the Viterbi Admissions and Student Engagement (VASE) page.

PhD Applicants

USC defines PhD applicants as those who have completed or are in the process of completing a four-year degree from a college or university.

Published on November 2nd, 2016

Last updated on May 28th, 2024

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QUANTITATIVE AND

COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY

PhD ADMISSIONS

The PhD. program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics at the University of Southern California invites applications of qualified candidates.

Computational Biology and Bioinformatics P.h.D. Program Admissions

Ph.D. QUICK LINKS

Applying and Deadline

Motivated students having biological backgrounds with solid quantitative knowledge, or those having quantitative background such as computer science/mathematics and statistics/physics/chemistry with an interest in biology are encouraged to apply. The applications must be made through the Graduate Admissions Online Application System . The program deadline is December 15th. All supporting documents must be submitted by the deadline in order for your application to be considered in the review process. Review of applications will begin on December 1st. A PDF of our PhD recruitment flyer can be downloaded here .

Eligibility for Application

Entry into the Computational Biology and Bioinformatics PhD program requires a Bachelor degree (or equivalent) in a related subject from an accredited four-year college and three letters of recommendation.

Application Requirements

Required Materials for Domestic Students:

Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended

Three letters of recommendation

Online Application (We no longer accept paper applications)  

Required Materials for International Students:

TOEFL scores

Online Application (We no longer accept paper applications)

NOTE - We no longer require the GRE.

Please attach an unofficial transcript, statement of purpose, and any other supplemental application materials as supplemental documents in your online application.

Your statement of purpose for the Graduate School application should explain both why you wish to pursue graduate study in Computational Biology and, more specifically, why you wish to do so at USC. We admit a small number of students each year in order to offer them full financial support; we therefore seek to find applicants whose interests best suit our program.

Unofficial copies of TOEFL score for international applicants are acceptable for evaluation purposes, but if offered admission, an applicant will be required to send official documentation.

Please submit your letters of recommendation electronically through the Apply Yourself application system. When you have submitted the online application, arrange for your transcripts ,  and TOEFL scores (for international applicants)  to be sent directly to the USC Graduate School according to their requirements.

NOTE: When listing undergraduate/graduate GPAs (grade point averages) on the application, please use the system of your university. If you received a percentage grade, provide the average percentage. If you were graded on a scale other than 4.0 (with 4.0 equal to an "A"), please indicate the average grade AND indicate the scale (for example, 8.5/10).

Financial Aid

All students in the Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Program will be provided with financial support for a period of 5 years. These awards are teaching and/or research assistantships. There is no separate application required.

Teaching and research assistantships provide full tuition remission, payment of student health center fee, and student health and dental insurance, and the monthly stipend for living expenses for the academic year. 

Contact and Mailing Address

PhD Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (CBB)

Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology (QCB) University of Southern California  1050 Childs Way, RRI 408F  Los Angeles, CA 90089-2910  Fax: 213.821.4257

Email: [email protected] or Christian Robbie ( [email protected] )

Submit Application: https://gradadm.usc.edu/apply/

USC youth summer camps 2024

Looking for activities to keep your kids entertained while still learning new things this summer? The University of South Carolina offers a wide variety of summer camps for all interests from opera to soccer and tennis to STEM. 

Academic Enrichment

Carolina Master Scholars

Various sessions available in June, July

The Carolina Master Scholars Adventure Series offers a variety of topics for interactive weeklong camps. Scholars from 6-12 grade will experience student life at South Carolina and explore careers in sports marketing, mobile gaming, pharmacy, nursing and more. 

Summer Seniors program

Application deadline: May 1

The Summer Seniors program is a four-day residential program where students experience life as a South Carolina Gamecock. Designed for African American high school seniors, participants will attend sessions about college admissions, academic preparation, student life and more.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math

Partners for Minorities in Engineering and Computer Science 

Rising 9th - 12th graders: June 10-14,  June 24-28

Partners for Minorities in Engineering and Computer Science summer technical workshop provides gifted minority students academic enrichment in the career areas of engineering and computer science.  

Adventures in Pharmacy

Rising 9th- through 12th-graders: June 9 - 14

Discover what it takes to become a pharmacist. Campers will study hypertension, diabetic monitoring, intravenous techniques, and experience the  pharmacy lab at USC’s College of Pharmacy.

Adventures in Nursing

Rising 9th through 12th-graders: June 23 - 28 

Nurses from the College of Nursing will help you develop the skills necessary to provide high quality patient‐centered health care, gain insight into the careers available within nursing, and gain hands-on experience with the kinds of challenges nurses face daily.  

Adventures Green Engineering

Rising 6th- through 9th-graders: July 7 - 12 

Students will be exposed to introductory-level engineering concepts, focused on engineering technology applied to environmental sustainability.

Adventures in Medicine: Ultrasound

Using a handheld ultrasound probe and an ultrasound unit the size of a laptop, you will learn to scan the body in the same labs and with the same doctors as our medical students at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine.

VEX Robotics

Unlock the future at our VEX Robotics camp in a hands-on experience that blends creativity and technology.   From designing innovative bots to mastering coding skills, students will be guided by instructors to a lifelong love for STEM.

Arts and Culture

Carolina Journalism Institute 

June 16 - 20

Learn what it takes to be a journalist and develop multimedia skills with the Carolina Journalism Institute. Campers will learn from USC faculty and media experts to increase their journalism knowledge and learn about publication and production standards.

Contact Nina Brook at [email protected] for more information.

Summer Drama Conservatory 

Grades 1st - 12th: 2024 Dates Coming Soon

USC Summer Drama Conservatory provides a challenging and fun training and performance experience for aspiring theater artists.

Carolina Band Summer Clinics 

Available to high-schoolers of different ages, the summer band clinics are for students interested in battery percussion, color guard and conducting.

Carolina Rhythm (Rising 9th - 12th graders): June 13 - 14 Carolina Spin (Rising 9th - 12th graders): June 20 - 21  Carolina Lead, The USC Drum Major Clinic (Rising 10th - 12th graders): June 20 - 22 

String Project Summer Camp

Rising 3rd through 12th-graders: July 15 - 19

Students will hone their orchestral skills while learning from experienced teachers and graduate students. The camp fosters the excitement of developing skills on an orchestral string instrument and is open to students who have completed one year of instruction.

Carolina Opera Experience

Rising 5th through 10th-graders: June 24 - 28

Kids learn the art of props, makeup, costumes, scenery and musical preparation in this weeklong experience.

Musical Theater Intensive 

Rising 9th through 12th-graders: July 6 - 16

Students will receive immersive musical theater training in vocal technique, acting, and dance. Expert USC faculty and Broadway professionals will lead two student cohorts including middle and high school students and college-bound high school juniors and seniors who wish to major in musical theater.

Summer Dance Conservatory

This program provides three-week intensives in either ballet, contemporary dance or jazz for students 11 and older. Participants must audition to be accepted into the program.  

Ballet and Contemporary Intensives: July 3 - 20 Jazz Intensive: July 21 - 26

Music Play 

Music Play classes at the USC’s Children’s Music Development Center are part of an innovative program designed to develop the music potential of young children from newborns to 3-year-olds.

Gamecock Music Camp 

This four-day camp experience is for rising high school students interested in band, choral and jazz. Participants will have rehearsal and performance opportunities and learn from USC faculty and staff. Students can choose to stay on campus in a USC residential hall or commute daily.

Band (Rising 7th - 12th-graders) : June 19 - 22 Choral (Rising 10th - 12th-graders): June 19 - 22 Jazz (Rising 7th - 12th-graders): June 19 - 22

Carolina Baseball Camps

Level up on base running, hitting, pitching, defense and conditioning with three different summer camps. Players will learn from South Carolina coaching staff and student athletes and have the opportunity to showcase their athletic skills. 

Youth Baseball Camp (Ages 6 - 12): June 24 - 27, July 8 - 11, July 15 - 18, July 22 - 25 Gamecock Summer Showcase (Grades 6th - 12th): July 11 Gamecock Summer Prospect Camp (Grades 9th - college junior): August 24

Carolina Equestrian Camp

College Preparatory Camp:  May 4 - 5 and May 11 - 12 

This two-day camp gives riders the skills to learn how to ride in the NCEA collegiate format. Riders will learn from coaching staff and have the opportunity to ride multiple South Carolina horses and use different mounts. 

Shane Beamer's Football Camp 

Shane Beamer Football Camps are a great way for young athletes to learn new techniques and become overall better football players. In addition, campers will have the opportunity to learn from our Football Coaches and current student-athletes at the University of South Carolina.

Youth Football Camp (Rising 3rd - 8th graders): June 10 - 12 1-Day High School Camp (Rising 9th - 12th graders): May 31 and June 7, 15, 26 OL/DL Camp (Rising 9th - 12th graders): June 13, 14, 17, 19 and 21 Specialists Camp (Rising 9th - 12th graders): June 15

Shelley Smith's Carolina Soccer School

Become a soccer pro with Gamecock Soccer Camps. You'll learn the ins and outs of goalkeeping, exercises, game situations and more from USC coaching staff and professionals. 

Day Camp (ages 6-13): June 10 - 14, July 15 - 19 Mini Elite Camp (Rising 5th - 8th graders): July 12-14

Tony Annan's Soccer Camp

Junior Gamecock Camp (Ages 5-14): June 3 - 7, June 17 - 21 Gamecock Elite Residential Camp (Ages 10-18): June 28 - 30, July 5 - 7 ID Camp (Rising 9th - 12th graders): July 27 - 28

Bev Smith Softball Camps

Prospect Camp (Grades 8th - 12th): June 11 - 12, June 24 - 25 and July 15 - 16 Elite Pitcher/Catcher Camp (Grades 7th - 12th): June 17 - 18  Elite Hitting Camp (Grades 7th - 12th): June 18 Elite All Skills Camp (Grades 6th - 12th): June 26 Li'l Gamecocks Camp (Grades 1st - 5th): June 26

Gamecock Swim Camps

Learn the basics of swim and what it takes to be a swimmer with the Gamecock Swim camps. Coaches and staff will demonstrate diving, proper sprint technique, stroke mechanics and speed development. 

Summer Week Camp (Ages 10-18): June 2 - 6

Summer Weekend Camps (Ages 10-18): - Start/Turn Camp: June 1 - Free/Back Camp: June 8 - Breast/Fly Camp: June 9

Wilson Collegiate Tennis Camps

Athletes will learn swing technique, intensive drill work, game/match play, strategy, point building and more from USC coaching staff. 

Session I (Ages 4 - 18): June 3 - 7 Session II (Ages 4 - 18): June 10 - 14 Elite Training Camp (Grades 7 - 12): June 8

South Carolina Volleyball Camps

Skills Clinics (Rising 5th - 12th graders) :  - Setting: June 4 and July 30 - Passing/Defense: June 6 and July 31 - Serving: June 24 - Attacking: June 13 and July 25

Volley Tots (Ages 5 - 10): July 25 and 30 2024 Team Camp: July 7 - 9 Middle School Camp (Rising 6th - 9th graders): July 23 Elite Skills Camp (Rising 9th - 12th graders): July 27 - 28

Application Deadlines

Online DEN@Viterbi Applicants

Information on scholarships for online students can be found here .  

An application deadline extension may be available on a case-by-case basis for U.S. online applicants.  Please email [email protected] for details. 

Published on May 30th, 2017

Last updated on August 18th, 2023

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Research Initiatives and Infrastructure

Sloan Foundation: Creating Equitable Pathways to STEM Graduate Education

Internal Deadline: Monday, June 10th, 2024, 5pm PT

LOI : July 1, 2024, 5pm EDT

External Deadline:  Dates vary and are by invitation only.

Award Information

Award Type: Grant

Who May Serve as PI:  All projects must have at least one MSI partner. When two or more institutions are the proposed grantees, it is preferred that the primary PI be housed at the MSI to create a direct connection between MSI expertise and project leadership.

Lead investigators from submitting and partner institutions should be at the full, associate, or assistant professor level, a department chair, or in an administrative role with high connectivity to academic positions. Such individuals should come from nonprofit two- or four-year institutions, or organizations that serve higher education professionals or institutions.

Because our funds are limited, we are requesting that no individual be a PI on more than one project (although a PI for one project may also be a co-PI on a second project).

Link to Award: https://sloan.org/programs/higher-education/equitable-pathways/2024-Call-for-LOIs#call

Process for Limited Submissions

PIs must submit their application as a Limited Submission through the Research Initiatives and Infrastructure (RII) Application Portal:  https://rii.usc.edu/oor-portal/ . Use the template provided here: RII Limited Submission Applicant Template

Materials to submit include:

• (1) Two-Page Proposal Summary (1” margins; single-spaced; standard font type, e.g. Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, or Georgia typeface; font size: 11 pt). Page limit includes references and illustrations. Pages that exceed the 2-page limit will be excluded from review. You must use the template linked above.
• (2) CV – (5 pages maximum)

Note:  The portal requires information about the PIs in addition to department and contact information, including the 10-digit USC ID#. Please have this material prepared before beginning this application.

The Higher Education Program at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is pleased to announce its third   Call for Letters of Inquiry  for the  Creating Equitable Pathways to STEM Graduate Education  initiative, continuing its investment in Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and in the establishment of partnerships between MSIs and graduate programs nationwide.

Grantees awarded via this initiative will engage the expertise of MSIs—and the unique experiences of their faculty and students—to model effective systems and practices that remove barriers and create opportunities for equitable learning environments in STEM graduate education so all students can thrive. Grant awards will support sharing MSIs’ institutional know-how on equitable undergraduate and graduate education, as well as modeling that know-how to create systemic changes that enhance pathways from MSIs to master’s and doctoral degree programs in  astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, data science, Earth sciences, economics, engineering, marine science, mathematics, physics, and statistics  at partner institutions.

Three types of grants will be funded:

• Planning grants  to support two or more institutions to conduct internal reviews of existing barriers to student success and for analysis and planning for a future partnership(s) (up to $75,000 for up to 1 year)
• Seed grants  to two or more institutions that seek to formalize an existing partnership(s) and launch one or more pilot initiatives (up to $250,000 over 1-2 years)
• Implementation grants  to two or more institutions that allow for the augmentation or scaling of existing partnerships/collaborations (up to $500,000 over 2-3 years)

In addition to establishing seamless pathways, successful projects will address policies, processes, and practices that reinforce existing systems that are barriers to student access and success in graduate education. These projects could include efforts to examine or redesign graduate recruitment, admission policies and processes, mentoring practices, departmental climate, or other gatekeeping (or gateway) structures to and through STEM graduate education.

Since the barriers to equitable pathways do not end once students are admitted to graduate programs, Sloan is looking for evidence that projects will promote and enhance existing efforts to reduce and eliminate policies, procedures, and institutional climates and cultures that prevent students from successfully attaining a graduate degree.

Visit our  Institutionally Limited Submission  webpage for more updates and other announcements.

Postdoctoral candidates interested in MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship 2024 - Deep learning applied to computer vision

Job Information

Offer description.

Are you a postdoctoral researcher thinking about the next step in your scientific career? CiTIUS is willing to support excellent researchers interested in applying for an EU Marie Sklodowska Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Would you like to go on with your scientific career in Spain for a period of at least 2 years? The Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme (MSCA-PF) aims to support the career development and training of excellent researchers through international mobility.

We are looking for candidates with a background in deep learning applied to computer vision . The candidate will collaborate with a team working on object detection and tracking. For object detection , research focuses on learning following zero-shot, few-shot and semi-supervised learning approaches. Research on tracking is dedicated to maintaining the identify of objects under severe occlusions and in highly populated environments.

Researchers with a  good scientific background and a project in mind  are encouraged to contact our team. The selected candidates  will work in tandem with CiTIUS team  in the preparation of their candidature in order to submit a successful application to this competitive programme.

Who are we?

CiTIUS is as research centre specialised in  Intelligent Technologies  with a team of more than 120 researchers. Our team is the greatest asset of our centre and we are continuously looking for scientific talent. CiTIUS provides a stimulating, interdisciplinary and cutting-edge scientific environment, where our researchers can foster and develop their scientific career in an international team.

We are in a high-level scientific environment with four research centres specialized in different areas (CiQUS, CiMUS, IGFAE and CiTIUS). Santiago de Compostela is a UNESCO World Heritage City with more than 5 million square meters of green spaces and one of the 100 best places in the world by TIME Magazine 2021.

What we offer

• An extensive international network of scientific and technological collaborators.
• Professional development and training plan aimed at improving scientific and transversal skills to prepare our researchers for a competitive scientific career.
• State-of-the-art scientific facilities with equipped laboratories, our own data processing centre and free access to the second supercomputing centre in Spain (CESGA), located on the same Campus.
• A professional research support team with extensive experience in project management, financing opportunities, technology transfer, IT management, dissemination and outreach, HR management, economic and administrative management.
• Possibility to participate in dissemination events with industry and outreach activities with scholars, organised throughout the year.
• Flexible working schedule. CiTIUS is committed to reconcile a work and family life of its employees.
• Access to university facilities: gym, sport activities, language courses, libraries, nursery, etc.

Who can apply?

These fellowships are intended for outstanding researchers from anywhere in the world that have at least a doctoral degree at the call deadline and a  maximum of 8 years  full-time  experience as postdoctoral researcher .

We are looking for candidates with a  PhD in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or related fields , with research experience in one of the above-mentioned Scientific Programmes.

The call requires  geographic mobility : at the date of the call deadline, the candidates must not have been working in Spain for more than 12 of the last 36 months.

Position details

• Full-time contract with a gross salary of about 3.800€/month (approx. 46.000€ annual gross salary). It includes medical care coverage and work accident insurance through the Spanish Health System, as well as pension and unemployment benefits. (See cost of living in  Santiago )
• Funded international research stays in academic or in industry sectors, for a period of up to 8 months. The fellowship includes 12.000€/year for research and training activities.
• CiTIUS will offer additional structural funding for R&D activities of up to 30.000€ for successful candidates.
• The fellowship is for a period of 2 years, renewable at the end of the fellowship depending on scientific performance.
• The feedback from the call is expected in early 2024 and, if successful, the estimated starting date will be from April-May of 2025 (extending up to September 2026).

Application

Candidates interested in this position should  fill in the online application form . The application must contain information of the research background and work experience, including:

• A complete  CV , including personal contact information.
• A  motivation letter , outlining the 5 most relevant research results (1-page).
• Brief 1-page proposal of your future  research project.

Deadline of the pre-selection process:

Candidatures will be evaluated regularly, upon receival. All the candidates will be informed personally about the selection process.

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION BY THE  15th June 2024  AT 23H59 CEST (UCT +02:00) AT THE LATEST

Questions or clarifications about this call or the application process can be directed to the CiTIUS Knowledge and Transfer Management Unit:  [email protected]

Requirements

Desirable skills.

• Highly motivated candidates with an excellent scientific track-record.
• The candidate will be organized, hard-working and have the ability to work in a team and interdisciplinary environment.
• Good communication skills.
• Fluent English.

Additional Information

Work location(s), where to apply.

Fellowships

Applicants to Ph.D. programs in engineering are considered for assistantships and fellowships provided that they have completed the application for admission and have submitted all supporting documents no later than December 15 of the year preceding the Fall term to which they are applying.

Fellowships are awarded based on exceptional merit and may consist of one of the following:

These fellowships include an annual stipend, tuition for full-time enrollment, and some mandatory fees. This includes the Orientation fee, the student programming fee, the student services fee, and Norman H. Topping Student Aid. Lab fees or other fees associated with coursework are not covered by the fellowship. All fellowship awards will be credited directly to the student's account. Please view the links below for more information.

USC Graduate School Fellowships USC Graduate School External Fellowships

USC Awards and Fellowship Database FinAid.org Nationally Coveted College Scholarships FastWeb.com’s Graduate Scholarships Petersons’ Graduate Scholarship Search Engine Profellow External-National-Fellowships-and-Scholarships-Information 2021-2022 (Coming soon!) External Fellowship Info Session Presentation 2021-2022 (Coming Soon!)

Did you apply for Nationally Competitive Fellowship Awards? Click here.

Fulbright Programs Social Science Research Council’s Fellowships and Prizes Institute of International Education’s Fellowships Mobility International USA’s Funding International Scholarships for Students from Developing Countries International Financial Aid and Scholarship Search Boren Fellowships for International Study

Fellowship FAQ's

Fellowships are awarded to students who achieve a high level of academic excellence and allow students to focus full time on their studies. Fellowships typically include tuition, student health and dental insurance, access to the Engemann Student Health center, and a stipend distributed over the course of the academic year. Some fellowships also cover mandatory fees such as the Graduate Student Programming fee, Norman Topping Student Aid Fund fee, and the Student Services fee. Lab fees and parking expenses are not covered by fellowships.

All parameters of your fellowship are outlined in your offer letter. We recommend that you review your offer letter carefully and become familiar with the terms of your fellowship.

International fellowship students must Passport Verification (PPV) upon arrival to USC; as well as attend a Viterbi One-Stop session to complete GLACIER paperwork.

Domestic and international fellowship students must be enrolled full-time to receive their fellowship. Full-time enrollment is equivalent to six advisor-approved units or GSRC-800 or 794ABCDZ. We recommend that Ph.D. students register at least two weeks prior to the start of the fall semester, and before the winter recess for the spring semester.

For more information on important dates and deadlines, please visit Ph.D. Important Dates and Deadlines.

Please also visit our   New Student Information website.

26th falls on a weekend or holiday. In which case, the payment will be available the business day prior to the 26th. Stipends are considered late after the 26th of each month. Though you may receive your stipends via direct deposit before the 26th of the month, please note that the stipend schedule does not run through Payment Services on the same day each month, so you will not always receive your stipend on the same day each month.

USC Fellowships are paid over 12 months.

If you have an external fellowship, your fellowship stipend will be disbursed per the foundation's guidelines.

We strongly encourage all of our students to sign up for direct deposit to ensure your payment is delivered as soon as it is available. Domestic Fellowship Students can have their stipends direct deposited through the Office of Payment Services (formerly called Disbursement Control). Please review set-up instructions for more information. If you do not sign up for direct deposit, your stipends will be mailed to your local address. If you do not have a local address on file and you do not sign up for direct deposit, your stipends will be mailed to your permanent address. Please make sure your local address is up to date in OASIS. You may access OASIS directing by logging into MyUSC

International Fellowship Students will receive their stipends through USC Payroll and can Direct Deposit Instructions for International Students New fellows, please note that GLACIER must be completed and processed before you can access Workday. If you do not sign up for Direct Deposit, your stipend will be a paper check and will be routed to the VASE Office. You will be notified when it is ready for pick up.

We strongly suggest that fellows contact the IRS directly, and/or consult with a tax professional. While receiving your fellowship, domestic students will not receive a W-2 form (although when you serve as a Teaching or Research Assistant you will receive a W-2).

This link  contains information regarding tax treatment of fellowship awards. In addition, please review the IRS 1098-t form. These links are not meant to be a comprehensive list of tax resources or forms that you should consider.

International Students should review the OIS website.

In general, you will receive enough tuition units to cover full-time enrollment during the academic year. Please refer to your fellowship offer letter for specific details. These units are split evenly between the fall, spring and summer semesters. If you wish to exceed the number of units stated in your offer letter, please contact your academic department’s staff graduate advisor for advisement. Requests for additional tuition over the fellowship are reviewed on a case by case basis by the VASE Office.

Neither fellowships nor assistantships will pay for audited classes. Funding packages will only pay for classes that count towards the degree. In addition, audited courses or courses not counted towards the degree in many scenarios will not count towards your full-time student status. This may affect your eligibility for funding as well as visa status for our international students. If you are uncertain what courses will be covered by your fellowship, please email [email protected].

You may accept a summer internship or a summer RA/TA position. If you are an international student and plan to work off-campus, you must apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT).

If it is after the 26th of the month and you still haven't received your stipend, or your stipend amount is incorrect, please email [email protected]. Please include your full name, USC ID# and amount in question. A staff member will work the appropriate department(s) to resolve the issue. As a reminder, students must be enrolled full-time (six advisor-approved units for credit towards the PhD program, or GSRC-800 or 794ABCDZ) by the recommended registration deadline in order for fellowship stipends to disburse on time.

New international fellows must submit GLACIER paperwork by the recommended deadline for processing by the University in order to be paid on time.

Continuing international students must update GLACIER paperwork if there is a change in status, such as changing from fellowship to an RA/TA.

Please work with your academic department administrator to complete your hiring paperwork. If you have remaining semesters of fellowship, please notify the VASE Office to defer your fellowship.

International students will need to update GLACIER paperwork to reflect the change in status working as a graduate assistant and receiving wages. If your fellowship also pays a top-off stipend while on RA/TA, please be sure that GLACIER indicates a fellowship stipend as well as wages, or your top-off stipend will not disburse.

Please review this printable chart   for additional information on several external fellowships held by our current PhD students. Many external fellowships receive an additonal top-off stipend from the USC Graduate School. Please contact Jennifer Gerson, Director, Doctoral Programs, at [email protected] or Tracy Charles, Doctoral Programs Coordinator, at [email protected] with any questions.

Graduate Assistantships

As a new Research Assistant, you may be required to complete a Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training before you can begin your assignment.

To ensure a successful TA experience right from the start, all new TAs must attend a training program. In addition to online resources for new TAs, we offer a one-day training program at the beginning of each semester. It is the responsibility of the TA Coordinator or Graduate Advisor to register new TAs for this program. The training will consist of a day-long session at the Viterbi School of Engineering. You must attend the entire session before you will be allowed to begin your duties in the classroom. Lunch will be provided.

Next TA Training:

Date: August

Time: 9am-12pm

Location: TBA

Published on July 11th, 2017

Last updated on August 10th, 2023

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What are you looking for?

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English Proficiency

English-language proficiency requirements.

Effective for applications submitted for summer 2024 and later terms only.

The ability to communicate effectively in English—to read, write and speak the language fluently—is vital to your success as a USC student.

International graduate applicants are therefore expected to demonstrate their proficiency in English as part of the application process and should carefully review the guidelines below.

U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents (such as green card holders) are considered to be “domestic” applicants, regardless of where they have studied or reside. Domestic applicants are exempt from the university’s English-proficiency requirements.

Test Score Guidelines

Important: USC does not set university-wide score minimums for graduate admission. The scores listed below are typically used for placement purposes only—to determine if an admitted student will need to take the International Student English (ISE) examination upon arrival at USC.

English-proficiency scores must be dated within 2 years (24 months) of the date you submit your graduate application. For example, a prospective student applying to fall 2024 who submits their USC application in December 2023 will need to have taken the test no earlier than December 2021.

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

USC accepts the TOEFL iBT Home Edition, iBT Paper Edition, and the standard in-person TOEFL iBT administered in official test centers. Admitted students are exempt from taking the ISE Exam with the following scores:

Sending official scores to USC: USC must receive scores electronically from the testing service for them to be considered official. Photocopies or paper copies of scores are not acceptable.

USC’s institution code is 4852. No department code is required.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

USC accepts IELTS Academic and IELTS Indicator (Online version) scores. Admitted students are exempt from taking the ISE Exam with the following scores:

Sending official scores to USC: USC must receive scores electronically from the testing service for them to be considered official. Photocopies or paper copies of scores from the testing service are not acceptable.

Select “University of Southern California” from the list of available institutions when you register to take the IELTS test. Alternatively, provide this information to your testing center after you have taken the test. Contact information for the USC department to which you are applying is not required.

PTE (Pearson Test of English) Academic

USC accepts PTE Academic and PTE Academic Online scores. Admitted students are exempt from taking the ISE Exam with the following scores:

Select “University of Southern California” from the list of available institutions when you register to take the PTE Academic test. Alternatively, provide this information to your testing center after you have taken the test. Contact information for the USC department to which you are applying is not required.

Special Accommodations

The Educational Testing Service (TOEFL), the British Council (IELTS) and Pearson (PTE Academic) will provide accommodations for those with disabilities.

Score Minimums Set by Programs

Please note that some individual programs may set internal score minimums that are higher than those listed here. Please refer to your intended graduate program(s) for information about their English proficiency requirements.

English-Language Test Waiver

International applicants are exempt from submitting English-proficiency scores under the following circumstances:

• You hold a degree (bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate) from USC or are currently enrolled in a USC degree program.
• You hold a bachelor’s degree completed in its entirety in the United States or the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree in a qualifying Anglophone country (as defined below). To determine degree equivalency, please refer to our country requirements .The bachelor’s degree should be earned at a regionally accredited university located in the United States, or at an officially recognized university in another country where English is both the language of instruction and the only officially recognized language of the country. The entire program needs to have been completed in the qualifying country. Dual-degree holders who completed just part of their degree in the U.S. or other qualifying country, and students who have transferred credits from a non-Anglophone country, do not qualify for this waiver.
• You have completed a master’s or doctoral degree from a country in which English is both the language of instruction and the only official language. The degree needs to have already been completed at the time you submit your USC application. Applicants who have not yet completed a qualifying master’s or doctoral program at the time they apply will still need to submit English-proficiency scores.
• Your native language is English. This applies to native English speakers from countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada (except Quebec), where English is both the only official language of the country and the language of instruction.

USC does not waive the English-proficiency requirement based on any other consideration such as work experience, ESL enrollment, amount of time spent in the U.S., etc. It also cannot be waived on the basis of programs taught in English in non-Anglophone countries.

To determine if USC requires TOEFL/IELTS/PTE scores for your country of study, please check our Country Requirements page.

USC International Academy

Students looking to prepare their English and academic skills for the rigors of graduate study at USC may wish to explore the USC International Academy as an option.

Exceptions: The Office of Graduate Admission does not have the authority to grant exemptions to the university’s English-proficiency policies on the basis of applicant requests. Exemption requests submitted directly to our office by applicants themselves are automatically denied. If you have extraordinary circumstances that you believe may merit an individualized exemption, please contact your intended graduate program to discuss available options.

• Computer Science

It’s Way More than Coding

Hear directly from faculty, computer science (cs), computer scientists design and implement efficient software solutions to computer-solvable problems. they are involved in the development of areas such as high-speed networks, multimedia and creative technologies, systems design, virtual reality, data science, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics., listen while you scroll, cs podcast playlist.

Check out all of our podcast episodes related to Computer Science & Computer Engineering. Whether it’s Dr. Sukhatme discussing CS at USC or current students discussing hackathons, cyber security, and internships in the Girls Who Code miniseries.

Viterbi Voices: The Podcast is your chance to hear stories about research, classes, student life, and more directly from our faculty, students, and other members of our engineering community. Click the link below to see the rest of our episodes!

 Curriculum and Emphases

There are several different options within the computer science program to pursue.  Check them all out!

Computer Science, B.S.

The computer science program prepares students to work in the areas of software design, development, application and maintenance.  It provides intensive study in algorithmic design and analysis as well as the theory of computing.

Computer Science (Games), B.S.

This major offers technical and creative training for the video game industry.  The curriculum brings numerous core areas of advanced computer science – including artificial intelligence, graphic interfaces, modeling, algorithm design – together with creative and artistic training from the School of Cinematic Arts and the Roski School of Fine Arts and Design.

Computer Engineering & Computer Science, B.S.

(Jointly administered by the Computer Science and Electrical & Computer Engineering departments)

This program trains students to integrate hardware and software processes to design solutions to problems arising in complex domains such as atomic reactors, guidance systems, and manufacturing systems.  These students graduate ready to design and build complex systems of hardware, software, and networks.

Computer Science/Business Administration, B.S.

This combined degree program allows students to study both Computer Science and Business in four years.  In addition to the core computer science courses, students take courses from the Marshall School of Business such as Organizational Behavior, Marketing Fundamentals, Business Finance, and Strategic Management.

We have a balance of programs - theoretical, computational, and experimental – which exemplify the Viterbi School’s approach to intensive and collaborative research.

The computer science department has more than 40 research faculty members from the world-renowned information sciences institute (isi) – a major player in the creation of the internet- and from the institute for creative technologies (ict). its faculty includes pioneers in modern cryptography, internet technologies, software engineering, databases, computational neuroscience, robotics, natural language processing, computational biology and network sciences, and it has an innovative education program, including the new interdisciplinary informatics program as well as one of the nation’s first programs in game development..

In addition, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering offers one of the best environments for interdisciplinary research and international collaboration in the nation. There is a strong record of innovation in the department and its affiliated centers: the Domain Name System and the TCP/IP protocols, the invention of DNA computing, and historic interdisciplinary studies relating brains, machines and mathematics. For example, a former student wrote one of the first computer viruses and led the theoretical study of the computer virus concept. The accomplishments of our current faculty include path-setting results in artificial intelligence, computer vision, data science, privacy and security, robotics, software engineering, and the Academy Award winning work in computer graphics.

Recent Projects

Faculty will be teaching all of your classes and leading research projects as well. Your opportunities to build relationships with your faculty will begin immediately in your first year, both in the classroom and the lab. Check out a few highlighted professors with whom you may work in the future:

Dr. Nora Ayanian

Her research group, the ACT lab, conducts research in the area of coordinated multi-robot systems, where they provide theoretically sound solutions to practically motivated problems. You may also recognize them from the drones performance at the 2017 Super Bowl Half-Time Show!

• Faculty Page

Dr. Heather Culbertson

Her research focuses on the design and control of haptic devices and rendering systems, human-robot interaction, and virtual reality. Particularly she is interested in creating haptic interactions that are natural and realistically mimic the touch sensations experienced during interactions with the physical world.

Dr. Leonard Adleman

His research focuses on algorithms, computational complexity, cryptography, DNA computing, number theory and molecular biology. He's known famously for the RSA algorithm, which allows data to be encrypted; it is one of the bedrocks of security on the internet. He's also writing a book about memes!

Dr. Yan Liu

Her research interests include machine learning and data mining with applications to biology, climate science, health, and social media. She is currently working on deep learning for health care applications like phenotyping and healthcare prediction tasks.

Don't stop here.

Learn more about the cool faculty and amazing research being done at the Computer Science Department at their website:

CS Department Website CS Department Website

Your engineering undergraduate degree will prepare you for many career and academic opportunities. Whether you have always known “what you want to do when you grow up” or are hoping to find out, we are here to help you plan for your future beyond USC. We provide dedicated career services starting in your first year to help you find internships, co-ops, and full-time positions post graduation.

When you graduate with a degree in Computer Science, here are just a few of the future career paths that might lay before you.

• Build new computer circuits, microchips, and other electronic components
• Launch high tech entrepreneurial projects and ventures
• Conduct research on artificial intelligence capabilities
• Create new computer and operating systems
• Design logic devices for everyday appliances
• Improve video game consoles and devices
• Integrate hardware and software processes
• Invent intelligent robots
• Develop advanced data analytics

Don't take our word for it. Ask some Viterbi alumni:

Success After Graduation Success After Graduation

Student Life

We want students who like to work hard – both in and out of the classroom. Our students know that going to college is more than attending class and completing assignments. College is about making connections and joining a community of dedicated students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Our students want to work and play with people as interesting as they are, and we have a number of ways for you to do the same.

Your life can be designed how you like it. Join a design team like Autonomous Underwater Vehicle. Continue your passion for volunteering with Code the Change. Keep making art with Corpus Callosum. On this page, we have a few student organizations we think you might be interested in, but there are so many more you can get involved in!

Code the Change

This community of student technologists designs and builds software to empower philanthropic organizations to help them alleviate various problems facing our world like assisting the homeless in finding job training.

Association for Computing Machinery

ACM is USC's largest Computer Science organization, providing many events and opportunities for students to develop their professional and technical skills like learning how to code from upperclassmen or meeting industry reps.

Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

By employing industry standard programs and techniques, USC AUV ensures that all members have a hands-on, practical engineering experience outside of the classroom that can be utilized in their future careers.

Imagine yourself on campus.

Learn more about life at USC as an engineering student at Viterbi Voices:

Viterbi Voices Viterbi Voices

At the Viterbi School of Engineering, our students can do it all. From start-ups to research, everything is available to them to bring their dreams to life and succeed post graduation. See what our alumni have to say about the Viterbi program.

B.S. Computer Science ’20

 Lucas Hu founded the student branch of the USC Center for Artificial Intelligence, CAIS++, dedicated to furthering AI for social good.  He also served as an undergraduate researcher at CAIS, training models to detect poachers and endangered animals. Lucas currently works full-time as a data scientist at Palo Alto Networks, and leads the engineering efforts at Duet, a non-profit he co-founded while at USC, which helps connect refugees, donors and local businesses.

Avri Parker

B.S. Computer Science ’19

Avri served as president of the National Society of Black Engineers USC Chapter, which won the organization’s coveted National Chapter of the Year Award in 2018.  During her tenure, the organization partnered with Google to put on the second Black Excellence Gala, a night to celebrate Black excellence.  At USC, Avri interned at MITRE, Hulu and Microsoft.  She is now a program manager at Microsoft in Redmond, WA.

B.S. Computer Science ’21

At USC, Jessica co-founded Good2Go, a non-profit that utilizes volunteer drivers to bridge the gap between food pantries and food-insecure individuals.  She also served as the president of Code the Change, a community of USC students working on pro-bono software for non-profits, acted as a tour guide, took stand-up comedy lessons and interned at Google and Facebook.  After graduation, she accepted a position as an associate product manager at Google.

James Collins

While at USC, James organized events and hackathons for the Association of Computing Machinery and joined the virtual reality Southern California club.  He was a research assistant at the Robotic Embedded Systems Lab, working on autonomous surface vehicle sensing arrays, and interned at companies like Gadget Bot Productions and Deck Head Games.  After graduation, he secured a role at Hidden Variable Studios, and LA-based games company.

Rupali Bahl

Rupali interned at companies including Airbnb and StitchFix.  She founded VIS (Women in Entrepreneurship), aimed at promoting women in entrepreneurship and increasing the number of female and non-binary founders.  She also mentored middle school students and helped them ideate and implement web games and e-commerce websites.  She is now a software engineer at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington.

More Engineering Disciplines

You just learned so much about Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Beyond this department, Viterbi has ten academic disciplines spread across eight departments to make up more than thirty major combinations. Take some time to explore all of your interests.

• Astronautical Engineering

Build for Beyond.

Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

Design for Movement.

• Biomedical Engineering

Help Others Live Better.

Chemical Engineering

Make the Stuff of Tomorrow.

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Design. Build. Improve.

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Industrial & systems engineering.

Engineering Better Businesses.

• Undeclared Engineering

It’s Okay if You’re Not Sure.

Want More Info on CS?

Fill out the form below and we’ll get right back to you.

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CBE 298 Seminar: Exploring the Tumor Ecosystem: Modeling Across Scales

Professor Biomedical Engineering and Quantitative and Computational Biology University of Southern California

Abstract : My research group works in the area of mathematical oncology, where we use mathematical models to decipher the complex networks of reactions inside of cancer cells and interactions between cells. We have combined detailed, mechanistic and data-driven modeling to study these networks and predict ways to control tumor growth. Our models generate novel mechanistic insight into cell behavior and predict the effects of strategies aimed at inhibiting tumor growth. We have also developed methods of calibrating the models to tumor image data to generate reliable predictive frameworks. In this talk, I will present our work to model the tumor ecosystem across scales: intracellular signaling of immune cells, evolution of cell states, and interactions between tumor and immune cells using agent-based models.

Bio : Stacey Finley is the inaugural Nichole A. and Thuan Q. Pham Professor at the University of Southern California. She is professor of Biomedical Engineering and Quantitative and Computational Biology. Finley received her B.S. in chemical engineering from Florida A & M University and obtained her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Northwestern University. She completed postdoctoral training at Johns Hopkins University in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Finley joined the faculty at USC in 2013 and leads the Computational Systems Biology Laboratory. She has a joint appointment in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and is a member of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Finley is also a standing member of the MABS Study Section at NIH. Her research has been supported by grants from the NSF, NIH and American Cancer Society.

Selected Honors : 2016 NSF Faculty Early CAREER Award; 2016 Young Innovator by the Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering journal; Leah Edelstein-Keshet Prize from the Society of Mathematical Biology; Junior Research Award from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering; the Hanna Reisler Mentorship Award; 2018 AACR NextGen Star; 2018 Orange County Engineering Council Outstanding Young Engineer; 2021 Elected Fellow of American Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering; 2022 Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society

Upcoming Events

• 30 May MSE 298 Seminar: Capturing Grain Boundary Migration in 3D Polycrystals
• 31 May Synthetic Biology Symposium 2024
• 31 May EECS Seminar: Applied Electromagnetics & Artificial Intelligence: From Terahertz and Infrared Generation to Cancer Detection
• 31 May MAE 298 SEMINAR: Reduced Order Models of Combustion Devices

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Fall 2015 to Spring 2023 Guidelines

These guidelines apply to students who started the PhD program in the Fall of 2015 to Spring 2023 (inclusive). For earlier guidelines, please see Fall 2014 or earlier requirements , and for later guidelines, please see Fall 2023 and later.

1. Introduction

The PhD degree at the USC Computer Science department prepares students for a career in research. The goal of the program is to nurture talented minds via research and formal coursework, to produce future thought leaders in computer science. The program accepts students who have completed a four-year Bachelor's degree in a relevant field; a Master’s degree is not a requirement for entry. Once admitted to the program, a student must complete a set of requirements to graduate with the PhD degree. These requirements are described next.

2. Unit Requirements

A student is required to complete a total of at least 60 units, at least 40 of which must be at the 500 level or above (beyond the bachelor’s degree and including the required courses as listed in the requirements below). A student must maintain a 3.0 GPA to remain in good academic standing.

3. Course Requirement

Mandatory courses: Each student is required to complete two semesters of CSCI 697 (1 unit each, 2 maximum) and CSCI 670 (4 units). In addition, students are required to pass two semesters of CSCI 698 (1-2 units each, no maximum) as part of a teaching requirement. CSCI 698 is coursework related to a teaching requirement and is described in Section 7. Elective courses: In addition to the mandatory courses, each student must complete five (5) CSCI courses at the 500 level and above, each of 4 units. No more than two (2) of these courses (8 units total) may be at the 500 level; the remaining must be CSCI courses at the 600 level. Directed Research units or thesis credits do not satisfy this requirement. Students are strongly advised to take at least one of their elective courses in an area of Computer Science that is different from their proposed area of research. The PhD advisor is expected to provide guidance on this matter to the student. The CSCI 670 course requirement may be waived by examination only. Each course in the department has a faculty member who is designated as the course “owner.” The owner of CSCI 670 is in charge of creating and grading the waiver examination. CSCI 697 and CSCI 698 may not be waived.

4. Annual Review

Every Spring semester a faculty committee will review each PhD student in the program. This is a rigorous review. Each student must submit his/her current CV and a list of publications and/or achievements; each student’s faculty advisor will also submit a statement assessing the student’s research and progress. The review will result in an evaluation of “excellent”, “satisfactory”, or “unsatisfactory”. A student must earn a “satisfactory” or “excellent” evaluation on the most recent annual review before he/she will be allowed to take his/her Qualifying Examination or Dissertation Defense. For each student who earns an “unsatisfactory” annual review, the student’s faculty advisor and the Associate Chair for PhD Affairs will develop a remediation plan. The student may be reviewed again within six months. Two consecutive unsatisfactory reviews may be used as grounds for removing a student from the PhD program.

5. Seminar and Thesis Proposal Attendance Requirement

Each PhD student must attend four (4) Department seminars and/or PhD Thesis Proposals each semester. A student may not get a satisfactory or excellent annual review without having attended the four required seminars/Thesis Proposals.

6. Teaching Requirement

Each PhD student must pass CSCI 698: Teaching Practicum in two or more semesters before she/he can graduate with a PhD. CSCI 698 requires a PhD student to serve as a TA for a Computer Science class. In at least one instance of CSCI 698 registration, the student must TA for a class being taught by a faculty member who is not the student’s advisor. The student must TA for at least two distinct classes in two distinct semesters to fulfill the teaching requirement.

7. Qualifying Examination

All doctoral students must pass a Qualifying Examination in Computer Science. Before passing the Qualifying Examination, a student must have completed all his/her course requirements. The Qualifying Examination is administered by a guidance committee consisting of the dissertation advisor and four (4) other faculty members. The student’s dissertation advisor will act as the chair of the guidance committee. The committee must include at least three (3) faculty members who have an appointment in Computer Science, and at least one committee member must be tenured in the Computer Science Department. The committee must also include one tenured/tenure track USC faculty member from another department whose primary appointment is not in Computer Science. All guidance committees must be approved by the Associate Chair for PhD Affairs, the Dean’s office, and the Graduate School. In exceptional cases, the guidance committee may include faculty from other universities, in addition to the five members from USC. The Qualifying Examination has two parts: Written and Oral. A student must have a satisfactory result from the most recent Annual Review and at least a 3.0 GPA in order to complete his/her Qualifying Examination. A student may take the Written portion of the Qualifying Examination prior to completing his/her course requirements. The Written portion of the Qualifying Examination should be taken during the student’s 4th semester in the PhD program. The Written portion is in the form of a paper. A student must work with his/her Qualifying Examination committee to determine the topic and scope of the paper. The criteria for the paper written in fulfillment of the Written portion of the Qualifying Examination are as follows:

• Minimum 15 pages in the ACM Computer Science Style.
• Writing style must be of publishable quality, as determined by the guidance committee.
• Must include at least 30 scholarly references.

The student will pass the Written part of the Qualifying Examination with his/her committee’s consensus. If a student does not pass the Written portion of the Qualifying Examination, he/she may retake it one additional time. The student must retake the Written portion of the Qualifying Examination within at least six (6) and at most 12 months of the initial attempt. The Oral portion of the Qualifying Examination must be taken by the end of a student’s 3rd year. It is closed to the public. The Oral portion of the Qualifying Examination will assess a student’s ability to provide a 30-minute presentation on the topic covered in the Written portion and to show adequate mastery of that topic, reflected, both, in the quality of the presentation and the ability to answer questions from the committee. The student will not be allowed to schedule the Oral portion of the Qualifying Examination without having passed the Written portion. If a student does not pass the Oral portion of the Qualifying Examination, he/she may retake it one additional time. The student must retake the Oral portion of the Qualifying Examination within at least six (6) and at most 12 months of the initial attempt. Postponement of any part of the Qualifying Examination will be treated on a case-by-case basis by the Associate Chair for the PhD Program.

8. Thesis Proposal

The Thesis Proposal is a presentation open to the public. The presentation must be announced at least one week in advance. The announcement must include the presentation title and abstract, the venue, date and time, as well as the names of the guidance committee members. The presentation is expected to be 45 minutes long at a minimum, with time for questions at the end. All current PhD students are encouraged to attend and participate in the public questionand-answer session. A portion of the question-and-answer session may be closed at the discretion of the student’s guidance committee. The Thesis Proposal must be made by the end of a student’s 5th year in the program, although it is strongly recommended that students do so by the end of their 4th year. Only students who have passed the Qualifying examination (both Written and Oral), may schedule a Thesis Proposal presentation. The guidance committee will assess the thesis proposal for novelty, substance, and feasibility, and decide whether to approve the proposal. If a student’s Thesis Proposal is not approved, the student may make one additional proposal. The student must make the additional Thesis Proposal within at most six (6) months of the first attempt.

9. Dissertation Defense

A dissertation involving original research completes the requirements for a PhD degree. A Defense of the dissertation must be held as a public oral examination. The Defense must be announced at least one week in advance. To schedule the Defense, the student must have passed the Thesis Proposal. The Defense announcement must include the dissertation title and abstract, the venue, date and time for the examination, as well as the names of the dissertation Defense committee members. The student must provide the complete written dissertation to the committee at least five (5) business days before the scheduled defense. The dissertation defense committee must have at least three (3) members, of which at least two must have an appointment in Computer Science. The student’s dissertation advisor will chair the committee. At least one committee member must be tenured in the Computer Science Department. The committee must also include one tenured (or tenure-track) USC faculty member from another department whose primary appointment is not in Computer Science.

Specific upload deadlines and instructions can be found on the USC Graduate School Thesis Center website https://graduateschool.usc.edu/current-students/thesis-dissertation-submission/ .

10. Time Limits

A student must pass the Qualifying Examination within four years of being admitted to the PhD program. The dissertation Defense must be completed within seven years of being admitted to the PhD program (six if the student arrives with a relevant Master’s degree). After seven years in the PhD program, the student may not be eligible for any Teaching Assistantship funding from the Computer Science department. An extension to either time limit (Qualifying Exam and Defense) requires approval of two-thirds of the Computer Science faculty. In no case may the granted extensions exceed the time limits set by the USC Graduate School.

11. Absences

Doctoral students may be granted a maximum of 24 months (not necessarily consecutive) leave-of-absence by the Department Chair, or by a committee appointed by the Department Chair with the approval of the Graduate School. During these absences, the clock defining the time limits for the qualifying and defense examinations is suspended. The clock is resumed when the student returns from the leave-of-absence. Any leaves longer than 24 months, or leave applied for within four months of the expiration of a time limit, requires an approval of two-thirds of Computer Science faculty. Absences longer than 24 months also require USC Graduate School approval.

12. Transfer Requirements

Students with a relevant MS degree from another university may transfer up to 30 units towards their PhD degree. At most two courses may be substituted for the allowed two 500-level courses in the course requirement. No substitutions are allowed for the 600-level courses.

13. Petitioning for MS Degree

After satisfying the PhD course requirements and completing a minimum of 28 units with a GPA of 3.0, a current CS PhD is eligible to petition for a Master's degree in Computer Science.  This will require the approval of your faculty advisor(s) and the Associate Chair of the department.  The  docusign  process can be found  here .

14. Existing Students and the new PhD Requirements

These requirements shall apply to all students admitted to the Computer Science PhD program for Fall 2015 to Fall 2022. Students admitted prior to Fall 2015 may choose to have these requirements applied to them. To do this, the student must submit to the Department an approval letter signed by the student’s PhD advisor.

Published on June 14th, 2016

Last updated on November 2nd, 2023

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AI and data science: The new frontier of autism research

Researchers at usc combine large datasets and machine learning to break new ground.

Analyzing large datasets of heart rhythms and brain wave activity with AI and machine learning,  a team of University of South Carolina professors is making progress toward better understanding of autism spectrum disorder and identification of ASD diagnostic biomarkers.

Jessica Bradshaw and Caitlin Hudac in the Department of Psychology are collaborating with Christian O’Reilly, a computer science and engineering faculty member, to search for potential patterns and markers of ASD and more.

“I think the punchline for where we’re going together in our collaboration is understanding how we can use all of the information we’re gathering and put it together — and that's where AI and machine learning are so important,” says Hudac, steering director for the Carolina Autism and Neurodevelopment Research Center.

“My data are important for understanding which brain substrates are responding, and Dr. Bradshaw’s data show us trajectories of growth in relevant domains to autism. What really needs to be happening is putting all of these pieces together in one pot to understand each individual.”

Identifying reliable biomarkers of ASD to diagnose the disorder soon after birth as opposed to the standard norm of diagnoses at 3-4 years of age or older using behavioral markers would be a breakthrough, Bradshaw says, because it would allow much earlier therapeutic intervention. The researchers’ work could also help point the way toward differential diagnoses.

“It’s one thing to say, ‘I think that child falls under the broad umbrella of ASD.’ But what if that umbrella was divided into subgroups — people who are on the spectrum for different reasons — that could be assigned the therapeutic approach that would best help them?” says O’Reilly, who also is a faculty affiliate in the university’s Artificial Intelligence Institute.

"The goal is to take all of our heart rate and visual attention data in very young infants and try to understand, using machine learning, how these features together might predict autism."

O’Reilly’s AI and machine learning tools aim to better understand and differentiate the physiological mechanisms involved in ASD using ECG (heart), EEG (brain) and other physiological and behavioral data of infants and children collected by Bradshaw’s, Hudac’s and other research groups at USC.

“The goal is to take all of our heart rate and visual attention data in very young infants and try to understand, using machine learning, how these features together might predict autism,” says Bradshaw, whose collaboration with O’Reilly is supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health. “We call it modeling the autonomic, attentional and behavioral dynamics of autism.”

Bradshaw’s team is collecting data from 200 infants in South Carolina and beyond who have siblings already diagnosed with ASD, some with risk factors such as pre-term birth and others who are at a low likelihood of ASD with no known risk factors. The five-year project will follow the infants up to age three when they will receive a comprehensive autism diagnostic evaluation.

Hudac brought a large dataset of recorded brain activity to USC, a legacy of her nearly 15 years of research in exploring the biological process associated with autism and understanding how autistic individuals navigate the world. Her team continues to augment that dataset with new recordings.

“We’re trying to understand how individuals with ASD take in information, make sense of it and then choose to act in certain ways,” Hudac says. “There are key behavioral steps we can look at to see how different children have different brain processes for those steps. We’re recording every millisecond of their brain activity as they process and react to information, so we’re able to decode what’s happening and compare it with the brain activity of neurotypical children.”

Along with identifying biomarkers of ASD, Hudac says ASD research at USC and beyond could help inform new directions in ASD therapy.

“I think that that's everyone's goal. But as we start to navigate how different tools can get us there faster, there are still a lot of human limitations with imaging and EEG data that we have to process,” Hudac says. “It is more involved, trying to make sure that the data we get is going to help us in that therapeutic sense. I think it’s going to be absolutely pivotal, though, and no one field can make that happen alone — it's going to be an exciting decade in ASD research.”