NewPHD-FirstSemesterAdvising

New PHD Student Registration Guidelines - First Semester (Fall Term) General Advising

We are excited you are joining our team this August!  This site is designed to give you guidance on registering for fall  courses.  If you have an RA appointment or have connected with a faculty member that could be your potential thesis advisor, please seek additional advice from them through email or a SKYPE session.  All incoming PHD students will be assigned a Program of Study Committee in September.  This committee will help you select what courses you should take going forward and ensure you are taking courses to prepare you for your research and qualifying exam.  

We recommend that you register as soon as possible.   With increased enrollments in the CS department and on campus, CS courses tend to fill up quickly so we request that you register as soon as possible. 

Steps to Complete for Course Registration

1. To start the registration process, you must first setup your NetID and password.  The instructions for this were given to you in your "official offer letter" from the Graduate College.  If you missed the link, please go to http://www.grad.illinois.edu/quick-guide.
2. Go to http://www.registrar.illinois.edu/registration/register.html to sign up for classes.  To review the courses that will be offered in computer science, please visit the Fall 2016 CS Course Schedule.
3. All PHD students ARE REQUIRED to register for CS 591 PHD for fall 2016 term!  This is the required orientation seminar for all new PHD students.

Number of Minimum Credit Hours to Register for Fall 2015 Term

• RA or TA Assistantship Appointment only - 8 credit hours
• Full (tuition-waiver generating) Fellowship only - 12 credit hours
• Combined RA or TA Assistantship Appointment + Full (tuition-waiver generating) Fellowship - 8 credit hours
• Combined RA or TA Assistantship Appointment + Partial Fellowship - 8 credit hours

Note:  For PHD students who are required to register for 12 credit hours, we highly recommend that you sign up for a 4 credit hour CS 597, Independent Study, with a faculty member that you may want to have as a thesis advisor. 

Recommended Courses by Research Area for 1st Semester PHD Grads

Here are the courses being offered in fall 2016 by research area.  Please note that you are not required to take all courses listed under each area.  This is just a list of courses to choose from based on your research interests.  

Architecture, Compilers, and Parallel Computing

• CS 426 - Compiler Construction
• CS 431 - Embedded Systems
• CS 433 - Computer System Organization
• CS 483 - Applied Parallel Programming
• CS 598 Special Topics (choose one with a professor you may be interested in working with and/or a course of interest)

Artificial Intelligence

• CS 440 - Artificial Intelligence
• CS 446 - Machine Learning
• CS 548 - Models of Cognitive Processes
• CS 549 - Seminar in Cognitive Science
• CS 598 Special Topics (choose one with a professor you may be interested in working with and/or a course of interest)

Database and Information Systems

• CS 411 - Database Systems
• CS 412 - Introduction to Data Mining
• CS 598 Special Topics (choose one with a professor you may be interested in working with with and/or a course of interest)

Graphics and HCI

• CS 418 - Interactive Computer Graphics
• CS 465 - User Interface Design
• CS 519 - Scientific Visualization

PL-FM-SE

• CS 421 - Programming Languages & Compilers
• CS 427 - Software Engineering I
• CS 476 - Program Verification
• CS 477 - Formal Software Development Methods
• CS 527 - Topics in Software Engineering
• CS 598 Special Topics (choose one with a professor you may be interested in working with with and/or a course of interest)

Scientific Computing

• CS 450 - Numerical Analysis
• CS 556 - Iterative & Multigrid Methods
• CS 598 Special Topics (choose one with a professor you may be interested in working with with and/or a course of interest)

Systems and Networking

• CS 424 - Real Time Systems
• CS 425 - Distributed Systems
• CS 438 - Communication Networks
• CS 439 - Wireless Networks
• CS 461 - Computer Security I
• CS 523 - Advanced Operating Systems
• CS 541 - Computer Systems Analysis
• CS 563 - Advanced Computer Security
• CS 598 Special Topics (choose one with a professor you may be interested in working with with and/or a course of interest)

Theory and Algorithms

• CS 571 - Combinatorial Mathematics
• CS 575 - Methods of Combinatorics