Thesis Proposal Process
All committees require approval and the committee list with full names and affiliations must be sent to CSD PhD Support as soon as the student and their advisor determine who they want to comprise the committee, but no later than two weeks prior to your intended talk date, so it can be confirmed.
Please remember that all committee members are required to attend your thesis proposal and at least two thesis committee members (the Chair and one additional member) must be physically present.
Forming your thesis committee
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The Doctoral Thesis Committee should have a minimum of 4 members, which includes the Chair, and must consist of:
- at least one tenure- or research-track CSD faculty
- two additional members of SCS tenure- or research-track faculty and/or approved faculty within Carnegie Mellon
- at least one external committee member
The thesis advisor should be tenure-track faculty unless otherwise approved.
We use "External" to denote an expert outside of CMU, however, experts within CMU can be allowed under special circumstances.
The committee should include only tenure-track and research-track faculty unless the faculty member is explicitly named on the Approved List. In particular, faculty outside SCS with courtesy appointments and other tracks do not apply, unless that faculty member is named on the Approved List.
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This list includes core Computer Science Department faculty who are able to serve on thesis committees.
Approved CSD Faculty for Thesis Committees Name Research Area(s) Umut Acar - Programming Languages
- Theory
- Algorithms and Complexity
David Andersen - Systems
- Databases
- Distributed Systems
- Networking
- Security
- Security and Privacy
Maria Balcan - Artificial Intelligence
- Machine Learning
- Theory
- Algorithms and Complexity
Stephanie Balzer - Programming Languages
- Pure and Applied Logic
- Software Verification
- Type Theory
- Security
- Security and Privacy
Nathan Beckmann - Systems
- Computer Architecture
- Data-Intensive and Cloud Computing
- Mobile and Pervasive Computing
- Operating Systems
- Performance Modeling & Analysis
Guy Blelloch - Programming Languages
- Theory
- Algorithms and Complexity
Tianqi Chen - Machine Learning
- Artificial Intelligence
Vincent Conitzer - Artificial Intelligence
Keenan Crane - Graphics
Karl Crary - Programming Languages
- Security and Privacy
Tim Dettmers - Artificial Intelligence
- Machine Learning
Chris Donahue - Artificial Intelligence
- Machine Learning
Christos Faloutsos - Artificial Intelligence
- Machine Learning
- Systems
- Databases
- Distributed Systems
Matt Fredrikson - Programming Languages
- Formal Methods
- Security and Privacy
David Garlan - Programming Languages
- Security
- Formal Methods
- Mobile and Pervasive Computing
- Security and Privacy
- Software Engineering
Phillip Gibbons - Systems
Seth Goldstein - Programming Languages
- Systems
- Computer Architecture
- Distributed Systems
Mor Harchol-Balter - Systems
- Distributed Systems
- Networking
- Performance Modeling & Analysis
- Theory
- Algorithms and Complexity
- Applied Theory
Robert Harper - Programming Languages
- Formal Methods
- Pure and Applied Logic
- Software Engineering
- Type Theory
- Networking
- Security and Privacy
Marijn Heule - Programming Languages
- Formal Methods
- Pure and Applied Logic
Jessica Hodgins - Computational Neuroscience
- Graphics
- Robotics
Jan Hoffmann - Programming Languages
- Formal Methods
- Security and Privacy
Aayush Jain - Theory
- Cryptography
Zhihao Jia - Artificial Intelligence
- Systems
Aviral Kumar - Artificial Intelligence
- Machine Learning
- Robotics
William Kuszmaul - Theory
- Algorithms and Complexity
Tai-Sing Lee - Artificial Intelligence
- Computational Neuroscience
Jason Li - Theory
- Algorithms and Complexity
Minchen Li - Graphics
- Machine Learning
- Robotics
Yang Liu - Theory
- Algorithms and Complexity
Ruben Martins - Systems
Tom Mitchell - Artificial Intelligence
- Computational Neuroscience
- Machine Learning
Todd Mowry - Systems
- Computer Architecture
- Databases
Ryan O'Donnell - Theory
- Algorithms and Complexity
- Security and Privacy
Matthew O'Toole - Graphics
- Robotics
Bryan Parno - Cryptography
- Distributed Systems
- Formal Methods
- Operating Systems
- Programming Languages
- Security
- Security and Privacy
- Software Verification
- Systems
Jignesh Patel - Systems
- Data-Intensive and Cloud Computing
- Databases
Andrew Pavlo - Systems
- Data-Intensive and Cloud Computing
- Databases
- Distributed Systems
Richard Peng - Algorithms and Complexity
- Theory
Frank Pfenning - Formal Methods
- Programming Languages
- Pure and Applied Logic
- Security and Privacy
Nancy Pollard - Computational Neuroscience
- Graphics
- Robotics
Aditi Raghunathan - Artificial Intelligence
- Machine Learning
Feras Saad - Artificial Intelligence
- Programming Languages
- Theory
Tuomas Sandholm - Algorithms and Complexity
- Artificial Intelligence
- Game Theory
- Machine Learning
- Theory
Mahadev Satyanarayanan - Systems
- Mobile and Pervasive Computing
- Distributed Systems
- Security and Privacy
Srinivasan Seshan - Distributed Systems
- Mobile and Pervasive Computing
- Networking
- Systems
Nihar Shah - Artificial Intelligence
- Machine Learning
- Theory
Justine Sherry - Security
- Systems
- Data-Intensive and Cloud Computing
- Networking
- Security and Privacy
Reid Simmons - Artificial Intelligence
- Robotics
Dimitrios Skarlatos - Artificial Intelligence
- Systems
- Computer Architecture
- Operating Systems
- Security and Privacy
Danny Sleator - Algorithms and Complexity
- Theory
- Artificial Intelligence
Peter Steenkiste - Distributed Systems
- Mobile and Pervasive Computing
- Networking
- Security and Privacy
- Systems
David Touretzky - Artificial Intelligence
- Robotics
Rashmi Korlakai Vinayak - Systems
- Data-Intensive and Cloud Computing
- Distributed Systems
- Networking
- Theory
Weina Wang - Theory
- Algorithms and Complexity
- Machine Learning
- Performance Modeling & Analysis
David Woodruff - Algorithms and Complexity
- Machine Learning
- Theory
Wenting Zheng - Security
- Systems
- Cryptography
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Due to the sheer number of faculty in each department, and the fact that the faculty change periodically, we have only provided links to each department faculty directory for your reference.
Faculty must either be research or tenure track. Not all faculty listed in other SCS departments satisfy the requirements to serve on a thesis committee. You need to check with the Doctoral Programs Manager as specified in the PhD Handbook.
Computational Biology Department
Human-Computer Interaction Institute
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Faculty outside SCS and faculty tracks other than tenure or research do not qualify, unless that faculty member is named on this Approved List.
Suggested additions to the Approved List should be made by contacting the Department Head. A CSD faculty advocate is required for anyone wishing to be added to the list.
Approved Courtesy Faculty for Thesis Committees Name Department Research Areas Leman Akoglu Heinz College - Artificial Intelligence
Jonathan Aldrich Software And Societal Systems Department - Programming Languages
- Formal Methods
- Software Engineering
- Security
- Security and Privacy
George Amvrosiadis CIT - Electrical and Computer Engineering - Systems
- Data-Intensive and Cloud Computing
- Distributed Systems
- Operating Systems
- Scientific Computing
David Brumley CIT - Electrical and Computer Engineering - Formal Methods
- Security
- Cryptography
- Security and Privacy
- Systems
Randal Bryant Computer Science Department Beidi Chen CIT - Electrical and Computer Engineering - Systems
Giulia Fanti CIT - Electrical and Computer Engineering - Systems
- Networking
- Security and Privacy
Alan Frieze Mathematical Sciences Gregory Ganger CIT - Electrical and Computer Engineering - Systems
- Data-Intensive and Cloud Computing
- Distributed Systems
Virgil Gligor CIT - Electrical and Computer Engineering Limin Jia CIT - Electrical and Computer Engineering - Systems
Fatma Kilinc-Karzan Tepper School of Business Zico Kolter Machine Learning Department - Theory
- Artificial Intelligence
Swarun Kumar CIT - Electrical and Computer Engineering - Distributed Systems
- Mobile and Pervasive Computing
- Networking
- Systems
Golan Levin College of Fine Arts Brandon Lucia CIT - Electrical and Computer Engineering - Programming Languages
- Systems
- Computer Architecture
R. Ravi Tepper School of Business Russell Schwartz Computational Biology - Computational Biology
Vyas Sekar CIT - Electrical and Computer Engineering - Security
- Systems
- Networking
Mary Shaw Software And Societal Systems Department - Systems
- Software Engineering
Riad Wahby CIT - Electrical and Computer Engineering - Theory
Eric Xing Machine Learning Department - Artificial Intelligence
Jun-Yan Zhu Robotics Institute - Artificial Intelligence
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Faculty outside SCS and faculty tracks other than tenure or research do not qualify, unless that faculty member is named on this Approved List.
Suggested additions to the Approved List should be made by contacting the Department Head. A CSD faculty advocate is required for anyone wishing to be added to the list.
- Steve Awodey - Philosophy
- Jeremey Avigad - Philosophy
- Lujo Bauer - ECE/CyLab
- James Hoe - ECE
- Gauri Joshi - ECE
- Michael Kaminsky - CSD
- Raj Rajkumar - ECE
- Aswin Sankaranarayanan - ECE
- Alan Scheller-Wolf - Tepper
- Bradley Schmerl - ISR
Thesis Proposal Checklist
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Thesis proposals should be scheduled only during academic periods, before Doctoral Student Review Meetings (DSR) -- not during holidays, weekends, etc., and should be scheduled during normal business hours. Exceptions must be approved by the Doctoral Programs Director.
Before requesting to schedule your proposal presentation you should have already provided the full names and affiliations of your committee to CSD PhD Support to be confirmed.
- Check the CSD PhD Talks Scheduling Calendar and then work your thesis committee members to determine two or three possible dates.
- Email CSD PhD Support to request adding your talk to the schedule and to assure the day and time your committee agrees on isn't already requested for another thesis proposal or oral (no conflicts allowed). Confirmed requests may not show up immediately on the scheduling calendar.
- We will reserve an appropriate room and confirm your date and time.
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All committee members should receive a copy of your proposal document at least three weeks in advance of your talk date.
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- Once the date, time, and room are confirmed: AT LEAST 7 days ahead of the talk date, send the following items to CSD PhD Support:
- Name as you prefer it on public announcements (or to match name for diploma)
- Talk Title
- Date, Talk Start Time, and Room (for confirmation)
- Abstract (electronic text format) - 350 word maximum for use on the calendar listing and poster announcement of your talk.
- Names of thesis committee members. Indicate (Chair) or if appropriate (Co-chair). For external members please provide the affiliation fully spelled out such as (Microsoft Research), (Harvard University), etc.
- The URL of the thesis proposal document. You can provide this as CMU access only if necessary and it must be able to be downloaded by the program manager to file in your DSR record.
- Your Zoom link and the Live streaming form (HUB PDF form) if you will have remote audience attending. (form and link not needed if it is only committee attending remotely)
- Once the date, time, and room are confirmed: AT LEAST 7 days ahead of the talk date, send the following items to CSD PhD Support:
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The department does not record thesis proposal presentations.
- Please set up your own Zoom link for remote committee member(s).
- Once your advisor(s) join the Zoom you should make them co-host(s).
- A Live Streaming form is not needed if the only remote attendee(s) will be external thesis committee member(s).
You are welcome to have remote audience attend.
- The Live Streaming form is only needed if you will be allowing CMU community or external attendees to remotely attend your defense.
- Please fill out the form and have your advisor sign it.
- Send the form and your Zoom link to csd-phd-support@cs.cmu.edu along with your talk announcement information 7-10 days in advance of your talk. This way we know to include your Zoom link in the announcement.
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- Be sure you arrange time to check the A/V in the room and that you are comfortable setting up Zoom or other remote access for any external committee member who may not travel to attend in person or for streaming your talk.Talk length
- We allow 1.5 hours for presentation, question & answer, and committee processes.
- The proposal talk should be approximately 45-50 minutes, followed by questions from the committee, questions from the audience, private meeting of the committee and private meeting with the speaker.
- A 2.5 hour room reservation is usually scheduled, which includes set-up time and some "clean-up" time for wrap up for you and your committee.
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The Chair of your committee should send email to CSD PhD Support to confirm the committee has agreed the proposal was successful. The proposal will then be entered into the student record to complete that milestone.