Formal Processor Verification

1
Computer Science Foundations for Ph.D.
Students The Carnegie Mellon Perspective
Randal E. Bryant
Carnegie Mellon University
http//www.cs.cmu.edu/bryant
2
CMU CS PhD Program Students

• Demographics
• Around 25 new students / year
• From 800 applicants
• Approximately 50 US
• Top foreign countries India, China, Korea
• Backgrounds
• Most have undergraduate or masters degree in
  computer science or related field

3
CS PhD Program Requirements

• Courses
• Eight PhD-level courses
• One each from list of star courses in following
  areas
• Algorithms complexity
• Programming languages
• Artificial intelligence
• Software systems
• Computer systems
• Skills
• Writing, speaking, programming
• Two semesters as teaching assistant
• Research
• Prepare defend PhD thesis

4
Unusual Features of Program

• No Qualifying or Comprehensive Exams
• Students are admitted directly to PhD program
• Very selective admissions
• Believe that courses are more useful than exams
• Exams are an unreliable measure of understanding
• Working on labs and projects more effective than
  reading a lot of books and papers
• Have not found qualifying exams serve intended
  role
• Is student qualified to pursue a PhD?
• Student Progress Monitored Closely
• Students assigned advisors after brief
  Immigration course
• Advisor serves as mentor
• All students reviewed 2X/year in Black Friday
  meetings
• Student progress is collective responsibility of
  entire faculty

5
Star Courses

• All assume students have undergraduate
  preparation in subject
• Most courses targeted specifically to PhD-level
  students
• Algorithms Complexity
• Algorithms
• Complexity Theory
• Artificial Intelligence
• Advanced AI Concepts
• Machine Learning
• Planning, Execution, and Learning

• Computer Systems
• Computer Architecture
• Optimizing Compilers for Modern Architecture
• Programming Languages
• Type Systems for Programming Languages
• Semantics of Programming Languages
• Software Systems
• Advanced Operating Systems and Distributed
  Systems
• Database Management Systems
• Networking

6
Outcomes

• Graduation
• Around 70 of entering students graduate
• Average time between 6 7 years
• Most students graduate as fully formed
  researchers
• Typically 1020 research publications
• Ready to move right into faculty positions
• Placements
• Most stay in the U.S.
• Academic positions
• Industry research
• Microsoft Research
• IBM
• Other industry
• Google
• Start-up companies