CSE Graduate Student Orientation

1
CSE Graduate Student Orientation

• Fall, 2006
• M. Chuah
• R. Nagel

2
The Agenda

• Greetings from the CSE faculty
• Requirements and milestones of the M.S. Ph.D.
  programs in CSE
• Requirements of the MS Ph.D. programs in CompE
• Choosing an advisor
• Writing guidelines
• Using the CSE computer resources
• QA with CSE TA

3
Greetings from the CSE faculty

• Mark Arnold (computer architecture and
  arithmetic)
• Henry Baird (image understanding, computer
  vision)
• Glenn D. Blank (multimedia e-learning, computer
  science education)
• Liang Cheng (networking and distributed
  computing)
• Mooi Choo Chuah (heterogeneous networking)
• Brian D. Davison (web-based systems, networking,
  information retrieval)
• Jeff Heflin (semantic web, intelligent agents)
• Sharon Huang (computer graphics)
• Donald J. Hillman (information systems and
  databases)
• Christine Hofmeister (software architecture and
  component-based software)
• Edwin J. Kay, Associate Chair, CompE advisor
  (object-oriented programming)
• Hank Korth, Chair (high performance and real-time
  database systems)
• Daniel Lopresti (bioinformatics, document
  analysis and digital libraries)
• Hector Munoz-Avila (case-based reasoning and
  decision support systems)
• Roger N. Nagel (enterprise information analysis
  systems)
• William M. Pottenger (data mining, parallel
  optimization)
• John Spletzer (autonomous robots and sensor
  planning)

4
Requirements

• When in doubt, refer to
• The University Catalog (Section 4 CSE section)
• The Graduate Student Handbook (college)
• The CSE web sites
• www.cse.lehigh.edu
• Your Advisor
• CSE Graduate Coodinators Prof R. Nagel (master),
  Prof M. Chuah (Phd)(rnn0_at_lehigh.edu,
  chuah_at_cse.lehigh.edu)
• CompE Graduate Coordinators Prof R. Decker
  (ECE), Prof M. Chuah (CSE) (drd0_at_lehigh.edu,
  chuah_at_cse.lehigh.edu )

5
M.S. Requirements (Summary)

• 30 credits
• At least 18 credits of 400 level classes
• 15 credits of 400 level in major field
• No more than 6 credits at 200 level
• Can only be outside of major field
• Courses outside of major must be in department
  that offers graduate courses
• Optional MS Thesis (3 credits for CS, 6 credits
  for CompE, oral presentation)

6
Course Requirements for M.S.

• Grades
• Need a B- or better to count 300 level courses
• Need 18 credits of B- or better
• Lower than C grades do not count
• If you get 4 grades lower than B-, youre out!
• Distribution/Core/Comprehensives (for CS)
• 2 courses in each of 4 areas
• At least one 400 level course in 3 areas
• www.cse.lehigh.edu/graduate/cs-qualifiers.html

7
Computer Engineering M.S.

• Both CSE and ECE courses are in the major
• 4 core courses ECE401, CSE403, ECE319, CSE340
  (see next slide)
• Distribution
• 2 courses in computer hardware/architecture area
• 2 courses in another area, 1 course in a third
  area
• Of these 5 courses, 1 400 level course in each
  area
• Other areas
• Computer software systems
• Signal processing and communications
• Computer software applications
• Circuits and systems

8
New CompE Requirements

• Need to take the following 4 courses
• ECE401 Advanced Computer Architecture
• ECE319 Digital System Design
• CSE403 Advanced Operating Systems
• CSE340 Design Analysis of Algorithms

9
Admission to Candidacy for M.S.

• Soon after completing 15 credits, you should
  submit an admission to candidacy form
• Outlines how you will complete your degree
• Must be approved by the Graduate and Research
  Committee
• Get the form from the Graduate Coordinator
• Get signatures
• Submit to the College Graduate Office

10
The CS Ph.D. Program
time
Entry into PhD Program
Qualifier
Breadth Courses
Core Competency Exams
Programming Competency Course
Depth Study
Admission to Candidacy
General Exam
Dissertation Defense
Submission of Written Dissertation
Graduation
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CS Ph.D. Qualifier

• Purpose Make sure you are ready to do research
• Timing Usually done after 1 year, must be done
  after 2 years
• Complete each of 3 parts (any order)
• Programming Competency Course
• Depth Study
• Core Competency Exams (5 core topics)
• Analysis of Algorithm
• Theory of Computation
• Operating Systems
• Computer Architecture
• Compile Design (not required anymore)

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CS Ph.D. Qualifier Requirements (1)

• Programming Competency Course
• Sign up for a programming intensive course (CSE
  411 or other), have instructor sign the form, get
  a B or better.
• Depth Study
• Perform a directed independent literature review
  on a topic in computer science, give a oral
  presentation to an examination committee of 3 CSE
  faculty
• Usually done in conjunction with an Independent
  Study Course or certain Graduate Seminar courses

13
CS Ph.D. Qualifier Requirements (2)

• Core Competency Exams
• Tests knowledge of core C.S. at the B.S. degree
  level
• Analysis of Algorithms, Theory of Computation,
  Operating Systems, Computer Architecture,
  Compiler Design
• 5 tests at the end of the Spring semester (after
  finals)
• High competency, Passing Competency, Failed
• Need 2 High competency scores, and no Failed
  scores
• Each test can be retaken once, new score replaces
  old
• Reading list to be made available soon
• Some tests can be placed out of by taking the
  graduate course on the topic and receiving a B,
  A- or A.

14
CompE Ph.D. Requirements

• Passing of a dept qualifying exam within one year
  after entrance into the program.
• This is an oral exam where students are evaluated
  based on their understanding and critiques of
  selected number of papers in their interested
  research area. Their creativities will also be
  evaluated.
• The selected papers will be given to the students
  normally in Dec
• Normally the exam takes place late Jan/early Feb
• Students are allowed to retake once if they fail
  the 1st time. They have to retake the exam within
  the same semester.

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Admission to Candidacy

• Purpose Identify viable dissertation topic and
  assemble dissertation committee
• Timing Completed by 1 year after Qualifier
  Requirements satisfied
• Requirements
• Admission to Candidacy form for the Colleges
  Associate Dean of Graduate Studies
• Includes course plan and short (about 5 page)
  description of research plan
• Signed by identified dissertation committee

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The Ph.D. Committee

• Need 3 Lehigh faculty and 1 external (at
  Lehigh or not, but not in home dept.)
• Includes advisor
• Can have more, if useful
• Need to have a rough idea of topic
• Generally a hypothesis and investigation plan
• To present to potential committee members

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General Exam

• Purpose Evaluate a students capacity and
  proficiency in the filed of study
• Do you have the necessary background and a
  reasonable plan to complete a dissertation?
• Timing Cant graduate earlier than 7 mo. after
  passing GE (usually completed by end of year 3)
• Written review of prior work, research plan, and
  anticipated contributions to the field
• Public oral presentation to dissertation committee

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Dissertation and Defense

• Purpose Demonstrate that your research has
  produced results that provide a significant
  contribution to the field
• Timing See the universitys calendar.
  Dissertation committee needs to see a draft of
  the dissertation 6 weeks before anticipated
  graduation date.
• Defense occurs after written dissertation is
  submitted to the committee, but changes to the
  dissertation may be mandated by committee after
  the defense
• Cant graduate without a dissertation signed by
  all members of the dissertation committee

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And... Course Requirements

• 72 Credits, 48 if entering with CS/CompE MS
• (42 if CS/CompE M.S. is from Lehigh)
• Lower than C grades do not count
• If you get 4 grades lower than B-, youre out!
• Courses are subject to approval by Dissertation
  Committee

20
Ph.D. Breadth requirements

• Uses same 4 distribution areas as the M.S.
• Need to take 2 courses in each of the 4 areas
• Earn a B or better in 7 of the 8
• Only 400 level courses (except CSE 411) and 300
  level elective courses with no 400 level version
• Note that courses taken for B.S. and M.S. can
  satisfy some of the required courses (w/
  petition) if taken up to 5 years earlier

21
Choosing an Advisor

• For M.S. students
• Find someone who you think will give good advice
• Helpful, but not necessary for the academic
  advisor to be your thesis advisor (if doing a
  thesis)
• For Ph.D. students
• Academic advisor is generally the thesis advisor
• Needs to be able to direct/advise your thesis
  work
• Needs to be someone you can get along with
• www.cse.lehigh.edu/chuah/advice

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Writing Guidelines

• If you dont have one already, get a writing
  manual. I recommend
• A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and
  Dissertations by Kate L. Turabian, Chicago Press
• Elements of Style by Strunk and White
• Read it use it while writing
• The best way to become a good writer is to write
  often (at least a paragraph a day)
• If you can, get someone to read and critique your
  work

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Citing Sources

• Critically important for academic writing
• Give credit where credit is due
• Copying words, figures or ideas from another
  authors work without citing and quoting is
  stealing. Its called plagiarism.
• Words copied directly should be quoted and cited
• Ideas that are paraphrased should be cited

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Citing Sources, the Form

• Two main forms for citing sources
• Parenthetical (Kessler, 2004)
• Sources listed in References alphabetically by
  author
• Kessler, G. Drew (2004). Advice for CSE
  students, Proceedings of the CSE Conference,
  Aug. 2004, pp. 1-5.
• Numerical 1
• Sources list numerically by order of appearance
• 1 G. Drew Kessler, Advice for CSE Students,
  Proceedings of the CSE Conference, Aug. 2004, pp.
  1-5.
• Usually specified by publication or instructor

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Department Representatives

• 2 Graduate Student Council (GSC) Reps.
• (Needed to qualify for dept. graduate student
  travel money)
• 2 Reps. to CSE faculty meetings other
  committees
• Association of Computing Machinery (ACM)
• Student chapter
• acm.cse.lehigh.edu

26
Computer Resources

• Separate from the Lehigh LTS resources
• help_at_cse.lehigh.edu
• System administrators Bryan Hodgson and David
  Morrisette
• Graduate students can have an account on the
  department UNIX systems
• Provides yet-another-email-address
• Provides disk space that can be used for class
  work, research, or file-sharing
• Provides certain UNIX-based tools for research

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Where are the computers?

• The Sun workstations in PL 118 and PL 122 are
  available to CSE students
• Computer Room at PL502
• One can access these machines remotely through an
  ssh (Secure Shell) client
• From off-campus
• gateway.cse.lehigh.edu
• From on-campus or from gateway (example)
• ssh pioneer.cse.lehigh.edu

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The Unix File System Commands

• man Get a manual page on a unix command
• man -k Get a list of manual pages on
  topic
• ls List current directory
• ls -als List directory with details
• cd Go to your home directory (aka )
• cd Enter the subdirectory
• mv Move file to name or directory
  
• rm Remove a file
• mkdir Create a directory
• rmdir Remove a directory
• quota -v Describes your disk
  usage and quota

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More UNIX Commands

• cat List a files contents
• cat more List a files contents,
  piping them to a
• pager program
• more Same as above
• cp Copies to file or directory
  
• export Lists shell variables
• export VARval Sets variable VAR to value val
• echo stuff Prints stuff to the screen
• echo VAR Prints the value of VAR
• man bash Manual page for the bash shell
• exit Like it sounds

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Email

• Your address will be netID_at_cse.lehigh.edu
• By default, email will be forwarded to your
  Lehigh Account (netID_at_lehigh.edu)
• You can change the forwarding address by editing
  the .forward (note the dot in front) file
• If you remove the .forward file or change it to
  forward to a department machine, you can use
  mailx (or elm, or ...) command to read (and send)
  your mail

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Editing

• There are primarily two editors for UNIX vi and
  emacs (and its cousin xemacs)
• emacs is easier to use for beginners
• Arrow keys move you around, also
• Cntr-f, Cntr-b forward and back
• Cntr-n, Cntr-p next and previous line
• Cntr-d delete character
• Cntr-x-Cntr-s save file Cntr-x-Cntr-f find
  file
• Cntr-x-Cntr-c quit

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Printing

• The lpr command can be used to print a text or
  PostScript file to a printer (use a2ps for
  program listings)
• lpr -P
• cat lpr -P
• a2ps -P
• Available department printers (lpstat -a to
  list)
• PL122, BW pl122-4000n or pl122
• PL122, color (may need paper) pl122-cps
• PL355 pl355-si, 2-sided pl355-duplong

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Where are the Windows?

• X is the windowing system for UNIX workstations
  (Suns version is OpenWindows)
• initx (or openwin) will start the windowing
  system (if sitting at the machine)
• How the windowing system is configured is
  dependent on a few configuration files
• .xinitrc, .Xdefaults, .twmrc, others...
• Best advice ask to copy config files from
  someone who has it working

34
Unix Processes

• UNIX is a multi-processing OS
• Adding at the end of a command runs it the
  background (as a job)
• Output is job and process id
• fg brings a job to the foreground
• Cntr-z stops a process running in the foreground
• bg restarts a process, putting it in the
  background
• kill halts the job with the given process id
• kill -9 halts the given job without fail
• ps -elf lists running processes with ids