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The Following Policies Apply:
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| 1. |
The
complete work on thesis/project has a limit of 9 credits.
Typically, students working on a thesis will register for
3 credits of CSc 897 (Research) followed by 3 credits of CSc
898, but they can take an additional 3 units of CSc 897 upon advisement. Students working on a project will usually enroll in
3 credits of CSc 899 followed by 3 credits of CSc 895,but they can take additional 3 units of CSc 899 upon advisement. |
| 2. |
Before
registering for the MS thesis/project the student must select
an advisor, and other members of the thesis/project committee and file the GAP and Culminating Experience Form with the Graduate Division.
The thesis committee must have at least 3 members, and
the project committee must have at least 2 members. At
least two members must be tenured or tenure-track SFSU/CS
faculty for either type of committee. |
| 3. |
Both
MS thesis and MS project have a public oral defense. The defense
must be advertised to the local community. |
| 4. |
The format of the MS thesis document is strictly defined and controlled by the SFSU Graduate Division. The original copy of the thesis, including committee signatures, is submitted to the Graduate Division for approval. After approval by the Graduate Division the original version is bound according to the SFSU standard and stored in the SFSU library. One bound copy of the thesis must also be given to the CS Department office. Thesis copies are submitted to the committee members in a form approved by the members. |
| 5. |
The format of the MS project document is strictly defined and controlled by the Department of Computer Science, and has the form of the CS Technical Report. The final version of the MS project is submitted to the CS Department and stored in the CS Department office. Project document copies are submitted to the committee members in a form approved by the members. The recommended form for culminating experience report with suggested outline and content of each chapter is here: http://www.cs.sfsu.edu/grad/writing_cpr.html. Please work with your advisor for more details. |
| 6. |
CSc
898 is graded pass/fail, and CSc 895 has a letter grade. |
| 7. |
The departmental policy for completion of either 895 or 898 is 1 year from the initial registration in the course.. The thesis/project defense can
be scheduled at any time during this period. It is important
not to register for CSc895/898 if the student cannot provide
sufficient time for working on the thesis/project. |
| 8. |
The CS Department Graduate Advisor is responsible for approving selected courses and helping students with course planning and selection. A general rule is that students should see the Graduate Advisor at least once per term. |
| 9. |
The
minimum time that must be available between the beginning of
work on the thesis/project and graduation is approximately 1
year. Students must take into account that writing the first
draft of the thesis/project, communicating with the thesis/project
committee, writing final versions of the thesis/project, thesis/project
defense, and satisfying requirements of the SFSU Graduate Division
typically requires up to 3 months, and the remaining time (6-9
months) is available for thesis/project research, software development,
and experiments. Of course, these time estimates depend on the
student's schedule . The most productive approach is to work
almost full time on the thesis/project, and this approach is
assumed for the aforementioned time estimates. |
| 10. |
Students are encouraged to consult with prospective thesis/project advisors for more detailed information on the expected schedules for completion of their culminating experience work. |
| 11. |
Culminating Experience Project proposal, submitted with 895 or 898, is a vehicle to communicate and agree upon expectation for the work for culminating experience between student and the advisor. Typical sections of this proposal should include motivation, problem description, method of solving the problem, relevant work of others, as well as deliverables and approximate timetable (for more details talk with the advisor). This project proposal should be done carefully and serve as a form of "contract" between the advisor and the student. Changes to culminating experience plans outside of this proposal should be agreed upon by both parties. |
| 12. |
Culminating project requires serious commitment and focus of the student. It serves the purpose to show that the student is capable of delivering individual work as well as being independent, able to deliver a project etc. It is the responsibility of the student to follow up the agreed upon milestones and commitment made to the advisors (usually via approved project proposal) and also CS Department polices of cheating and plagiarism. Our advisors spend a lot of effort on culminating experience projects and one reason they are here is to do research with students, typically done during culminating experience work. However, they are not supposed to be doing the work of students - they are supposed to guide and advise them. By doing the culminating experience students also demonstrate their ability to complete the project individually, which sets them apart from other MS students who only complete the coursework for their MS degree. For those looking for leadership jobs and for Ph. D. studies this is essential tool to demonstrate their abilities to perspective employers and Ph. D. schools. |
