Procedure
Registration and Exam Committee
A permission number is required to enroll in COMPUT 691. Prior to requesting a permission number, you must work with your advisor to form your Doctoral Supervisory Committee. Your Comprehensive Exam committee will be the same as your Dissertation committee, plus one external evaluator (CompEE) who is appointed by the Computing PhD co-directors.
Once you and your advisor have determined your committee members submit the Pre-Registration Form
Once the pre-registration form is approved you will be sent a permission number to enroll in COMPUT 691.
At the start of the semester, the Program co-directors will appoint a Comprehensive Exam External Evaluator (CompEE) to serve on your committee. The CompEE reads your synthesis paper, examines your computing artifact and attends your oral presentation. The CompEE must attend your Comp Exam oral presentation and will vote on your exam completion.
Emphasis Core Courses
You must earn a B or better in the courses listed for your emphasis below.
Students may take these courses in the same semester they complete the comprehensive exam but must have approval from their major advisor. Concurrent courses and advisor approval are collected via the Pre-Registration Form. Failure to earn a B or better in a core course taken concurrently will result in failure of the core course element of the comprehensive exam.
Core Courses by Emphasis
Computational Math, Science and Engineering:
MATH 567 Numerical Methods for Differential Equations
MATH/CS 566 Numerical Methods II
CS 507 Computing Foundations for Computational Science
COMPUT/ME 571 Parallel Scientific Computing
Computer Science:
CS 521 Design and Analysis of Algorithms or CS 561 Theory of Computation
CS 552 Operating Systems
CS 573 Advanced Software Engineering.
Cybersecurity:
CS 567 Applied Cryptography or MATH 508 Advanced Public Key Cryptology or MATH 509 Symmetric Key Cryptology
CS 575 Software Security or CS 622 Advanced Network Security
CS 546 Computer Security
Data Science:
CS 533 Introduction to Data Science
CS 534 Machine Learning
MATH 562 Probability and Statistics II
MATH 572 Computational Statistics
Synthesis Manuscript
The synthesis manuscript should show critical thinking about the reviewed papers and propose several possible research questions. Your advisor, with input from your exam committee, will provide a set of at least four (4) scientific papers. You should use these papers as a starting point and perform a literature search to better cover the breadth of existing related work.
You may receive feedback from your major advisor prior to the formal submission of the manuscript. However, the synthesis should be your own work. You will be asked to sign an affirmation that confirms that the work is your own and does not reflect an act of plagiarism. The Affirmation of Original Work form can be found on the program website at https://www.boisestate.edu/computing/current-students/forms/
No specific format is required for this manuscript. You should discuss format expectations with your advisor.
Your Dissertation Proposal and Dissertation will use the template and format required by the Graduate College, so for consistency, you may wish to use this format for your synthesis manuscript. The Graduate College template and format guidelines can be found here: https://www.boisestate.edu/graduatecollege-success/thesis-and-dissertation-template/
The Computing PhD program keeps a repository of select synthesis papers from former students. Students must request access to view this repository via the prompt at this link.
You may request that the synthesis manuscript element be satisfied by your master's thesis. Your advisor and all members of your supervisory committee must approve this at the beginning of the semester in which you enroll in COMPUT 691.
Computing Artifact
The computing artifact element of the comprehensive exam can be a separate project or an extended class project. The artifact will contain program(s) and output that must be well tested and documented. Your examination committee should determine the minimum requirements for the artifact and notify you of these evaluation criteria within one month of accepting to serve on the committee.
You may request that the computing artifact element be satisfied by your master's thesis. Your advisor and all members of your supervisory committee must approve this at the beginning of the semester in which you enroll in COMPUT 691.
Oral Presentation
The Oral Presentation should be scheduled for two weeks after you submit your synthesis paper and computing artifact for review by your committee. If your full committee is not available within two weeks, select the next earliest date.
It is the student's responsibility to schedule the presentation date with all committee members and CompEE, as well as reserve a room and/or generate a Zoom meeting link, if needed. You must also create a Google Calendar event and invite your committee members and CompEE, including the location and/or Zoom link. Please schedule two hours for your session.
Once you set the date, submit the Presentation Notification form.
Presentation Deadline
Presentations must be scheduled to occur at least one week before the final day of course instruction. Refer to the current Academic Calendar for the exact date.
Waiver of Exam Elements
Students who completed their Master of Science degree at Boise State University may opt to substitute their MS thesis to fulfill all elements of the exam requirements–including the oral presentation. Requests for the waiver of elements must be approved by all committee members at the start of the semester in which the student is enrolled in COMPUT 691 Doctoral Comprehensive Exam. The committee’s decision to waive all or partial elements of the Comprehensive Exam must be submitted to the Computing Co-Directors in writing.
Oral Presentation Format
The format of the oral examination consists of a 30-minute public presentation of your synthesis paper and computing artifact, including a public question and answer session.
The public question and answer session will be followed by a closed-door period of questioning by the examination committee based on content in the synthesis paper and computing artifact. Only the committee members may attend the closed-door session.
After the examination, you will be asked to leave, and your committee will discuss and vote on your performance on the synthesis paper, computing artifact, and oral presentation.
You must submit the Comprehensive Exam Approval form immediately after your presentation.
The fully approved Comprehensive Exam Form must be submitted by the last day of course instruction. Refer to the current Academic Calendar for the exact date. If the form has not been submitted by that date a grade of F will be entered.
Comprehensive Exam Timeline
Semester before:
Meet with an advisor and confirm that all course requirements will be met before enrolling in COMPUT 691.
Work with your advisor to select members of the supervisory committee.
Submit the Pre-Registration Form
Enroll in COMPUT 691 using the permission number you are sent.
Beginning of Comprehensive Exam semester:
Meet with your advisor and supervisory committee. We suggest you put all agreed-upon expectations in writing and save a copy:
Set a deadline for when seed papers will be given to the student.
Agree upon expectations for the computing artifact.
Agree upon expectations for the synthesis paper.
Agree upon expectations for the oral presentation.
Agree upon the amount of feedback the student can expect from their advisor and committee.
Set a due date for submission of computing artifact and synthesis manuscript.
Schedule the oral presentation.
Create a Google calendar event and invite your advisor, committee, and CompEE through your student email address.
Create Zoom Link (if applicable) and include in Google Calendar event you created.
Presentations must be scheduled to occur at least one week before the final day of course instruction. Refer to the current Academic Calendar for the exact date.
The program recommends sending the synthesis paper and artifact to committee members at least two weeks before the presentation date.
Prior to submitting artifact and synthesis paper to committee:
Schedule your presentation with your advisor, committee, and CompEE, and create a Google calendar event and invite your advisor, committee, and CompEE through your student email address.
Presentations must be scheduled to occur at least one week before the final day of course instruction. Refer to the current Academic Calendar for the exact date.
Once you set the date, submit the Presentation Notification form.
The program recommends sending the synthesis paper and artifact to committee members at least two weeks before the presentation date.
Submit the Presentation Notification form.
Submit the Affirmation of Original Work.
Presentation day:
Arrive early to set up the room and tech.
Immediately following presentation, submit Comprehensive Exam Approval form via Smartsheet.
After successful completion of the Comprehensive Exam:
Submit the Appointment of Supervisory Committee form to the Graduate College. Form instructions are located here: https://www.boisestate.edu/graduatecollege/appointment-of-supervisory-committee-instructions/