phd in computer science columbia university

Ph.D. Specialization in Data Science

The ph.d. specialization in data science is an option within the applied mathematics, computer science, electrical engineering, industrial engineering and operations research, and statistics departments..

Only students already enrolled in one of these doctoral programs at Columbia are eligible to participate in this specialization. Students should fulfill the requirements below in addition to those of their respective department's Ph.D. program. Students should discuss this specialization option with their Ph.D. advisor and their department's director for graduate studies.

Applied Mathematics Doctoral Program

Computer Science Doctoral Program

Decision, Risk, and Operations (DRO) Program

Electrical Engineering Doctoral Program

Industrial Engineering and Operations Research Doctoral Program

Statistics Doctoral Program

The specialization consists of either five (5) courses from the lists below, or four (4) courses plus one (1) additional course approved by the curriculum committee. All courses must be taken for a letter grade and students must pass with a B+ or above. At least three (3) of the courses should come from outside the student’s home department. At least one (1) course has to come from each of the three (3) thematic areas listed below.

Specialization Requirements

• COMS 4231 Analysis of Algorithms I
• COMS 6232 Analysis of Algorithms II
• COMS 4111 Introduction to Databases
• COMS 4113 Distributed Systems Fundamentals
• EECS 6720 Bayesian Models for Machine Learning
• COMS 4771 Machine Learning
• COMS 4772 Advanced Machine Learning
• IEOR E6613 Optimization I
• IEOR E6614 Optimization II
• IEOR E6711 Stochastic Modeling I
• EEOR E6616 Convex Optimization
• STAT 6301 Probability Theory I
• STAT 6201 Theoretical Statistics I
• STAT 6101 Applied Statistics I
• STAT 6104 Computational Statistics
• STAT 5224 Bayesian Statistics
• STCS 6701 Foundations of Graphical Models (joint with Computer Science) 

Information Request Form

Ph.d. specialization committee.

• View All People
• Faculty of Arts and Sciences Professor of Statistics
• The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Professor of Computer Science

Richard A. Davis

• Faculty of Arts and Sciences Howard Levene Professor of Statistics

Vineet Goyal

• The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research

Garud N. Iyengar

• Data Science Institute Avanessians Director of the Data Science Institute
• The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research

Gail Kaiser

Rocco a. servedio, clifford stein.

• The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Wai T. Chang Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research and Professor of Computer Science

John Wright

• The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering
• Data Science Institute Associate Director for Academic Affairs

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Departmental Office: 450 Computer Science Building; 212-939-7000 http://www.cs.columbia.edu/

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Dr. Jae Woo Lee, 715 CEPSR; 212-939-7066; [email protected]

The majors in the Department of Computer Science provide students with the appropriate computer science background necessary for graduate study or a professional career. Computers impact nearly all areas of human endeavor. Therefore, the department also offers courses for students who do not plan a computer science major or concentration. The computer science majors offer maximum flexibility by providing students with a range of options for program specialization. The department offers four majors: computer science; information science; data science, offered jointly with the Statistics Department; and computer science-mathematics, offered jointly with the Mathematics Department.

Computer Science Major

Students study a common core of fundamental topics, supplemented by a program of six electives that provides a high degree of flexibility. Three of the electives are chosen from a list of upper-level courses that represent area foundations within computer science. The remaining electives are selected from the complete list of upper-level computer science courses. Students are encouraged to work with their faculty advisor to create a plan tailored to fit their goals and interests. The department webpage provides several example programs for students interested in a variety of specific areas in computer science. 

Information Science Major

Information science is an interdisciplinary major designed to provide a student with an understanding of how information is organized, accessed, stored, distributed, and processed in strategic segments of today’s society. Recent years have seen an explosive growth of online information, with people of all ages and all walks of life making use of the World Wide Web and other information in digital form.

This major puts students at the forefront of the information revolution, studying how online access touches on all disciplines and changing the very way people communicate. Organizations have large stores of in-house information that are crucial to their daily operation. Today’s systems must enable quick access to relevant information, must ensure that confidential information is secure, and must enable new forms of communication among people and their access to information.

The information science major can choose a scientific focus on algorithms and systems for organizing, accessing, and processing information, or an interdisciplinary focus in order to develop an understanding of, and tools for, information modeling and use within an important sector of modern society such as economics or health.

Advanced Placement

The department grants 3 points for a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Computer Science A exam, along with an exemption from COMS W1004 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Java . However, we recommend that you take COMS W1004 before taking COMS W3134/W3137 Data Structures.

Pre-Introductory Courses

COMS W1004 is the first course in the Computer Science major curriculum, and it does not require any previous computing experience.  Before taking COMS W1004, however, students have an option to start with one of the pre-introductory courses: ENGI E1006 or COMS W1002.

ENGI E1006 Introduction to Computing for Engineers and Applied Scientists is a general introduction to computing for STEM students.  ENGI E1006 is in fact a required course for all engineering students.  COMS W1002 Computing in Context is a course primarily intended for humanities majors, but it also serves as a pre-introductory course for CS majors.  ENGI E1006 and COMS W1002 do not count towards Computer Science major.

Laboratory Facilities

The department has well-equipped lab areas for research in computer graphics, computer-aided digital design, computer vision, databases and digital libraries, data mining and knowledge discovery, distributed systems, mobile and wearable computing, natural language processing, networking, operating systems, programming systems, robotics, user interfaces, and real-time multimedia.

Research labs contain several large Linux and Solaris clusters; Puma 500 and IBM robotic arms; a UTAH-MIT dexterous hand; an Adept-1 robot; three mobile research robots; a real-time defocus range sensor; interactive 3-D graphics workstations with 3-D position and orientation trackers; prototype wearable computers, wall-sized stereo projection systems; see-through head-mounted displays; a networking testbed with three Cisco 7500 backbone routers, traffic generators; an IDS testbed with secured LAN, Cisco routers, EMC storage, and Linux servers; and a simulation testbed with several Sun servers and Cisco Catalyst routers.  The department uses a SIP IP phone system. The protocol was developed in the department.

The department's computers are connected via a switched 1Gb/s Ethernet network, which has direct connectivity to the campus OC-3 Internet and internet 2 gateways. The campus has 802.11b/g wireless LAN coverage.

The research facility is supported by a full-time staff of professional system administrators and programmers.

Peter N. Belhumeur Steven M. Bellovin Luca Carloni Xi Chen Steven K. Feiner Luis Gravano Julia B. Hirschberg Gail E. Kaiser John R. Kender Tal Malkin Kathleen R. McKeown Vishal Misra Shree Kumar Nayar Jason Nieh Christos Papadimitriou Itsik Pe'er Toniann Pitassi Kenneth A. Ross Tim Roughgarden Daniel S. Rubenstein Henning G. Schulzrinne Rocco A. Servedio Simha Sethumadhavan Salvatore J. Stolfo Bjarne Stroustrup Vladimir Vapnik Jeannette Wing Junfeng Yang Mihalis Yannakakis Richard Zemei

Associate Professors

Alexandr Andoni Elias Bareinboim Augustin Chaintreau Stephen A. Edwards Roxana Geambasu Daniel Hsu Suman Jana Martha Allen Kim Baishakhi Ray Carl Vondrick Eugene Wu Zhou Yu Changxi Zheng Xia Zhou

Assistant Professors

Josh Alman Lydia Chilton Ronghui Gu Kostis Kaffes David Knowles Brian Smith Henry Yuen

Senior Lecturer in Discipline

• Adam Cannon
• Jae Woo Lee

Lecturer in Discipline

Daniel Bauer Brian Borowski Tony Dear

Associated Faculty Joint

Andrew Blumberg Shih-Fu Chang Feniosky Peña-Mora Clifford Stein

Shipra Agrawal Mohammed AlQuraishi Elham Azizi Paolo Blikstein Asaf Cidon Matei Ciocarlie Rachel Cummings Noemie Elhadad Javad Ghaderi Gamze Gursoy Xiaofan Jiang Ethan Katz-Bassett Hod Lipson Smaranda Muresan Liam Paninski Brian Plancher Mark Santolucito Lisa Soros Barbara Tversky Venkat Venkatasubramanian Rebecca Wright Gil Zussman

Senior Research Scientists

Gaston Ormazabal Moti Yung

Alfred V. Aho Peter K. Allen Edward G. Coffman Jr. Zvi Galil Jonathan L. Gross Steven M. Nowick Stephen H. Unger Henryk Wozniakowski Yechiam Yemini

Guidelines for all Computer Science Majors and Minors

Students may receive credit for only one of the following two courses:

• COMS W1004 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Java
• COMS W1005 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in MATLAB .

Students may receive credit for only one of the following three courses:

• COMS W3134 Data Structures in Java
• COMS W3136 ESSENTIAL DATA STRUCTURES
• COMS W3137 HONORS DATA STRUCTURES ＆ ALGOL

However, COMS W1005 and COMS W3136 cannot be counted towards the Computer Science major, minor, and concentration. 

Transfer and Double Counting

Up to four transfer courses are accepted toward the major. Up to two transfer courses are accepted toward the minor or concentration. Calculus, linear algebra, and probability/statistics courses can be transferred in addition to the four/two-course limits.

Double-counting policies are to be construed within the larger double-counting policy of the student's home school. Double-counting policies are detailed on each School's Bulletin and/or Catalogue.

The CS department allows the following courses in the CS Core and Mathematics requirement to be double-counted with another major, minor, or concentration. No other courses can be double-counted with another program.

• Any calculus courses (including Honors Math A and B)
• One Linear Algebra course
• One Probability/Statistics course

Barnard does not allow a grade of D to count towards any major. Consult with your advisor.

Guidelines for all Computer Science Majors and Concentrators

The following requirements are new as of the academic year 2023-2024. Students who declared a CS major in the academic year 2022-2023 or earlier have the option to follow the old requirements.

Students who declared a CS major in the academic year 2022-2023 or earlier have the option to follow the requirements listed below or to follow the old requirements. The old requirements are noted on the Undergraduate Programs pages of the Computer Science Department website ( https://www.cs. columbia.edu /education/undergraduate/ ). Please note that the information on the department website is more accurate than the information in the archived Bulletins. Students with questions about which requirements to follow are advised to talk with the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

A maximum of one course worth no more than 4 points passed with a grade of D may be counted toward the major or concentration.

Major in Computer Science

Please read  Guidelines for all Computer Science Majors and Concentrators  above.

Please read Guidelines for all Computer Science Majors and Minors above.

All majors should confer with their program adviser each term to plan their programs of study. Students considering a major in computer science are encouraged to talk to a program adviser during their first or second year. The Computer Science major is composed of four basic components: The Mathematics Requirement, the Computer Science Core, the Area Foundation Courses, and the Computer Science Electives.

Program of Study

Adjustments were made to the course lists below in march 2023..

Students who declared before Spring 2024 should see the Department of Computer Science website for the old requirements. 

For students who declare in Spring 2024 and beyond:

Mathematics Requirement (6-11 points)

Computer Science Core (20-21 points):

Area Foundation Courses (9 to 12 points):

Select three from the following list:

Computer Science Electives (9 to 12 points)

Any three COMS courses or jointly offered computer science courses such as CSXX or XXCS course that are worth at least 3 points and are at the 3000 level or above. This includes 3000-level courses offered by Barnard CS.

Restrictions

Note: No more than 6 points of project/thesis courses (COMS W3902, W3998, W4901) can count toward the major. COMS W3999 Fieldwork cannot be used as a CS Elective.

No more than one course from each set below may be applied towards the computer science major:

 IEOR E3658, STAT UN1201, MATH UN2015

 MATH UN2015, MATH UN2010, APAM E3101, COMS W3251

 COMS W4771, COMS W4721

Major in Computer Science—Mathematics

For a description of the joint major in computer science—mathematics, see the Mathematics section in this bulletin.

For a description of the joint major in mathematics—computer science, see the  Mathematics   section in this catalog.

Major in Information Science

The major in information science requires a minimum of 33 points, including a core requirement of five courses. Adjustments were made to the course lists below in March 2022.

The elective courses must be chosen with a faculty adviser to focus on the modeling and use of information within the context of a disciplinary theme. After discussing potential selections, students prepare a proposal of study that must be approved by the faculty adviser. In all cases, the six courses must be at the 3000 level or above, with at least three courses chosen from computer science. Following are some example programs. For more examples or templates for the program proposal, see a faculty adviser.

Note: In most cases, additional courses will be necessary as prerequisites in order to take some of the elective courses. This will depend on the student's proposed program of study.

Core Requirement

Following are some suggested programs of instruction:

Information Science and Contemporary Society

Students may focus on how humans use technology and how technology has changed society.

The requirements include:

Information Science and the Economy

Students may focus on understanding information modeling together with existing and emerging needs in economics and finance as well as algorithms and systems to address those needs.

Information Science and Health Sciences

Students may focus on understanding information modeling together with existing and emerging needs in health sciences, as well as algorithms and systems to address those needs.

Major in Data Science

In response to the ever-growing importance of "big data" in scientific and policy endeavors, the last few years have seen explosive growth in theory, methods, and applications at the interface between computer science and statistics. The statistics and computer science departments have responded with a joint major that emphasizes the interface between the disciplines.

Minor in Computer Science

Please read  Guidelines for all Computer Science Majors and Minors  above.

For students who declare in Spring 2014 and beyond:

The minor in computer science requires a minimum of 22-24 points, as follows:

Concentration in Computer Science

Please read  Guidelines for all Computer Science Majors and Concentrators  above. Adjustments were made to the course lists below in March 2022.

The concentration in computer science requires a minimum of 22-24 points, as follows:

COMS W1001 Introduction to Information Science. 3 points .

Basic introduction to concepts and skills in Information Sciences: human-computer interfaces, representing information digitally, organizing and searching information on the internet, principles of algorithmic problem solving, introduction to database concepts, and introduction to programming in Python.

COMS W1002 COMPUTING IN CONTEXT. 4.00 points .

CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement

Introduction to elementary computing concepts and Python programming with domain-specific applications. Shared CS concepts and Python programming lectures with track-specific sections. Track themes will vary but may include computing for the social sciences, computing for economics and finance, digital humanities, and more. Intended for nonmajors. Students may only receive credit for one of ENGI E1006 or COMS W1002

COMS W1003 INTRO-COMPUT SCI/PROGRAM IN C. 3.00 points .

COMS W1004 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Java. 3 points .

A general introduction to computer science for science and engineering students interested in majoring in computer science or engineering. Covers fundamental concepts of computer science, algorithmic problem-solving capabilities, and introductory Java programming skills. Assumes no prior programming background. Columbia University students may receive credit for only one of the following two courses: 1004  or  1005 .

COMS W1005 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in MATLAB. 3 points .

A general introduction to computer science concepts, algorithmic problem-solving capabilities, and programming skills in MATLAB. Assumes no prior programming background. Columbia University students may receive credit for only one of the following two courses: W1004  or  W1005 .

COMS W1011 INTERMED COMPUTER PROGRAMMING. 3.00 points .

COMS W1012 COMPUTING IN CONTEXT REC. 0.00 points .

COMS W1103 HONORS INTRO COMPUTER SCIENCE. 3.00 points .

COMS W1404 EMERGING SCHOLARS PROG SEMINAR. 1.00 point .

Pass/Fail only.

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission. Corequisites: COMS W1002 or COMS W1004 or COMS W1007 Corequisites: COMS W1004 ,COMS W1007, COMS W1002 Peer-led weekly seminar intended for first and second year undergraduates considering a major in Computer Science. Pass/fail only. May not be used towards satisfying the major or SEAS credit requirements

COMS W3011 INTERMED COMPUTER PROGRAMMING. 3.00 points .

COMS W3101 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES. 1.00 point .

Prerequisites: Fluency in at least one programming language. Introduction to a programming language. Each section is devoted to a specific language. Intended only for those who are already fluent in at least one programming language. Sections may meet for one hour per week for the whole term, for three hours per week for the first third of the term, or for two hours per week for the first six weeks. May be repeated for credit if different languages are involved

COMS W3102 DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY. 1.00-2.00 points .

Lect: 2. Lab: 0-2.

Prerequisites: Fluency in at least one programming language. Introduction to software development tools and environments. Each section devoted to a specific tool or environment. One-point sections meet for two hours each week for half a semester, and two point sections include an additional two-hour lab

COMS W3107 Clean Object-Oriented Design. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: Intro to Computer Science/Programming in Java (COMS W1004) or instructor’s permission. May not take for credit if already received credit for COMS W1007.

Prerequisites: see notes re: points A course in designing, documenting, coding, and testing robust computer software, according to object-oriented design patterns and clean coding practices. Taught in Java.Object-oriented design principles include: use cases; CRC; UML; javadoc; patterns (adapter, builder, command, composite, decorator, facade, factory, iterator, lazy evaluation, observer, singleton, strategy, template, visitor); design by contract; loop invariants; interfaces and inheritance hierarchies; anonymous classes and null objects; graphical widgets; events and listeners; Java's Object class; generic types; reflection; timers, threads, and locks

COMS W3123 ASSEMBLY LANG AND COMPUT LOGIC. 3.00 points .

COMS W3132 Intermediate Computing in Python. 4.00 points .

Essential data structures and algorithms in Python with practical software development skills, applications in a variety of areas including biology, natural language processing, data science and others

COMS W3134 Data Structures in Java. 3 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W1004 ) or knowledge of Java.

Data types and structures: arrays, stacks, singly and doubly linked lists, queues, trees, sets, and graphs. Programming techniques for processing such structures: sorting and searching, hashing, garbage collection. Storage management. Rudiments of the analysis of algorithms. Taught in Java. Note: Due to significant overlap, students may receive credit for only one of the following three courses: COMS W3134 , COMS W3136 , COMS W3137 .

COMS W3136 ESSENTIAL DATA STRUCTURES. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W1004 ) or ( COMS W1005 ) or (COMS W1007) or ( ENGI E1006 ) A second programming course intended for nonmajors with at least one semester of introductory programming experience. Basic elements of programming in C and C , arraybased data structures, heaps, linked lists, C programming in UNIX environment, object-oriented programming in C , trees, graphs, generic programming, hash tables. Due to significant overlap, students may only receive credit for either COMS W3134 , W3136 , or W3137

COMS W3137 HONORS DATA STRUCTURES ＆ ALGOL. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W1004 ) or (COMS W1007) Corequisites: COMS W3203 An honors introduction to data types and structures: arrays, stacks, singly and doubly linked lists, queues, trees, sets, and graphs. Programming techniques for processing such structures: sorting and searching, hashing, garbage collection. Storage management. Design and analysis of algorithms. Taught in Java. Note: Due to significant overlap, students may receive credit for only one of the following three courses: COMS W3134 , W3136 , or W3137

COMS W3157 ADVANCED PROGRAMMING. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W3134 ) or ( COMS W3137 ) C programming language and Unix systems programming. Also covers Git, Make, TCP/IP networking basics, C fundamentals

COMS W3202 FINITE MATHEMATICS. 3.00 points .

COMS W3203 DISCRETE MATHEMATICS. 4.00 points .

Prerequisites: Any introductory course in computer programming. Logic and formal proofs, sequences and summation, mathematical induction, binomial coefficients, elements of finite probability, recurrence relations, equivalence relations and partial orderings, and topics in graph theory (including isomorphism, traversability, planarity, and colorings)

COMS W3210 Scientific Computation. 3 points .

Prerequisites: two terms of calculus.

Introduction to computation on digital computers. Design and analysis of numerical algorithms. Numerical solution of equations, integration, recurrences, chaos, differential equations. Introduction to Monte Carlo methods. Properties of floating point arithmetic. Applications to weather prediction, computational finance, computational science, and computational engineering.

COMS W3251 COMPUTATIONAL LINEAR ALGEBRA. 4.00 points .

COMS W3261 COMPUTER SCIENCE THEORY. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W3203 ) Corequisites: COMS W3134 , COMS W3136 , COMS W3137 Regular languages: deterministic and non-deterministic finite automata, regular expressions. Context-free languages: context-free grammars, push-down automata. Turing machines, the Chomsky hierarchy, and the Church-Turing thesis. Introduction to Complexity Theory and NP-Completeness

COMS W3410 COMPUTERS AND SOCIETY. 3.00 points .

Broader impact of computers. Social networks and privacy. Employment, intellectual property, and the media. Science and engineering ethics. Suitable for nonmajors

COMS E3899 Research Training. 0.00 points .

Research training course. Recommended in preparation for laboratory related research

COMS W3902 UNDERGRADUATE THESIS. 0.00-6.00 points .

Prerequisites: Agreement by a faculty member to serve as thesis adviser. An independent theoretical or experimental investigation by an undergraduate major of an appropriate problem in computer science carried out under the supervision of a faculty member. A formal written report is mandatory and an oral presentation may also be required. May be taken over more than one term, in which case the grade is deferred until all 6 points have been completed. Consult the department for section assignment

COMS W3995 Special Topics in Computer Science. 3 points .

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission.

Consult the department for section assignment. Special topics arranged as the need and availability arise. Topics are usually offered on a one-time basis. Since the content of this course changes each time it is offered, it may be repeated for credit.

COMS W3998 UNDERGRAD PROJECTS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE. 1.00-3.00 points .

Prerequisites: Approval by a faculty member who agrees to supervise the work. Independent project involving laboratory work, computer programming, analytical investigation, or engineering design. May be repeated for credit. Consult the department for section assignment

COMS W3999 FIELDWORK. 1.00 point .

May be repeated for credit, but no more than 3 total points may be used toward the 128-credit degree requirement. Final report and letter of evaluation required. May not be used as a technical or non-technical elective. May not be taken for pass/fail credit or audited

COMS E3999 Fieldwork. 1 point .

Prerequisites: Obtained internship and approval from faculty advisor.

May be repeated for credit, but no more than 3 total points may be used toward the 128-credit degree requirement. Only for SEAS computer science undergraduate students who include relevant off-campus work experience as part of their approved program of study. Final report and letter of evaluation required. May not be used as a technical or non-technical elective. May not be taken for pass/fail credit or audited.

COMS W4111 INTRODUCTION TO DATABASES. 3.00 points .

CC/GS: Partial Fulfillment of Science Requirement Prerequisites: COMS W3134, COMS W3136, or COMS W3137; or the instructor's permission.

Prerequisites: ( COMS W3134 ) or ( COMS W3136 ) or ( COMS W3137 ) or The fundamentals of database design and application development using databases: entity-relationship modeling, logical design of relational databases, relational data definition and manipulation languages, SQL, XML, query processing, physical database tuning, transaction processing, security. Programming projects are required

COMS W4112 DATABASE SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W4111 ) and fluency in Java or C++. CSEE W3827 is recommended. The principles and practice of building large-scale database management systems. Storage methods and indexing, query processing and optimization, materialized views, transaction processing and recovery, object-relational databases, parallel and distributed databases, performance considerations. Programming projects are required

COMS W4113 FUND-LARGE-SCALE DIST SYSTEMS. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W3134 or COMS W3136 or COMS W3137 ) and ( COMS W3157 or COMS W4118 or CSEE W4119 ) Prerequisites: ( COMS W3134 or COMS W3136 or COMS W3137 ) and ( COMS W3157 or COMS W4118 or CSEE W4119 ) Design and implementation of large-scale distributed and cloud systems. Teaches abstractions, design and implementation techniques that enable the building of fast, scalable, fault-tolerant distributed systems. Topics include distributed communication models (e.g. sockets, remote procedure calls, distributed shared memory), distributed synchronization (clock synchronization, logical clocks, distributed mutex), distributed file systems, replication, consistency models, fault tolerance, distributed transactions, agreement and commitment, Paxos-based consensus, MapReduce infrastructures, scalable distributed databases. Combines concepts and algorithms with descriptions of real-world implementations at Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Microsoft, LinkedIn, etc

COMS E4115 PROGRAMMING LANG ＆ TRANSL. 3.00 points .

COMS W4115 PROGRAMMING LANG ＆ TRANSLATORS. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W3134 or COMS W3136 or COMS W3137 ) and ( COMS W3261 ) and ( CSEE W3827 ) or equivalent, or the instructor's permission. Modern programming languages and compiler design. Imperative, object-oriented, declarative, functional, and scripting languages. Language syntax, control structures, data types, procedures and parameters, binding, scope, run-time organization, and exception handling. Implementation of language translation tools including compilers and interpreters. Lexical, syntactic and semantic analysis; code generation; introduction to code optimization. Teams implement a language and its compiler

COMS W4118 OPERATING SYSTEMS I. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( CSEE W3827 ) and knowledge of C and programming tools as covered in COMS W3136 , W3157 , or W3101, or the instructor's permission. Design and implementation of operating systems. Topics include process management, process synchronization and interprocess communication, memory management, virtual memory, interrupt handling, processor scheduling, device management, I/O, and file systems. Case study of the UNIX operating system. A programming project is required

COMS W4119 COMPUTER NETWORKS. 3.00 points .

Introduction to computer networks and the technical foundations of the internet, including applications, protocols, local area networks, algorithms for routing and congestion control, security, elementary performance evaluation. Several written and programming assignments required

COMS W4121 COMPUTER SYSTEMS FOR DATA SCIENCE. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: background in Computer System Organization and good working knowledge of C/C++ Corequisites: CSOR W4246 , STAT GU4203 An introduction to computer architecture and distributed systems with an emphasis on warehouse scale computing systems. Topics will include fundamental tradeoffs in computer systems, hardware and software techniques for exploiting instruction-level parallelism, data-level parallelism and task level parallelism, scheduling, caching, prefetching, network and memory architecture, latency and throughput optimizations, specialization, and an introduction to programming data center computers

COMS W4137 From Algorithmic Thinking to Development. 3.00 points .

Algorithmic problem-solving and coding skills needed to devise solutions to interview questions for software engineering positions. Solutions are implemented in Python, Java, C, and C . Approaches include brute-force, hashing, sorting, transform-and-conquer, greedy, and dynamic programming. Focus on experimentation and team work

COMS W4152 Engineering Software-as-a-Service. 3.00 points .

Modern software engineering concepts and practices including topics such as Software-as-a-Service, Service-oriented Architecture, Agile Development, Behavior-driven Development, Ruby on Rails, and Dev/ops

COMS W4153 Cloud Computing. 3.00 points .

Software engineering skills necessary for developing cloud computing and software-as-a-service applications, covering topics such as service-oriented architectures, message-driven applications, and platform integration. Includes theoretical study, practical application, and collaborative project work

COMS W4156 ADVANCED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W3157 ) or equivalent. Software lifecycle using frameworks, libraries and services. Major emphasis on software testing. Centers on a team project

COMS W4160 COMPUTER GRAPHICS. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W3134 ) or ( COMS W3136 ) or ( COMS W3137 ) COMS W4156 is recommended. Strong programming background and some mathematical familiarity including linear algebra is required. Introduction to computer graphics. Topics include 3D viewing and projections, geometric modeling using spline curves, graphics systems such as OpenGL, lighting and shading, and global illumination. Significant implementation is required: the final project involves writing an interactive 3D video game in OpenGL

COMS W4162 Advanced Computer Graphics. 3 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W4160 ) or equivalent, or the instructor's permission.

A second course in computer graphics covering more advanced topics including image and signal processing, geometric modeling with meshes, advanced image synthesis including ray tracing and global illumination, and other topics as time permits. Emphasis will be placed both on implementation of systems and important mathematical and geometric concepts such as Fourier analysis, mesh algorithms and subdivision, and Monte Carlo sampling for rendering. Note: Course will be taught every two years.

COMS W4165 COMPUT TECHNIQUES-PIXEL PROCSS. 3.00 points .

An intensive introduction to image processing - digital filtering theory, image enhancement, image reconstruction, antialiasing, warping, and the state of the art in special effects. Topics from the basis of high-quality rendering in computer graphics and of low-level processing for computer vision, remote sensing, and medical imaging. Emphasizes computational techniques for implementing useful image-processing functions

COMS W4167 COMPUTER ANIMATION. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: Multivariable calculus, linear algebra, C++ programming proficiency. COMS W4156 recommended.

Theory and practice of physics-based animation algorithms, including animated clothing, hair, smoke, water, collisions, impact, and kitchen sinks. Topics covered: Integration of ordinary differential equations, formulation of physical models, treatment of discontinuities including collisions/contact, animation control, constrained Lagrangian Mechanics, friction/dissipation, continuum mechanics, finite elements, rigid bodies, thin shells, discretization of Navier-Stokes equations. General education requirement: quantitative and deductive reasoning (QUA). 

COMS W4170 USER INTERFACE DESIGN. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W3134 or COMS W3136 or COMS W3137 ) Introduction to the theory and practice of computer user interface design, emphasizing the software design of graphical user interfaces. Topics include basic interaction devices and techniques, human factors, interaction styles, dialogue design, and software infrastructure. Design and programming projects are required

COMS W4172 3D UI AND AUGMENTED REALITY. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W4160 ) or ( COMS W4170 ) or the instructor's permission. Design, development, and evaluation of 3D user interfaces. Interaction techniques and metaphors, from desktop to immersive. Selection and manipulation. Travel and navigation. Symbolic, menu, gestural, and multimodal interaction. Dialogue design. 3D software support. 3D interaction devices and displays. Virtual and augmented reality. Tangible user interfaces. Review of relevant 3D math

COMS W4181 SECURITY I. 3.00 points .

Not offered during 2023-2024 academic year.

Prerequisites: COMS W3157 or equivalent. Introduction to security. Threat models. Operating system security features. Vulnerabilities and tools. Firewalls, virtual private networks, viruses. Mobile and app security. Usable security. Note: May not earn credit for both W4181 and W4180 or W4187

COMS W4182 SECURITY II. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: COMS W4181 , COMS W4118 , COMS W4119 Advanced security. Centralized, distributed, and cloud system security. Cryptographic protocol design choices. Hardware and software security techniques. Security testing and fuzzing. Blockchain. Human security issues. Note: May not earn credit for both W4182 and W4180 or W4187

COMS W4186 MALWARE ANALYSIS＆REVERSE ENGINEERING. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: COMS W3157 or equivalent. COMS W3827 Hands-on analysis of malware. How hackers package and hide malware and viruses to evade analysis. Disassemblers, debuggers, and other tools for reverse engineering. Deep study of Windows Internals and x86 assembly

COMS W4203 Graph Theory. 3 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W3203 )

General introduction to graph theory. Isomorphism testing, algebraic specification, symmetries, spanning trees, traversability, planarity, drawings on higher-order surfaces, colorings, extremal graphs, random graphs, graphical measurement, directed graphs, Burnside-Polya counting, voltage graph theory.

COMS W4205 Combinatorial Theory. 3 points .

Lect: 3. Not offered during 2023-2024 academic year.

Prerequisites: ( COMS W3203 ) and course in calculus.

Sequences and recursions, calculus of finite differences and sums, elementary number theory, permutation group structures, binomial coefficients, Stilling numbers, harmonic numbers, generating functions. 

COMS W4223 Networks, Crowds, and the Web. 3.00 points .

Introduces fundamental ideas and algorithms on networks of information collected by online services. It covers properties pervasive in large networks, dynamics of individuals that lead to large collective phenomena, mechanisms underlying the web economy, and results and tools informing societal impact of algorithms on privacy, polarization and discrimination

COMS W4231 ANALYSIS OF ALGORITHMS I. 3.00 points .

COMS W4232 Advanced Algorithms. 3.00 points .

Prerequisite: Analysis of Algorithms (COMS W4231).

Prerequisites: see notes re: points Introduces classic and modern algorithmic ideas that are central to many areas of Computer Science. The focus is on most powerful paradigms and techniques of how to design algorithms, and how to measure their efficiency. The intent is to be broad, covering a diversity of algorithmic techniques, rather than be deep. The covered topics have all been implemented and are widely used in industry. Topics include: hashing, sketching/streaming, nearest neighbor search, graph algorithms, spectral graph theory, linear programming, models for large-scale computation, and other related topics

COMS W4236 INTRO-COMPUTATIONAL COMPLEXITY. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W3261 ) Develops a quantitative theory of the computational difficulty of problems in terms of the resources (e.g. time, space) needed to solve them. Classification of problems into complexity classes, reductions, and completeness. Power and limitations of different modes of computation such as nondeterminism, randomization, interaction, and parallelism

COMS W4241 Numerical Algorithms and Complexity. 3 points .

Prerequisites: Knowledge of a programming language. Some knowledge of scientific computation is desirable.

Modern theory and practice of computation on digital computers. Introduction to concepts of computational complexity. Design and analysis of numerical algorithms. Applications to computational finance, computational science, and computational engineering.

COMS W4242 NUMRCL ALGORTHMS-COMPLEXITY II. 3.00 points .

COMS W4252 INTRO-COMPUTATIONAL LEARN THRY. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( CSOR W4231 ) or ( COMS W4236 ) or COMS W3203 and the instructor's permission, or COMS W3261 and the instructor's permission.

Possibilities and limitations of performing learning by computational agents. Topics include computational models of learning, polynomial time learnability, learning from examples and learning from queries to oracles. Computational and statistical limitations of learning. Applications to Boolean functions, geometric functions, automata.

COMS W4261 INTRO TO CRYPTOGRAPHY. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: Comfort with basic discrete math and probability. Recommended: COMS W3261 or CSOR W4231 . An introduction to modern cryptography, focusing on the complexity-theoretic foundations of secure computation and communication in adversarial environments; a rigorous approach, based on precise definitions and provably secure protocols. Topics include private and public key encryption schemes, digital signatures, authentication, pseudorandom generators and functions, one-way functions, trapdoor functions, number theory and computational hardness, identification and zero knowledge protocols

COMS W4281 INTRO TO QUANTUM COMPUTING. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: Knowledge of linear algebra. Prior knowledge of quantum mechanics is not required although helpful.

Introduction to quantum computing. Shor's factoring algorithm, Grover's database search algorithm, the quantum summation algorithm. Relationship between classical and quantum computing. Potential power of quantum computers.

COMS W4419 INTERNET TECHNOLOGY,ECONOMICS,AND POLICY. 3.00 points .

Technology, economic and policy aspects of the Internet. Summarizes how the Internet works technically, including protocols, standards, radio spectrum, global infrastructure and interconnection. Micro-economics with a focus on media and telecommunication economic concerns, including competition and monopolies, platforms, and behavioral economics. US constitution, freedom of speech, administrative procedures act and regulatory process, universal service, role of FCC. Not a substitute for CSEE4119. Suitable for non-majors. May not be used as a track elective for the computer science major.

COMS W4444 PROGRAMMING ＆ PROBLEM SOLVING. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W3134 or COMS W3136 or COMS W3137 ) and ( CSEE W3827 ) Hands-on introduction to solving open-ended computational problems. Emphasis on creativity, cooperation, and collaboration. Projects spanning a variety of areas within computer science, typically requiring the development of computer programs. Generalization of solutions to broader problems, and specialization of complex problems to make them manageable. Team-oriented projects, student presentations, and in-class participation required

COMS W4460 PRIN-INNOVATN/ENTREPRENEURSHIP. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W3134 or COMS W3136 or COMS W3137 ) or the instructor's permission. Team project centered course focused on principles of planning, creating, and growing a technology venture. Topics include: identifying and analyzing opportunities created by technology paradigm shifts, designing innovative products, protecting intellectual property, engineering innovative business models

COMS W4701 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W3134 or COMS W3136 or COMS W3137 ) and any course on probability. Prior knowledge of Python is recommended. Prior knowledge of Python is recommended. Provides a broad understanding of the basic techniques for building intelligent computer systems. Topics include state-space problem representations, problem reduction and and-or graphs, game playing and heuristic search, predicate calculus, and resolution theorem proving, AI systems and languages for knowledge representation, machine learning and concept formation and other topics such as natural language processing may be included as time permits

COMS W4705 NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W3134 or COMS W3136 or COMS W3137 ) or the instructor's permission. Computational approaches to natural language generation and understanding. Recommended preparation: some previous or concurrent exposure to AI or Machine Learning. Topics include information extraction, summarization, machine translation, dialogue systems, and emotional speech. Particular attention is given to robust techniques that can handle understanding and generation for the large amounts of text on the Web or in other large corpora. Programming exercises in several of these areas

COMS W4706 Spoken Language Processing. 3 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W3134 or COMS W3136 or COMS W3137 ) or the instructor's permission.

Computational approaches to speech generation and understanding. Topics include speech recognition and understanding, speech analysis for computational linguistics research, and speech synthesis. Speech applications including dialogue systems, data mining, summarization, and translation. Exercises involve data analysis and building a small text-to-speech system.

COMS W4721 MACHINE LEARNING FOR DATA SCI. 3.00 points .

COMS W4725 Knowledge representation and reasoning. 3 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W4701 )

General aspects of knowledge representation (KR). The two fundamental paradigms (semantic networks and frames) and illustrative systems. Topics include hybrid systems, time, action/plans, defaults, abduction, and case-based reasoning. Throughout the course particular attention is paid to design trade-offs between language expressiveness and reasoning complexity, and issues relating to the use of KR systems in larger applications. 

COMS W4731 Computer Vision I: First Principles. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: Fundamentals of calculus, linear algebra, and C programming. Students without any of these prerequisites are advised to contact the instructor prior to taking the course. Introductory course in computer vision. Topics include image formation and optics, image sensing, binary images, image processing and filtering, edge extraction and boundary detection, region growing and segmentation, pattern classification methods, brightness and reflectance, shape from shading and photometric stereo, texture, binocular stereo, optical flow and motion, 2D and 3D object representation, object recognition, vision systems and applications

COMS W4732 Computer Vision II: Learning. 3.00 points .

Advanced course in computer vision. Topics include convolutional networks and back-propagation, object and action recognition, self-supervised and few-shot learning, image synthesis and generative models, object tracking, vision and language, vision and audio, 3D representations, interpretability, and bias, ethics, and media deception

COMS W4733 COMPUTATIONAL ASPECTS OF ROBOTICS. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W3134 or COMS W3136COMS W3137) Introduction to fundamental problems and algorithms in robotics. Topics include configuration spaces, motion and sensor models, search and sampling-based planning, state estimation, localization and mapping, perception, and learning

COMS W4735 VISUAL INTERFACES TO COMPUTERS. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W3134 or COMS W3136 or COMS W3137 ) Visual input as data and for control of computer systems. Survey and analysis of architecture, algorithms, and underlying assumptions of commercial and research systems that recognize and interpret human gestures, analyze imagery such as fingerprint or iris patterns, generate natural language descriptions of medical or map imagery. Explores foundations in human psychophysics, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence

COMS W4737 Biometrics. 3 points .

Prerequisites: a background at the sophomore level in computer science, engineering, or like discipline.

In this course. we will explore the latest advances in biometrics as well as the machine learning techniques behind them. Students will learn how these technologies work and how they are sometimes defeated. Grading will be based on homework assignments and a final project. There will be no midterm or final exam. This course shares lectures with COMS E6737 . Students taking COMS E6737 are required to complete additional homework problems and undertake a more rigorous final project. Students will only be allowed to earn credit for COMS W4737 or COMS E6737 and not both.

COMS W4762 Machine Learning for Functional Genomics. 3 points .

Prerequisites: Proficiency in a high-level programming language (Python/R/Julia). An introductory machine learning class (such as COMS 4771 Machine Learning) will be helpful but is not required.

Prerequisites: see notes re: points

This course will introduce modern probabilistic machine learning methods using applications in data analysis tasks from functional genomics, where massively-parallel sequencing is used to measure the state of cells: e.g. what genes are being expressed, what regions of DNA (“chromatin”) are active (“open”) or bound by specific proteins.

COMS E4762 Machine Learning for Functional Genomics. 3.00 points .

This course will introduce modern probabilistic machine learning methods using applications in data analysis tasks from functional genomics, where massively-parallel sequencing is used to measure the state of cells: e.g. what genes are being expressed, what regions of DNA (“chromatin”) are active (“open”) or bound by specific proteins

COMS W4771 MACHINE LEARNING. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: Any introductory course in linear algebra and any introductory course in statistics are both required. Highly recommended: COMS W4701 or knowledge of Artificial Intelligence. Topics from generative and discriminative machine learning including least squares methods, support vector machines, kernel methods, neural networks, Gaussian distributions, linear classification, linear regression, maximum likelihood, exponential family distributions, Bayesian networks, Bayesian inference, mixture models, the EM algorithm, graphical models and hidden Markov models. Algorithms implemented in MATLAB

COMS W4772 ADVANCED MACHINE LEARNING. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W4771 ) or instructor's permission; knowledge of linear algebra & introductory probability or statistics is required. An exploration of advanced machine learning tools for perception and behavior learning. How can machines perceive, learn from, and classify human activity computationally? Topics include appearance-based models, principal and independent components analysis, dimensionality reduction, kernel methods, manifold learning, latent models, regression, classification, Bayesian methods, maximum entropy methods, real-time tracking, extended Kalman filters, time series prediction, hidden Markov models, factorial HMMS, input-output HMMs, Markov random fields, variational methods, dynamic Bayesian networks, and Gaussian/Dirichlet processes. Links to cognitive science

COMS W4773 Machine Learning Theory. 3 points .

Prerequisites: Machine Learning (COMS W4771). Background in probability and statistics, linear algebra, and multivariate calculus. Ability to program in a high-level language, and familiarity with basic algorithm design and coding principles.

Core topics from unsupervised learning such as clustering, dimensionality reduction and density estimation will be studied in detail. Topics in clustering: k-means clustering, hierarchical clustering, spectral clustering, clustering with various forms of feedback, good initialization techniques and convergence analysis of various clustering procedures. Topics in dimensionality reduction: linear techniques such as PCA, ICA, Factor Analysis, Random Projections, non-linear techniques such as LLE, IsoMap, Laplacian Eigenmaps, tSNE, and study of embeddings of general metric spaces, what sorts of theoretical guarantees can one provide about such techniques. Miscellaneous topics: design and analysis of data structures for fast Nearest Neighbor search such as Cover Trees and LSH. Algorithms will be implemented in either Matlab or Python.

COMS E4773 Machine Learning Theory. 3.00 points .

Theoretical study of algorithms for machine learning and high-dimensional data analysis. Topics include high-dimensional probability, theory of generalization and statistical learning, online learning and optimization, spectral analysis

COMS W4774 Unsupervised Learning. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: Solid background in multivariate calculus, linear algebra, basic probability, and algorithms.

Prerequisites: see notes re: points Core topics from unsupervised learning such as clustering, dimensionality reduction and density estimation will be studied in detail. Topics in clustering: k-means clustering, hierarchical clustering, spectral clustering, clustering with various forms of feedback, good initialization techniques and convergence analysis of various clustering procedures. Topics in dimensionality reduction: linear techniques such as PCA, ICA, Factor Analysis, Random Projections, non-linear techniques such as LLE, IsoMap, Laplacian Eigenmaps, tSNE, and study of embeddings of general metric spaces, what sorts of theoretical guarantees can one provide about such techniques. Miscellaneous topics: design and analysis of datastructures for fast Nearest Neighbor search such as Cover Trees and LSH. Algorithms will be implemented in either Matlab or Python

COMS W4775 Causal Inference. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: Discrete Math, Calculus, Statistics (basic probability, modeling, experimental design), some programming experience.

Prerequisites: see notes re: points Causal Inference theory and applications. The theoretical topics include the 3-layer causal hierarchy, causal bayesian networks, structural learning, the identification problem and the do-calculus, linear identifiability, bounding, and counterfactual analysis. The applied part includes intersection with statistics, the empirical-data sciences (social and health), and AI and ML

COMS E4775 Causal Inference. 3 points .

Prerequisites: (COMS4711W) and Discrete Math, Calculus, Statistics (basic probability, modeling, experimental design), Some programming experience

Causal Inference theory and applications. The theoretical topics include the 3-layer causal hierarchy,  causal bayesian networks, structural learning, the identification problem and the do-calculus, linear identifiability, bounding, and counterfactual analysis. The applied part includes intersection with statistics, the empirical-data sciences (social and health), and AI and ML.

COMS W4776 Machine Learning for Data Science. 3 points .

Prerequisites: ( STAT GU4001 or IEOR E4150 ) and linear algebra.

Introduction to machine learning, emphasis on data science. Topics include least square methods, Gaussian distributions, linear classification, linear regression, maximum likelihood, exponential family distributions, Bayesian networks, Bayesian inference, mixture models, the EM algorithm, graphical models, hidden Markov models, support vector machines kernel methods. Emphasizes methods and problems relevant to big data. Students may not receive credit for both COMS W4771 and W4776.

COMS W4824 COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE. 3.00 points .

COMS W4835 COMPUTER ORGANIZATION II. 3.00 points .

COMS E4899 Research Training. 0.00 points .

COMS W4901 Projects in Computer Science. 1-3 points .

Prerequisites: Approval by a faculty member who agrees to supervise the work.

A second-level independent project involving laboratory work, computer programming, analytical investigation, or engineering design. May be repeated for credit, but not for a total of more than 3 points of degree credit. Consult the department for section assignment.

COMS W4910 CURRICULAR PRACTICAL TRAINING. 1.00 point .

COMS E4995 COMPUTER ARTS/VIDEO GAMES. 3.00 points .

Special topics arranged as the need and availability arises. Topics are usually offered on a one-time basis. Since the content of this course changes each time it is offered, it may be repeated for credit. Consult the department for section assignment

COMS W4995 TOPICS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: Instructor's permission. Selected topics in computer science. Content and prerequisites vary between sections and semesters. May be repeated for credit. Check “topics course” webpage on the department website for more information on each section

COMS W4996 Special topics in computer science, II. 3 points .

Prerequisites: Instructor's permission.

A continuation of COMS W4995 when the special topic extends over two terms.

Computer Science - Electrical Engineering

CSEE W3826 FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTER ORG. 3.00 points .

CSEE W3827 FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTER SYSTS. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: an introductory programming course. Fundamentals of computer organization and digital logic. Boolean algebra, Karnaugh maps, basic gates and components, flipflops and latches, counters and state machines, basics of combinational and sequential digital design. Assembly language, instruction sets, ALU’s, single-cycle and multi-cycle processor design, introduction to pipelined processors, caches, and virtual memory

CSEE W4119 COMPUTER NETWORKS. 3.00 points .

Introduction to computer networks and the technical foundations of the Internet, including applications, protocols, local area networks, algorithms for routing and congestion control, security, elementary performance evaluation. Several written and programming assignments required

CSEE W4121 COMPUTER SYSTEMS FOR DATA SCIENCE. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: Background in Computer System Organization and good working knowledge of C/C++. Corequisites: CSOR W4246 Algorithms for Data Science, STAT W4203 Probability Theory, or equivalent as approved by faculty advisor. An introduction to computer architecture and distributed systems with an emphasis on warehouse scale computing systems. Topics will include fundamental tradeoffs in computer systems, hardware and software techniques for exploiting instruction-level parallelism, data-level parallelism and task level parallelism, scheduling, caching, prefetching, network and memory architecture, latency and throughput optimizations, specialization, and an introduction to programming data center computers

CSEE W4140 NETWORKING LABORATORY. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( CSEE W4119 ) or equivalent. In this course, students will learn how to put principles into practice, in a hands-on-networking lab course. The course will cover the technologies and protocols of the Internet using equipment currently available to large internet service providers such as CISCO routers and end systems. A set of laboratory experiments will provide hands-on experience with engineering wide-area networks and will familiarize students with the Internet Protocol (IP), Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), the Domain Name System (DNS), routing protocols (RIP, OSPF, BGP), network management protocols (SNMP, and application-level protocols (FTP, TELNET, SMTP)

CSEE W4823 Advanced Logic Design. 3 points .

Prerequisites: ( CSEE W3827 ) or a half semester introduction to digital logic, or the equivalent.

An introduction to modern digital system design. Advanced topics in digital logic: controller synthesis (Mealy and Moore machines); adders and multipliers; structured logic blocks (PLDs, PALs, ROMs); iterative circuits. Modern design methodology: register transfer level modelling (RTL); algorithmic state machines (ASMs); introduction to hardware description languages (VHDL or Verilog); system-level modelling and simulation; design examples.

CSEE W4824 COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( CSEE W3827 ) or equivalent. Focuses on advanced topics in computer architecture, illustrated by case studies from classic and modern processors. Fundamentals of quantitative analysis. Pipelining. Memory hierarchy design. Instruction-level and thread-level parallelism. Data-level parallelism and graphics processing units. Multiprocessors. Cache coherence. Interconnection networks. Multi-core processors and systems-on-chip. Platform architectures for embedded, mobile, and cloud computing

CSEE W4840 EMBEDDED SYSTEMS. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( CSEE W4823 ) Embedded system design and implementation combining hardware and software. I/O, interfacing, and peripherals. Weekly laboratory sessions and term project on design of a microprocessor-based embedded system including at least one custom peripheral. Knowledge of C programming and digital logic required

CSEE W4868 SYSTEM-ON-CHIP PLATFORMS. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: ( COMS W3157 ) and ( CSEE W3827 ) Design and programming of System-on-Chip (SoC) platforms. Topics include: overview of technology and economic trends, methodologies and supporting CAD tools for system-level design, models of computation, the SystemC language, transaction-level modeling, software simulation and virtual platforms, hardware-software partitioning, high-level synthesis, system programming and device drivers, on-chip communication, memory organization, power management and optimization, integration of programmable processor cores and specialized accelerators. Case studies of modern SoC platforms for various classes of applications

Computer Science - Biomedical Engineering

CBMF W4761 COMPUTATIONAL GENOMICS. 3.00 points .

Prerequisites: Working knowledge of at least one programming language, and some background in probability and statistics. Computational techniques for analyzing genomic data including DNA, RNA, protein and gene expression data. Basic concepts in molecular biology relevant to these analyses. Emphasis on techniques from artificial intelligence and machine learning. String-matching algorithms, dynamic programming, hidden Markov models, expectation-maximization, neural networks, clustering algorithms, support vector machines. Students with life sciences backgrounds who satisfy the prerequisites are encouraged to enroll

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• Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)
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Canadian Immigration Updates

Applicants to Master’s and Doctoral degrees are not affected by the recently announced cap on study permits. Review more details

Go to programs search

PhD students in the Department of Computer Science may focus their research in the following areas:

• Artificial Intelligence:  computer vision, decision theory/game theory, knowledge representation and reasoning, intelligent user interfaces, machine learning, natural language understanding and generation, robotics and haptics.
• Computer Graphics:  animation, imaging, modeling, rendering, visualization.
• Data Management and Mining:  business intelligence, data integration, genomic analysis, text mining, web databases.
• Formal Verification and Analysis of Systems:  analog, digital and hybrid systems, VLSI, protocols, software.
• Human Centered Technologies:  human computer interaction (HCI), visual, haptic and multimodal interfaces, computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW), visual analytics.
• Networks, Systems, and Security:  high performance computing/parallel processing, networking, operating systems and virtualization, security.
• Scientific Computing:  numerical methods and software, differential equations, linear algebra, optimization.
• Software Engineering and Programming Languages:  development tools, foundations of computation, middleware, programming languages, software engineering.
• Theory: algorithm design and analysis (including empirical), algorithmic game theory, discrete optimization, graph theory, computational geometry

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

What makes the program unique?

The UBC Department of Computer Science has many contacts in the computing industry. A strong rapport between the industry and research communities is beneficial to both, especially in cases where the department focuses its research to developing real-world applications.

I love Vancouver! It's the greatest city in the world. I love the integration of nature into the city; it has all of the mountains, forests, and oceans. In addition, the city is a melting pot of cultures, and that's definitely reflected at UBC. It feels like there's a place for everyone at UBC.

Michael Yin

Quick Facts

Program enquiries, admission information & requirements, 1) check eligibility, minimum academic requirements.

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:

• Canada or the United States
• International countries other than the United States

Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

Overall score requirement : 100

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement : 7.0

Other Test Scores

Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:

The GRE is not required.

2) Meet Deadlines

September 2024 intake, application open date, canadian applicants, international applicants, deadline explanations.

Deadline to submit online application. No changes can be made to the application after submission.

Deadline to upload scans of official transcripts through the applicant portal in support of a submitted application. Information for accessing the applicant portal will be provided after submitting an online application for admission.

Deadline for the referees identified in the application for admission to submit references. See Letters of Reference for more information.

3) Prepare Application

Transcripts.

All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.

Letters of Reference

A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

Statement of Interest

Many programs require a statement of interest , sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.

Supervision

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)

Citizenship verification.

Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.

4) Apply Online

All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.

Tuition & Financial Support

Financial Support

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.

Program Funding Packages

All full-time PhD students will be provided with a funding package of at least $31,920 for each of the first four years of their PhD program. The funding package consists of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. This support is contingent on full-time registration as a UBC Graduate student, satisfactory performance in assigned teaching and research assistantship duties, and good standing with satisfactory progress in your academic performance. CS students are expected to apply for fellowships or scholarship to which they are eligible.

Average Funding

• 40 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 40 students was $6,950.
• 77 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 77 students was $20,513.
• 18 students received Academic Assistantships. Average AA funding based on 18 students was $6,167.
• 81 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 81 students was $11,015.
• 8 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 8 students was $19,625.

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union .

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans .

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement .

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Outcomes

111 students graduated between 2005 and 2013. Of these, career information was obtained for 106 alumni (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016):

Sample Employers in Higher Education

Sample employers outside higher education, sample job titles outside higher education, phd career outcome survey, career options.

Our faculty and students actively interact with industry in numerous fields. Via internships, consulting and the launching of new companies, they contribute to the state-of-the-art in environmental monitoring, energy prediction, software, cloud computing, search engines, social networks, advertising, e-commerce, electronic trading, entertainment games, special effects in movies, robotics, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, and more.

Alumni on Success

Job Title Senior Director, Product & Business Development

Employer NGRAIN

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

Completion Rates & Times

Upcoming doctoral exams, tuesday, 23 july 2024 - 2:00pm - x836, icics building, 2366 main mall, tuesday, 30 july 2024 - 10:00am - x836, icics building, 2366 main mall.

• Research Supervisors

Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors

These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.

This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.

• Beschastnikh, Ivan (Computer and information sciences; software engineering; distributed systems; cloud computing; software analysis; Machine Learning)
• Bowman, William (Computer and information sciences; Programming languages and software engineering; Programming languages; Compilers; programming languages)
• Carenini, Giuseppe (Artificial intelligence, user modeling, decision theory, machine learning, social issues in computing, computational linguistics, information visualization)
• Clune, Jeff
• Conati, Cristina (artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, affective computing, personalized interfaces, intelligent user interfaces, intelligent interface agents, virtual agent, user-adapted interaction, computer-assisted education, educational computer games, computers in education, user-adaptive interaction, Artificial intelligence, adaptive interfaces, cognitive systems, user modelling)
• Condon, Anne (Algorithms; Molecular Programming)
• Ding, Jiarui (Bioinformatics; Basic medicine and life sciences; Computational Biology; Machine Learning; Probabilistic Deep Learning; single-cell genomics; visualization; Cancer biology; Computational Immunology; Food Allergy; neuroscience)
• Evans, William (Computer and information sciences; Algorithms; theoretical computer science; Computer Sciences and Mathematical Tools; computational geometry; graph drawing; program compression)
• Feeley, Michael (Distributed systems, operating systems, workstation and pc clusters)
• Friedlander, Michael (numerical optimization, numerical linear algebra, scientific computing, Scientific computing)
• Friedman, Joel (Computer and information sciences; Algebraic Graph Theory; Combinatorics; Computer Science Theory)
• Garcia, Ronald (Programming languages; programming languages)
• Greenstreet, Mark (Dynamic systems, formal methods, hybrid systems, differential equations)
• Greif, Chen (Numerical computation; Numerical analysis; scientific computing; numerical linear algebra; numerical solution of elliptic partial differential equations)
• Gujarati, Arpan (Computer and information sciences; Systems)
• Harvey, Nicholas (randomized algorithms, combinatorial optimization, graph sparsification, discrepancy theory and learning theory; algorithmic problems arising in computer networking, including cache analysis, load balancing, data replication, peer-to-peer networks, and network coding.)
• Holmes, Reid (Computer and information sciences; computer science; open source software; software comprehension; software development tools; software engineering; software quality; software testing; static analysis)
• Hu, Alan (Computer and information sciences; formal methods; formal verification; model checking; nonce to detect automated mining of profiles; post-silicon validation; security; software analysis)
• Hutchinson, Norman (Computer and information sciences; Computer Systems; distributed systems; File Systems; Virtualization)
• Kiczales, Gregor (MOOCs, Blended Learning, Flexible Learning, University Strategy for Flexible and Blended Learning, Computer Science Education, Programming Languages, Programming languages, aspect-oriented programming, foundations, reflections and meta programming, software design)
• Lakshmanan, Laks (data management and data cleaning; data warehousing and OLAP; data and text mining; analytics on big graphs and news; social networks and media; recommender systems)
• Lecuyer, Mathias (Machine learning systems; Guarantees of robustness, privacy, and security)
• Lemieux, Caroline (Programming languages and software engineering; help developers improve the correctness, security, and performance of software systems; test-input generation; specification mining; program synthesis)
• Leyton-Brown, Kevin (Computer and information sciences; Artificial Intelligence; Algorithms; theoretical computer science; Resource Allocation; Computer Science and Statistics; Auction theory; game theory; Machine Learning)
• MacLean, Karon (Computer and information sciences; Information Systems; design of user interfaces; haptic interfaces; human-computer interaction; human-robot interaction)

Doctoral Citations

Sample Thesis Submissions

• Discrete optimization problems in geometric mesh processing
• On effective learning for multimodal data
• From devices to data and back again : a tale of computationally modelling affective touch
• Towards alleviating human supervision for document-level relation extraction
• Methods for design of efficient on-device natural language processing architectures
• A formal framework for understanding run-time checking errors in gradually typed languages
• Understanding semantics and geometry of scenes
• Computational tools for complex electronic auctions
• From videos to animatable 3d neural characters
• Structured representation learning by controlling generative models
• Versatile neural approaches to more accurate and robust topic segmentation
• Machine learning for spectroscopic data analysis : challenges of limited labelled data
• Enriching block-based end-user programming with visual features
• Accelerating Bayesian inference in probabilistic programming
• Computationally efficient geometric methods for optimization and inference in machine learning

Related Programs

Same specialization.

• Master of Science in Computer Science (MSc)

Same Academic Unit

• Master of Data Science (MDS)

At the UBC Okanagan Campus

Further information, specialization.

Computer Science covers Bayesian statistics and applications, bioinformatics, computational intelligence (computational vision, automated reasoning, multi-agent systems, intelligent interfaces, and machine learning), computer communications, databases, distributed and parallel systems, empirical analysis of algorithms, computer graphics, human-computer interaction, hybrid systems, integrated systems design, networks, network security, networking and multimedia, numerical methods and geometry in computer graphics, operating systems, programming languages, robotics, scientific computation, software engineering, visualization, and theoretical aspects of computer science (computational complexity, computational geometry, analysis of complex graphs, and parallel processing).

UBC Calendar

Program website, faculty overview, academic unit, program identifier, classification, social media channels, supervisor search.

Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form .

My experience as a non-degree student was really positive. I loved the way lectures, tutorials, labs, assignments and projects all complemented each other. I found the lectures stimulating and the professors and TAs encouraging. I also loved just being on the UBC campus. I'm surrounded by nature (...

Geoffrey Woollard

I applied to UBC in 2020, during the pandemic. It was a close call between working with Marcus Brubaker, who co-founded my former employer Structura Biotechnology, before becoming an Assistant Professor at York University, and working with Khanh Dao Duc at UBC. Khanh introduced me to his...

Baraa Orabi

I think three factors had a differentiating effect on this decision: UBC's unique multidisciplinary environment which is key to my research as a computer scientist and bioinformatician. UBC being on the West Coast generally and Vancouver specifically and the amazing weather and nature that comes...

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Universities

Columbia University

PhD in Computer Science

Columbia University, New York

The FU Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science

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About Course

Program Duration

Computer Science

Degree Type

Course Credits

PhD in Computer Science at the prestigious Columbia University is a prestigious degree that offers in-depth learning in Computer Science. Being a renowned university, Columbia University receives enough funds to ensure the best education facilities for its students across all programs. This doctorate program offered full-time primarily focuses on the practical implementation of fresh ideas through rigorous study and research. The students are encouraged to add new aspects and findings to the existing area of knowledge. PhD in Computer Science at CU is ranked globally by estimated organisations. Such recognition speaks volumes about the course’s importance and effectiveness in the present scenario. The top-notch faculty, modern facilities, and the aura of creativity and innovation in the CU campus is a life-changing experience for the students looking forward to kickstarting or upgrading their careers. Overall, a PhD in Computer Science at Columbia University is an excellent opportunity to grow into a learned professional and bring new developments in the world.

Official fee page

$24,620 / year

$1,47,720 / 72 months

5000+ Students

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Application Deadline

Pre-requisites

Minimum english score required

Minimum aptitude score required

Waived off until further notice

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• English Language Proficiency

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Doctoral Program

For full details on the PhD programs, see the PhD Program .

The UBC Department of Computer Science PhD program has four main components:

Satisfying the Comprehensive Course Requirement

• Passing a Research Proficiency Evaluation

Passing a Thesis Proposal Oral Examination

Completing the research program.

The objective of the comprehensive course requirement is to ensure that the student obtains an equal load of courses. That is, all courses are treated equally and all areas are treated equally

To fulfill this requirement, the student must complete six (6) courses:

• that cover at least four (4) of the nine (9) areas * 
• four (4) of which must be CS courses    

*Only in exceptional cases, can this constraint of covering 4 different areas be waived. The student must, with the Supervisor's approval, submit a justification for why the proposed courses provide equivalent breadth. The proposal must be approved by the AH-Grad/Graduate Affairs Committee.

Please refer to Comprehensive Course Requirement for details.

Satisfying the Research Proficiency Evaluation (RPE)

The objective of the Research Proficiency Evaluation is to ensure a student shows sufficient promise in research skills necessary to successfully carry out a PhD in our environment. The student will work with one or more supervisors on a jointly determined research project, which can form the basis of a potential thesis topic. The student will then present the work, both in writing and orally, to a committee of faculty early in their time in the PhD program.

Students benefit from the RPE by making an early engagement with their supervisory committee and by receiving early feedback from a committee of experts on their potential success in the PhD program, thus minimizing the chance of facing difficulties after years of investment.

Please refer to RPE for details.

After completing the comprehensive course requirements, the student will move on to researching and writing a PhD thesis proposal under the direction of their supervisor(s).

After completing the thesis proposal, the student will take an oral thesis proposal examination administered by the PhD thesis committee. The chair of this examination will be a faculty member not on the thesis committee, and will be chosen by the student's thesis supervisor. The sole purpose of this exam is the defense of the student's thesis proposal, which must be presented in written form to the thesis committee at least two weeks prior to the examination. The examination must take place within 24 months of the time that the student enters the PhD program.

Please refer to PhD Thesis Proposal for details.

Once the student has passed the thesis proposal exam, the student must carry out the research program in accordance with the research proposal under the supervisor's guidance. The PhD thesis describing the research findings must be written by the student and approved by the PhD supervisory committee. In order to obtain the PhD degree, the thesis must also be approved by an external examiner outside UBC and two UBC examiners (one from this department and the other from another department within UBC) and defended at the final oral examination set up by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Morningside Campus Access Updates

School - June 26, 2024

Future-Proofing with Tech: How the Technology Management Program Curriculum Evolves with a Rapidly Advancing Industry

• Technology Management

Change is accelerating. Generative AI is redefining the shape and speed of innovation. Columbia’s Master of Science in Technology Management program prepares technology professionals to future-proof their practice.

Columbia University pioneered the Ivy League’s first Technology Management master’s program 20 years ago to empower professionals to make an economic and social impact in a world of constant change and disruption. We have institutionalized technology’s continuous improvement and deployment philosophy in our curriculum. 

As technology continues to redefine operations, a paradigm shift has occurred. Previously, strategy and policy preceded execution. Today, execution leads, followed by strategy, with policy lagging behind. This evolution underscores technology’s pivotal role as a catalyst for innovation, growth, and risk, and the Technology Management program curriculum has been revised to keep up with industry innovations.   

“Tech leadership demands constant learning and adaptation,” said Dr. Alexis Wichowski, Technology Management’s program director and a professor of practice. “Our newly revised M.S. in Technology Management program now reflects that reality. This program is not just for tech people or business people: It trains future leaders to be equally fluent in both.”

The program prepares students to thrive in these conditions with solid fundamentals in core technology and business principles and also offers continually updated courses that reflect current trends. The revised curriculum is the first of its kind to include an explicit focus on ethical leadership, reflecting the ways in which today’s technology leaders must negotiate not only business and technology decisions but also the application of concepts like “do no harm” in relation to the deployment of new technologies.

With options to study either  in person or  online with four immersive residencies, the program offers unparalleled insider access to one of the world’s most dynamic and innovative technology capitals. The faculty and program team, composed of industry-leading practitioners including 12x serial entrepreneur  Art Chang , global business leader and cybersecurity expert  Cristina Dolan , and leading technology and media corporate strategist  Stephano Kim , brings real-world experience and expertise to the classroom, equipping our students with the tools they need to succeed and the networks they need to achieve their career goals. 

The program doesn’t just teach theory—it also provides hands-on experiential learning through projects, internships, and networking opportunities. The curriculum constantly evolves to keep pace with the latest developments in technology and business, ensuring that students graduate with the skills and knowledge they need to excel in their careers. With a community of more than 1,000 alumni who have gone on to lead and innovate at companies like Google, Apple, NASA, and more, students will be equipped to adapt and keep pace in an ever-changing technology landscape as they join a global network of peers shaping the future.

About the Program

Columbia University's  Master of Science in Technology Management is designed to respond to the urgent need for strategic perspectives, critical thinking, and exceptional communication skills at all levels of the workplace and across all types of organizations.

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Computer Science at Columbia University

Upcoming events, in the news, press mentions, dean boyce's statement on amicus brief filed by president bollinger.

President Bollinger announced that Columbia University along with many other academic institutions (sixteen, including all Ivy League universities) filed an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York challenging the Executive Order regarding immigrants from seven designated countries and refugees. Among other things, the brief asserts that “safety and security concerns can be addressed in a manner that is consistent with the values America has always stood for, including the free flow of ideas and people across borders and the welcoming of immigrants to our universities.”

This recent action provides a moment for us to collectively reflect on our community within Columbia Engineering and the importance of our commitment to maintaining an open and welcoming community for all students, faculty, researchers and administrative staff. As a School of Engineering and Applied Science, we are fortunate to attract students and faculty from diverse backgrounds, from across the country, and from around the world. It is a great benefit to be able to gather engineers and scientists of so many different perspectives and talents – all with a commitment to learning, a focus on pushing the frontiers of knowledge and discovery, and with a passion for translating our work to impact humanity.

I am proud of our community, and wish to take this opportunity to reinforce our collective commitment to maintaining an open and collegial environment. We are fortunate to have the privilege to learn from one another, and to study, work, and live together in such a dynamic and vibrant place as Columbia.

Mary C. Boyce Dean of Engineering Morris A. and Alma Schapiro Professor

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