University Catalog 2026-2027

Computer Science (PhD)

Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhD)

Core Courses12
Select four courses - two from each category - within "Core Courses" listed below
Required Courses13
Computer Science Graduate Orientation
Doctoral Preliminary Exam
CSC 700-level Courses (two or more)
Elective / Research Courses47
"Elective / Research Courses" are approved in conjunction with the academic committee
Total Hours72

Core Courses 

Select four courses with two from each category12
Theory Category
CSC 503Computational Applied Logic3
CSC 505Design and Analysis Of Algorithms3
CSC 512Compiler Construction3
CSC 514Foundations of Cryptography3
CSC 565Graph Theory3
CSC 579Introduction to Computer Performance Modeling3
CSC 580Numerical Analysis I3
CSC 707Automata, Languages and Computability Theory3
Systems Category
CSC 501Operating Systems Principles3
CSC 506Architecture Of Parallel Computers3
CSC 510Software Engineering3
CSC 520Artificial Intelligence I3
or CSC 720 Artificial Intelligence II
CSC 540Database Management Concepts and Systems3
CSC 561Principles of Computer Graphics3
CSC 570Computer Networks3
or CSC 573 Internet Protocols
CSC 574Computer and Network Security3

Faculty

Department Head

  • Georgios N. Rouskas, Interim Department Head and Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor

Distinguished Professors

  • Tiffany M. Barnes
  • Laurie A. Williams, Goodnight Distinguished University Professor in Security Sciences and Co-Director - NCSU Science of Security Lablet

Distinguished University Professor

  • James C. Lester II, Goodnight Distinguished University Professor in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning and Director of the Center for Educational Informatics

Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor

  • Georgios N. Rouskas, Interim Department Head
  • Munindar P. Singh, SAS Institute Distinguished Professor of Computer Science and Co- Director - NCSU Science of Security Lablet

Full Professor

  • Min Chi
  • Rada Y. Chirkova
  • Rudra Dutta, Associate Department Head
  • William H. Enck, Goodnight Distinguished Professor in Security Sciences and Director of Wolfpack Security & Privacy Research (WSPR) Laboratory
  • Edward F. Gehringer
  • Xiaohui (Helen) Gu
  • Christopher G. Healey, Goodnight Distinguished Professor Analytics, Institute for Advanced Analytics
  • Steffen Heber, Director of Graduate Programs
  • Noboru Matsuda
  • Timothy J. Menzies
  • R. Frank Mueller
  • David L. Roberts, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Programs
  • Matthias F. M. Stallmann
  • R. Raju Vatsavai

Associate Professors

  • Wesley K. G. Assunção
  • Justin Bradley
  • Marcelo d'Amorim
  • Anupam Das
  • Zhishan Guo
  • Khaled Harfoush
  • Arnav H. Jhala
  • Alexandros Kapravelos
  • Sandeep K. Kuttal
  • Jianqing Liu
  • Collin F. Lynch
  • Kemafor Anyanwu Ogan
  • Thomason W. Price
  • Sharath Kumar Raghvendra
  • Bradley G. Reaves
  • Muhammad Shahzad
  • Donald R. Sheehy
  • Kathryn T. Stolee
  • Sharma Vallin Thankachan
  • Benjamin A. Watson
  • Wujie Wen
  • Ruozhou Yu

Assistant Professors

  • Bita Akram
  • Veronica M. Cateté
  • Peng Gao
  • Qiao (Georgie) Jin
  • Jung -Eun Kim
  • Chin Ho Lee
  • Huining Li
  • Jiajia Li
  • Xiaorui Liu
  • Yuchen Liu
  • Aditi Mallavarapu
  • John-Paul Ore
  • Dominik Wermke
  • Bowen Xu
  • Chenhan Xu
  • Dongkuan (DK) Xu
  • Man Ki Yoon

Teaching Professors

  • Tzvetlina (Lina) Battestilli
  • Sarah S. Heckman, Director of Undergraduate Programs
  • Jessica Y. Schmidt

Teaching Associate Professors

  • Ignacio X. Dominguez
  • Jamie A Jennings
  • Shuyin Jiao
  • Jason T. King
  • Chandrika Satyavolu
  • David B. Sturgill
  • Kimberly J. Titus

Teaching Assistant Professors

  • Abida Haque
  • Alexander Card
  • Adam Gaweda
  • Sterling M. McLeod

Lecturers

  • Aimee Allard
  • Margaret Heil, Director of Senior Design Center
  • ToniAnn Marini, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Advising

Director

  • Leslie Rand-Pickett, Interim Director of External & Corporate Relations

Emeritus Faculty

  • Dennis R. Bahler
  • Wu-show Chou
  • Edward W. Davis, Jr.
  • Jon Doyle
  • Robert J. Fornaro
  • Thomas L. Honeycutt
  • David F. McAllister
  • Harry Perros
  • Douglas S. Reeves
  • Woodrow Robbins
  • Gregory E. Rothermel
  • Carla D. Savage
  • William J. Stewart
  • Alan L. Tharp
  • David J. Thuente
  • Mladen A. Vouk

Adjunct Faculty

  • Aldo Dagnino
  • Christopher Parnin
  • Injong Rhee
  • Xipeng Shen