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Computer Science

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• Summary of Requirements
• Certificate

Directors of undergraduate studies:   Y. Richard Yang , 432-6400, AKW 208A; cpsc.yale.edu

The Department of Computer Science offers both B.S. and B.A. degree programs, as well as four combined major programs in cooperation with other departments: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science , Computer Science and Economics , Computer Science and Mathematics , and Computer Science and Psychology . Each program not only provides a solid technical education in the core of computer science but also  allows students to take a broad range of courses in other disciplines that are an essential part of a liberal arts education.

Specifically, the Computer Science and combined major programs share a common core of five computer science courses. The first is CPSC 201 , a survey that demonstrates the breadth and depth of the field to students who have taken the equivalent of an introductory programming course. The remaining core courses cover discrete mathematics ( CPSC 202  or MATH 244 ), data structures ( CPSC 223 ), systems programming and computer architecture ( CPSC 323 ), and algorithm analysis and design ( CPSC 365  or  366 ). Only one of  CPSC 365  or  366  may be taken for major credit. Together these courses include the material that every major should know.

The core courses are supplemented by electives (and, for a combined major, core courses in the other discipline) that offer great flexibility in tailoring a program to each student's interests. The capstone is the senior project ( CPSC 490 ), through which students experience the challenges and rewards of original research under the guidance of a faculty adviser.

Prospective majors are encouraged to discuss their programs with the director of undergraduate studies (DUS) as early as possible.

Introductory Courses

The department offers a broad range of introductory courses to meet the needs of students with varying backgrounds and interests. Except for  CPSC 200  and  CPSC 201 , none assumes previous knowledge of computers.

• CPSC 100  is taught jointly with Harvard University and teaches students majoring in any subject area how to program a computer and solve problems. No prior programming experience is required. Students with previous programming experience should consider taking  CPSC 201  instead. This course satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning distributional requirement.
• CPSC 110  teaches programming for humanities and social sciences using the Python programming language. No prior programming experience is required. This course satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning distributional requirement.
• CPSC 112 teaches students majoring in any subject area how to program a computer and solve problems using the Java programming language. No prior programming experience is required. Students with previous programming experience should consider taking CPSC 201 instead. This course satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning distributional requirement.
• CPSC 134  provides an introduction to computer music, including musical representations for computing, automated music analysis and composition, interactive systems, and virtual instrument design.
• CPSC 150 explores how some of the key ideas in computer science have affected philosophy of mind, cognitivism, connectionism, and related areas. This humanities-style course requires a significant amount of reading and writing a paper, and satisfies the Writing and the Humanities and Arts distributional requirements.
• CPSC 151 studies the history of the graphical user interface in an attempt to guess its future. This course satisfies the Writing distributional requirement.
• CPSC 175 studies the C programming language and the Linux operating system. This course satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning requirement.
• CPSC 183 explores the myriad ways that law and technology intersect, with a special focus on the role of cyberspace. This course satisfies the Social Sciences distributional requirement.
• CPSC 184  focuses on the evolving and oftentimes vexing intellectual property regime of the new digital age. This course satisfies the Social Sciences and the Humanities and Arts distributional requirements.
• CPSC 185  covers the evolution of various legal doctrines with and around technological development. This course satisfies the Social Sciences and the Writing distributional requirements.
• CPSC 200 , intended as a survey course for non-majors, focuses on practical applications of computing technology while examining topics including computer hardware, computer software, and related issues such as security and software engineering. This course satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning distributional requirement.
• CPSC 201  teaches the basic concepts, techniques, and applications of computer science, including systems (computers and their languages) and theory (complexity and computability). Students with sufficient programming experience may elect CPSC 201 without taking CPSC 112 . (These courses meet at the same time so that students are easily able to change levels if necessary.) This course satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning distributional requirement.
• CPSC 202 presents the formal methods of reasoning and the concepts of discrete mathematics and linear algebra used in computer science and related disciplines. This course satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning distributional requirement.
• CPSC 210  examines the political challenges wrought by massive increases in the power of computational and communication technologies and the potential for citizens and governments to harness those technologies to solve problems. This course satisfies the Social Sciences distributional requirement.

Requirements of the Major

The B.S. and the B.A. degree programs have the same required five core courses: CPSC 201 ; CPSC 202 or MATH 244 ; CPSC 223 ;  CPSC 323 ; and  CPSC 365  or 366 . 

B.S. degree program The B.S. degree program requires a total of twelve term courses: five core courses, six intermediate or advanced courses in Computer Science, and the senior requirement.

B.A. degree program The B.A. degree program requires a total of ten term courses: the five core courses, four intermediate or advanced courses in Computer Science, and the senior requirement.

Combined B.S./M.S. degree Exceptionally able and well-prepared students may complete a course of study leading to the simultaneous award of the B.S. and M.S. degrees after eight terms of enrollment. General eligibility requirements are described in the Academic Regulations, section L, Special Academic Arrangements , “Simultaneous Award of the Bachelor's and Master's Degrees.” Specific requirements for the combined degree in Computer Science are as follows:

• Candidates must satisfy the Yale College requirements for the B.S. degree in Computer Science.
• At the end of their fifth term of enrollment, candidates must have earned at least nine of their Computer Science required course credits, which together with three additional Computer Science required course credits, satisfy the requirements for the B.S. in Computer Science. Candidates must also have achieved A grades (only A, not A-) in at least three-quarters of these courses.
• Candidates must also complete eight graduate courses from the approved list, up to two of which may, with the permission of the DUS and the director of graduate studies, also be applied toward completion of the B.S. degree. At most one of these eight courses may be CPSC 692 . All eight graduate courses must be completed in the final four terms of enrollment, and at least six of them must be completed in the final three terms of enrollment.

Credit/D/Fail Courses taken Credit/D/Fail may not be counted toward the major. All courses in the major must be taken for a letter grade.

Senior Requirement

In the senior year, students must take  CPSC 490 , an independent project course, in which a student selects an adviser to conduct original research with substantial work in a subfield of computer science. With permission of the DUS, students may enroll in  490  more than once or before their senior year.

All Computer Science majors in the sophomore, junior, and senior years should review their programs with their class advisers and the DUS. Students majoring in Computer Science are advised to complete CPSC 201 and 223 by the end of their sophomore year.

Electives  The field of computer science has broadened substantially in the last few decades and the Computer Science department advises its majors to choose intermediate and advanced electives covering the breadth of computer science, including theoretical computer science; computer systems and languages (e.g., database, networking, operating systems, programming languages, and systems security); and computer applications (e.g., artificial intelligence, computer graphics, computer vision, human-computer interactions, machine learning, natural language processing, and robotics).

The Computer Science department encourages interdisciplinary study in which computer science plays a major role. Advanced courses in other departments that involve concepts from computer science and are relevant to an individual program may, with permission of the DUS, be counted toward the requirements, but no more than two such courses may be counted toward the B.S., and no more than one toward the B.A.

Students interested in using computers to solve scientific and engineering problems are advised to take  CPSC 440  as well as computational courses offered in  Applied Mathematics  and in  Engineering and Applied Science .

The core mathematical background necessary to complete the Computer Science major is provided in  CPSC 202 . However, many advanced courses in graphics, computer vision, neural networks, and numerical analysis assume additional knowledge of linear algebra and calculus. Students who plan to take such courses as electives and who are unsure whether they have the appropriate mathematical background are encouraged to take  MATH 222  or  225 , MATH 226 , and MATH 120 .

Typical programs For students who already know how to program, typical B.S. programs starting in the first and sophomore years are indicated below. For typical B.A. programs, two of the electives would be omitted.

SUMMARY OF MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

Prerequisites None

Number of courses B.S. —12 term courses taken for letter grades (incl senior project); B.A. —10 term courses taken for letter grades (incl senior project)

Specific courses required B.S. and B.A. — CPSC 201 ; CPSC 202 or MATH 244 ; CPSC 223 ; CPSC 323 ; and  CPSC 365  or 366 . 

Distribution of courses B.S. —6 addtl intermediate or advanced Comp Sci courses; B.A. —4 addtl intermediate or advanced Comp Sci courses

Substitution permitted Advanced courses in other depts, with DUS permission

Senior requirement Senior project ( CPSC 490 )

Requirements for the B.S. Degree 

12 courses (for 12 credits) taken for letter grades, including the senior project

• CPSC 202 or  MATH 244
• CPSC 365 or CPSC 366  
• 6 additional intermediate or advanced computer science courses

Requirements for the B.A. Degree 

10 courses (for 10 credits) taken for letter grades, including the senior project

• CPSC 365 or  CPSC 366
• 4 additional intermediate or advanced computer science courses

The Computer Science department offers two degree programs, B.S. and B.A., and combined majors with Economics, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, and Psychology. Each program provides a solid technical education yet allows students to take the broad range of courses in other disciplines that is an essential part of a liberal education.

The programs share a common core of five computer science courses, including CPSC 201 and courses in discrete mathematics, data structures, systems programming and computer architecture, and algorithm analysis and design. This core is supplemented by electives and, for the combined majors, core courses in the other discipline. The capstone of the major is the senior project, in which students conduct original research under the guidance of a faculty mentor.

Prospective majors are encouraged to discuss their program with the director of undergraduate studies (DUS) as early as possible.

The department offers a broad range of introductory courses for first-year students with varying backgrounds and interests. Except for CPSC 200 and CPSC 201 , none assumes previous knowledge of computers.

• CPSC 100  is taught jointly with Harvard University, and teaches students majoring in any subject area how to program a computer and solve problems. No prior programming experience is required. Students with previous programming experience should consider taking  CPSC 201 instead. This course satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning distributional requirement.
• CPSC 110 teaches programming for humanities and social sciences using the Python programming language.   No prior programming experience is required. This course satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning distributional requirement.
• CPSC 112  teaches students majoring in any subject area how to program a computer and solve problems using the Java programming language. No prior programming experience is required. Students with previous programming experience should consider taking CPSC 201  instead. This course satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning distributional requirement.
• CPSC 150  explores how some of the key ideas in computer science have affected philosophy of mind, cognitivism, connectionism, and related areas. This humanities-style course requires a significant amount of reading and writing a paper, and satisfies the Writing and the Humanities and Arts distributional requirements.
• CPSC 175  studies the C programming language and the Linux operating system. This course satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning requirement.
• CPSC 183  explores the myriad ways that law and technology intersect, with a special focus on the role of cyberspace. This course satisfies the Social Sciences distributional requirement.
• CPSC 184 focuses on the evolving and oftentimes vexing intellectual property regime of the new digital age. This course satisfies the Social Sciences and the Humanities and Arts distributional requirements.
• CPSC 185 covers the evolution of various legal doctrines with and around technological development. This course satisfies the Social Sciences and the Writing distributional requirements.
• CPSC 201  teaches the basic concepts, techniques, and applications of computer science, including systems (computers and their languages) and theory (complexity and computability). Students with sufficient programming experience may elect  CPSC 201  without taking CPSC 112 . (These courses meet at the same time so that students are easily able to change levels if necessary.) This course satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning distributional requirement.
• CPSC 202  presents the formal methods of reasoning and the concepts of discrete mathematics and linear algebra used in computer science and related disciplines. This course satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning distributional requirement.
• CPSC 210 examines the political challenges wrought by massive increases in the power of computational and communication technologies and the potential for citizens and governments to harness those technologies to solve problems. This course satisfies the Social Science distributional requirement.

Certificate in Programming

Certificate in programming advisor:   T heodore Kim , AKW 412;  cpsc.yale.edu

The Certificate in Programming prepares students to program computers in support of work in any area of study. While the certificate does not provide the grounding in theory and systems that the computer science majors do, it does provide a short path to programming literacy that can be completed in a span of four terms. Majors in Computer Science, and in the joint programs with Economics, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, and Psychology, or in Computing and the Arts may not pursue the Certificate. 

Refer to the  C omputer Science website for more information.

Prerequisite

The prerequisite for the Certificate is an introductory programming course, CPSC 100 ,  110 , 112 , S115 or successful completion of an AP Computer Science course. 

Requirements of the Certificate

Students may not use any of the five required courses, indicated below, to satisfy the requirements of any major or other certificate. If such a course is required for another program, the student must substitute another course from the same category or a more advanced one for the Programming Certificate. No course taken Credit/D/Fail may be used to satisfy any of the requirements; no course may be used to satisfy more than one of them.  

Programming  One from CPSC 201 or CPSC 200

Data structures   CPSC 223

Advanced programming  One from CPSC 327 or CPSC 323

A programming elective  A CPSC course with CPSC 223 as a listed or implied prerequisite and a primary focus on programming (such as CPSC 421 ,  422 , 424 , 433 , 434 ,  437 , 439 , 446 , or 478 ) or a second course that satisfies the advanced programming requirement

An applications or algorithms elective   Either programming in context course that requires significant programming (such as CPSC 334 , 335 , 376 , 431 , 432 , 474 , 477 , 479 , or LING 380 ) or a course in algorithms (such as CPSC 365 or 366 )  

Theodore Kim from the Department of Computer Science is the Certificate Coordinator. He advises students pursuing the Certificate. Exceptions to the requirements, other than the substitution of a more advanced course for a required one, are limited. 

Summary of Requirements  

Prerequisite   CPSC 100 , 110 , 112 , S115 or AP Computer Science course

Number of courses  5 term courses 

Specific courses required   CPSC 201 or 200 ; CPSC 223 ; CPSC 327 or 323

Distribution of courses   2 electives, as specified

FACULTY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

Professors  Dana Angluin ( Emeritus ), James Aspnes, *Dirk Bergemann, Abhishek Bhattacharjee, Julie Dorsey, Joan Feigenbaum, Michael Fischer, David Gelernter, *Mark Gerstein, Theodore Kim, †Vladimir Rokhlin, Holly Rushmeier ( Chair ), Brian Scassellati, Martin Schultz (Emeritus), Zhong Shao, Avi Silberschatz, †Daniel Spielman, Nisheeth Vishnoi, Y. Richard Yang ( DUS ), Lin Zhong ( DGS ), †Steven Zucker

Associate Professors Yang Cai, Smita Krishnaswamy, Charalampos Papamanthou, Ruzica Piskac, Robert Soulé

Assistant Professors  *Kim Blenman, Arman Cohan, Yongshan Ding, Benjamin Fisch, Tesca Fitzgerald, Anurag Khandelwal, Quanquan Liu, Daniel Rakita, Katerina Sotiraki, Marynel Vázquez, Andre Wibisono, Alex Wong, Rex Ying, Manolis Zampetakis, Fan Zhang

Senior Research Scientists  Robert Bjornson, Andrew Sherman

Senior Lecturers  James Glenn, Scott Petersen, Stephen Slade

Lecturers  Timothy Barron, Andrew Bridy, Xiuye (Sue) Chen, Ozan Erat, Jay Lim, Dylan McKay, Cody Murphey, Sohee Park, Brad Rosen, Inyoung Shin, Alan Weide, Cecillia Xie 

*A secondary appointment with a primary affiliation in another department or school.

†A joint appointment with primary affiliation in another department or school.

For a complete list of Computer Science Department personnel, visit the  department website .

See visual roadmap of the requirements.

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• Dates & Deadlines
• PhD/Master's Application Process

Deadlines below are for degree-seeking (PhD or Master's) applicants. Please note that all deadlines are subject to change at any time.

Summer-Fall 2023

Applicants should schedule any necessary standardized tests no later than November, in order to allow time for official scores to reach the Graduate School before the program application deadline.

December 1, 2023

Application deadline for:

• Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS)
• Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
• Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
• English Language and Literature*
• History of Art*
• Linguistics
• Psychology*
• Statistics and Data Science (MS)

December 15, 2023

• African American Studies*
• American Studies*
• Anthropology*
• Applied Physics
• Biomedical Engineering
• Chemical and Environmental Engineering
• Comparative Literature*
• Computer Science (PhD)
• Electrical Engineering
• Film and Media Studies*
• Germanic Languages and Literatures*
• History of Science and Medicine
• Mathematics
• Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
• Personalized Medicine and Applied Engineering
• Political Science*
• Public Health
• Religious Studies*
• Slavic Languages and Literatures*
• Statistics and Data Science* (PhD)
• Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies*

January 2, 2024

Deadline for fee waiver requests .

• African Studies
• Applied Mathematics
• Archaeological Studies
• Architecture
• Computer Science (MS)
• Earth and Planetary Sciences
• East Asian Languages and Literatures*
• East Asian Studies
• Environment*
• European and Russian Studies
• International Development and Economics
• Investigative Medicine
• Italian Studies*
• Medieval Studies
• Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
• Philosophy*
• Spanish and Portuguese*

*Note regarding combined programs: The deadline to submit an application to a combined program is always the earlier deadline of the two individual programs, or December 15, whichever comes first.

Letters of recommendation do not need to be received before you will be able to submit your application. However, since programs begin reviewing applications shortly after the respective application deadline, please be sure that your letters of recommendation are submitted promptly.

All application deadlines are as of 11:59 pm Eastern time.

December 2023-March 2024

Applications are reviewed by departments and programs after the respective application deadline passes.

February-March 2024

Applicants are notified as admissions decisions become available.

April 15, 2024

The reply deadline for most offers of admission for fall 2024.

Computer Science

The master of science.

The Master of Science (MS) program is intended for students planning to pursue a professional career directly after finishing the MS program, rather than continuing into a PhD program.  The MS program is also suitable for students interested in undertaking a research project but who are not sure yet whether they want to make the multi-year commitment to a PhD program.

The purpose of the program is to expand the student’s depth of knowledge substantially beyond the BA/BS in Computer Science or related field.  The department offers a one-year MS  and a two-year MS.

Please read the following information carefully. For questions not answered below or by the FAQ linked at the end, contact   Prof. Holly Rushmeier.

One-year MS degree:

The one-year program is the most common terminal MS degree in Yale Computer Science. In the one-year Master of Science (MS) program, a student must pass eight courses from an approved list of courses. A student in the one-year MS program on a visa must take a full course load of four courses per semester that count towards the MS requirements. A student who does not require a visa may study part time and complete the degree over a period of up to four years. CPSC692, a one-term independent project course, may also count towards the eight-course requirement provided that the M.S. adviser approves and a faculty member is willing to supervise the project applying the same standards as for a PhD student project. The faculty members are under no obligation to supervise independent projects for MS students.

There is no commitment to provide financial assistance to students in the one-year MS program. Occasionally there are teaching fellow positions available for one-year MS students. For students studying full time, because of the time commitment required for teaching, such positions are reserved for students in their second term who have established a strong academic record at Yale. Standard 10-hour teaching fellow (TF) positions are paid a small stipend, but do not cover the cost of tuition.

Upon acceptance, students may choose to follow the  General Track , or may apply to one of the Specialized Tracks in  Bioinformatics  or in  Computing and the Arts . Students in the General Track are advised by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). Students in the Specialized Tracks are advised by track faculty, with their final programs subject to approval by the DGS. Students in specialized tracks follow a set of courses that prepare them to do a one term independent project in the area of specialization.

The purpose of Specialized Tracks is to allow the student to work more closely with faculty and students in a chosen area and to do an independent project. Choosing or not choosing a specialized track will not affect whether a student is admitted to the MS program. Participation in specialized tracks is not explicitly annotated on the student’s diploma or transcript.

Two-year MS degree:

In the two-year MS program, a student must pass six courses from an approved list of courses, serve as a 20 hour per week Teaching Fellow for all four terms, and complete a research thesis. Typically, a very small number of students will be accepted into the two-year program. While there is no process to automatically transfer into the PhD program, students who successfully complete the two-year program with thesis will be eligible for consideration for admission with acceleration to the Computer Science Department doctoral program.

Year One In the first year of the two-year program the student must take two courses from the list of approved courses each term. The student must also serve as a 20 hour per week Teaching Fellow each term. The combination of the two courses and the teaching requirement is defined as full time study in the two-year program. In the first year the student should also identify an adviser for their second-year thesis project.

Year Two In the second year of the two-year program the student must take one course from the list of approved courses each term. The student must continue to serve as a 20 hour per week TF each term. The student must a complete a research thesis. If the student fails to be accepted by a thesis adviser by the beginning of the second year they may complete the MS degree by taking two approved courses in each term instead of one.

Teaching Requirement

English Language Proficiency is required to serve as a Teaching Fellow. Students are required to document proficiency in their application materials in order to be accepted into the two-year program. Methods to document proficiency are given in English Language Proficiency Pathways https://cls.yale.edu/programs/english-language-program/english-language-proficiency-pathways

Applications:

Students should apply to the MS program through the Yale Graduate School.  Students in the MS program may enter the Yale PhD program. However, students who wish to continue for a doctoral degree after completing the MS must apply separately for the PhD program, using the standard forms and procedures required for applicants from outside of Yale. The MS is not a prerequisite for the PhD program, and students may apply to the PhD program directly after finishing their undergraduate degree.

Answers to many common questions are given in this  FAQ . If you have additional questions about the MS program that are not already answered in the FAQ, contact  Prof. Holly Rushmeier.

Computer Graphics Group

Julie Dorsey

Julie Dorsey is the Frederick W. Beinecke Professor of Computer Science at Yale University, where she teaches computer graphics. She came to Yale in 2002 from MIT, where she held tenured appointments in both the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) and the School of Architecture. She received undergraduate degrees in architecture and graduate degrees in computer science from Cornell University.

Theodore Kim

Theodore Kim is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Yale University. He researches topics in physics-based animation, which include the simulation of fire, water, muscles, skin, and virtual humans. He joined Yale from Pixar Animation Studios in 2019, and received a Scientific and Technical Academy Award in 2012. He holds a PhD and MS from UNC Chapel Hill, and a BS from Cornell University.

Holly Rushmeier

Holly Rushmeier is the John C. Malone Professor of Computer Science at Yale University. Her research interests include shape and appearance capture, applications of perception in computer graphics, modeling material appearance and developing computational tools for cultural heritage.

Graduate Students

Sherry is a first-year PhD student in computer science. Her interests include interactive 3D sketching, augmented reality (AR), and 3D modeling.

Prior to Yale, she received her B.S. in Computer Engineering from Columbia University in 2017.

Alvin Shi is doing work with fluids and deformable meshes. He began the program in 2021.

He also has a BS in Mathematics, a minor in physics, and a minor in Media Arts and Design from the University of Chicago (2021).

Alvin's Website: Alvin.pizza

Haomiao is a PhD student in Computer Science at Yale University since 2021. Her interested areas include physics-based simulation of fluids and deformable solids.

Before coming to Yale, she received her B.S. in mathematics and physics from the physics department, Tsinghua University in 2021.

Website: https://www.cs.yale.edu/homes/wu-haomiao/

Zhaoyang Zhang

Zhaoyang is a Ph.D. student at Yale Graphics Group, starting from 2022. His research mainly focuses on generative models in computer graphics.

Prior to joining Yale, he obtained his B.Eng. (summa cum laude) in Computer Science and Technology from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) in June 2022.

Postdoctoral Associates

Nadia zikiou, undergraduate students, alexa schor.

Graduate Study

• Advanced Graduate Leadership Program
• Forms and Guides

Graduate Degrees

Ph.d. degree.

The online publication Qualification Procedure for the Ph.D. Degree in Engineering & Applied Science describes in detail all requirements in Biomedical Engineering, Chemical & Environmental Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science. The student is strongly encouraged to read it carefully; key requirements are briefly summarized below. See Computer Science's departmental entry in this bulletin for special requirements for the Ph.D. in Computer Science.

Students plan their course of study in consultation with faculty advisers (the student's advisory committee). A minimum of ten term courses is required, to be completed in the first two years. Well-prepared students may petition for course waivers based on courses taken in a previous graduate degree program. Similarly, students may place out of certain ENAS courses via an examination prepared by the course instructor. Placing out of the course will not reduce the total number of required courses. Core courses, as identified by each department/program, should be taken in the first year unless otherwise noted by the department. With the permission of the departmental director of graduate studies (DGS), students may substitute more advanced courses that cover the same topics. No more than two courses can be Special Investigations, and at least two must be outside the area of the dissertation. All students must complete a one-term course, Responsible Conduct of Research, in the first year of study. Information on graduate courses offered in ENAS can be found at https://courses.yale.edu/ .

Each term, the faculty review the overall performance of the student and report their findings to the DGS who, in consultation with the associate dean, determines whether the student may continue toward the Ph.D. degree. By the end of the second term, it is expected that a faculty member has agreed to accept the student as a research assistant. By December 5 of the third year, an area examination must be passed and a written prospectus submitted before dissertation research is begun. These events result in the student's admission to candidacy. Subsequently, the student will report orally each year to the full advisory committee on progress. When the research is nearing completion, but before the thesis writing has commenced, the full advisory committee will advise the student on the thesis plan. A final oral presentation of the dissertation research is required to be given during term time. There is no foreign language requirement.

Teaching experience is regarded as an integral part of the graduate training program at Yale University, and all Engineering graduate students are required to serve as a Teaching Fellow for up to two terms, typically during year two. Teaching duties normally involve assisting in laboratories or discussion sections and grading papers and are not expected to require more than ten hours per week. Students are not permitted to teach during the first year of study.

If a student was admitted to the program having earned a score of less than 26 on the Speaking Section of the Internet-based TOEFL, the student will be required to take an English as a Second Language (ESL) course each term at Yale until the Graduate School's Oral English Proficiency standard has been met. This must be achieved by the end of the third year in order for the student to remain in good standing.

Doctoral students who are accepted to our program usually receive financial support (tuition and stipend) for their entire period of study, provided their performance is satisfactory.

A unique feature of our doctoral program is support during the first year from University Fellowships; this financial independence gives beginning graduate students the freedom to explore various topics with different faculty members. For the 2020-2021 academic year, the tuition plus stipend amounts to $82,450 (tuition: $45,700, stipend: $36,750). Exceptional students receive financial supplements from the School of Engineering & Applied Science in addition to their University Fellowship.

After their first year, students are usually appointed Assistants in Research, and their tuition support and stipend come from the grants and contracts of their faculty research advisors.

M.D./Ph.D. Degree

M.D./Ph.D. students affiliate with the Department of Biomedical Engineering via the Medical School. M.D./Ph.D. students officially affiliate with Biomedical Engineering after selecting a thesis adviser and consulting with the director of graduate studies (DGS).

The academic requirements for M.D./Ph.D. students entering Biomedical Engineering are modified from the normal requirements for Ph.D. students. Other than the modifications listed here, M.D./Ph.D. students in Biomedical Engineering are subject to all of the same requirements as the other graduate students in the department.

Courses: Seven graduate-level courses taken for a grade must be completed during the first two years of the Ph.D. program. (One Yale graduate-level course taken for a grade during medical school may be counted toward this requirement at the discretion of the DGS.) There are three required courses: ENAS 510 and two semesters of ENAS 990. All students are expected to present their Special Investigation work at a department symposium held on the last day of the reading period. In addition, there is a math requirement, which may be met by taking any one of the following courses: ENAS 500, ENAS 505, ENAS 549. Among the three electives, one must be in engineering or a closely related field. Students must obtain a grade of Honors in any two of these courses, excluding ENAS 990, and maintain an average of at least High Pass.

Teaching: Students are required to serve as a teaching fellow for up to two terms but are not permitted to teach during their first year of graduate study.

Prospectus and Qualifying exam: M.D./Ph.D. students must complete and submit their thesis prospectus by the end of the fifth semester as an affiliated graduate student. If the student affiliates at the customary point of year three, they must submit the approved prospectus before the end of the fall semester of the fifth year (at the beginning of year three as an affiliated Ph.D. student). After submitting the prospectus, students present their results to date and their proposed research to their thesis committee in an Area Examination. Students are given two opportunities to pass this exam.

Candidacy: M.D./Ph.D. students will be admitted to candidacy once they have completed their course requirements, passed their qualifying exam, and had their dissertation prospectus approved by their advisory committee.

Further requirements: M.D./Ph.D. students who are admitted to candidacy are required to have an annual Thesis Committee meeting. In the first year after admission to candidacy, students are expected to present their research work at a departmental seminar. Attendance at weekly Biomedical Engineering Seminars is mandatory. A final oral presentation of the dissertation research is required before students may submit to the Dissertation Office.

Master's Degrees

M.Phil. The Master of Philosophy is awarded en route to the Ph.D. in SEAS. The minimum general requirements for this degree are that a student shall have completed all requirements for the Ph.D. except required teaching, the prospectus, and dissertation. Students will not generally have satisfied the requirements for the Master of Philosophy until after two years of study, except where graduate work done before admission to Yale has reduced the student's graduate course work at Yale. In no case will the degree be awarded for less than one year of residence in the Yale Graduate School.

M.S. (en route to the Ph.D.): To qualify for the M.S., the student must pass eight term courses; no more than two may be Special Investigations. An average grade of at least High Pass is required, with at least one grade of Honors.

Terminal Master's Degree Program: Students may also be admitted directly to a terminal master's degree program in Engineering & Applied Science. The requirements are the same as for the M.S. en route to the Ph.D., although there are no core course requirements for students in this program. This program is normally completed in one year, but a part-time program may be spread over as many as four years. Some courses are available in the evening, to suit the needs of students from local industry.

The Master’s of Science in Personalized Medicine & Applied Engineering is a program directed and taught jointly by faculty in the School of Engineering & Applied Science and the School of Medicine. The program is intended to prepare biomedical, mechanical, and electrical engineers, as well as computer science majors and medical students, with the tools to develop innovative 3D solutions for personalized medicine.  The advancement of our understanding of complex medical conditions--together with the advent of high-resolution medical imaging, 3D printing, robotics, computer navigation, extended, virtual and augmented reality--offers an opportunity to develop custom treatments, patient-specific instruments for surgery and personalized medical devices. This degree program will train graduate students to develop and apply 3D technology to address surgical and medical conditions, with the goal of personalizing healthcare treatments to improve patient clinical outcomes. Additional societal benefits include lower healthcare costs (increased efficiency, lower complications, increased collaboration, improved sustainability) and improved patient quality of life. Prospective students should apply through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and more information about the degree can be found here .

The program is one full year: summer through spring.  Students are required to participate in an eight-week, summer clinical immersion session prior to registration in fall semester sequence courses. Although course credit is not awarded for the clinical program, completion of the requirement will be noted on the transcript.

Course Requirements:   Given that the program will attract students from many different backgrounds, students will have flexibility in selecting the focus of their special investigation projects as well as an optional biomedical engineering industry collaboration project (“internal internship”). For example, students with a strong engineering background may want to focus on medical school-focused classes, while medical students may want to focus on engineering-related courses. In order to graduate, students will need to take a total of eight courses, of which six courses are required and two may be chosen from Yale-wide graduate-level technical electives, which must be approved by the program’s DGS. An average grade of at least High Pass is required, with at least one grade of Honors.

The following six courses are required of all students in the program: ENAS 526, ENAS 527, ENAS 528, ENAS 529, and two semesters of ENAS 990.

Joint Master's Degree Program (School of Engineering & Applied Science and School of the Environment): The joint master's degree program offered by the School of the Environment (YSE) and the School of Engineering & Applied Science (SEAS) provides environmental engineers and environmental managers with the opportunity to develop knowledge and tools to address the complex relationship between technology and the environment. This joint-degree program will train graduate students to design and manage engineered and natural systems that address critical societal challenges, while considering the complex technical, economic, and sociopolitical systems relationships. Each joint program leads to the simultaneous award of two graduate professional degrees: either the Master of Environmental Management (M.E.M.) or the Master of Environmental Science (M.E.Sc.) from YSE, and a Master of Science (M.S.) from SEAS. Students can earn the two degrees concurrently in 2.5 years, less time than if they were pursued sequentially. Candidates spend the first year at YSE, the second year at SEAS, and their final term at YSE. Joint-degree students are guided in this process by advisers in both YSE and SEAS. Candidates must submit formal applications to both YSE and SEAS and be admitted separately to each School, i.e., each School makes its decision independently. It is highly recommended that students apply to and enter a joint-degree program from the outset, although it is possible to apply to the second program once matriculated at Yale. Prospective students to the joint-degree program apply to the YSE master's degree through YSE and to the SEAS master's degree in Chemical & Environmental Engineering through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences .

The following six courses are required of all joint-degree YSE/SEAS master's students completing their M.S. in Environmental Engineering: ENAS 641, ENAS 642, ENAS 660, ENV 773, ENV 838, and either ENV 712 or ENV 724. Two additional Yale-wide technical electives approved by the DGS (or faculty in an equivalent role in Environmental Engineering) are required. These courses may be cross-listed with or administered by YSE with prior approval from the DGS. For the joint-degree requirements for completion of the M.E.M. or M.E.Sc. in YSE, see the bulletin of the Yale School of the Environment at https://bulletin.yale.edu .

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Computing and the arts, you are here, masters computing and arts track.

Students can participate in the C2 initiative at the Masters of Science (MS) level through the Computing and the Arts track of the Computer Science MS program.  The MS program is intended for students planning to pursue a professional career directly after finishing the program, rather than continuing on in a PhD program.  The MS Program is also suitable for students interested in undertaking a research project but who are not sure yet whether they want to make the multi-year commitment to a PhD program.

The purposes of the Computing and the Arts track within the Computer Science program is to expand the student’s depth of knowledge substantially beyond the BA/BS in Computer Science or related field.  The Yale Computer Science MS offers students the unique opportunity to study with faculty in small classes, and on a one to one basis.

Students entering the MS program must first be admitted to the Yale MS program in Computer Science. Students without CS undergraduate degrees may consider applying if they have had preparation in the field at the level and breadth of the Yale courses CPSC 201, 202, 223, 323 and 365 as described in the Yale CS undergraduate handbook .  Upon acceptance in the MS program, students may choose to follow the specialized track in Computing and the Arts. Students are advised by Computing and the Arts faculty, with their final programs subject to approval by the Director of Graduate Studies in Computer Science. Students follow a set of courses that prepare them to do a one term independent project.

Students should apply to the MS program through the Yale Graduate School . Students in the MS program may enter the Yale PhD program.  However, students who wish to continue on for a doctoral degree after completing the MS must apply separately for the PhD program, using the standard forms and procedures required for applicants from outside of Yale.  The MS is not prerequisite for the PhD program, and students may apply to the PhD program directly after finishing their undergraduate degree.

For specific questions about the MS program, contact Prof. Holly Rushmeier .