The CSE research proficiency exam paper consists of a paper and a presentation. It is part of the requirement for advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree.
Attendance at the presentations is open to CSE faculty and matriculated students only.
The purpose of the proficiency exam is to give the faculty an opportunity to assess the potential of the student to undertake independent research, including the ability to present research results in written and oral forms.
Evaluation Guidelines
In evaluating a paper, the faculty will consider both form and content. The paper should follow recognized style conventions for scholarly papers and be clear, grammatically correct and well-organized. It should display depth in the chosen research topic and give detailed arguments in support of the conclusions.
The faculty will consider four main factors in evaluating the papers:
- understanding of previous work in an area;
- identifying an unsolved problem in that area;
- presenting a feasible approach to the problem; and
- where practicable, presenting initial research results.
For the talk, the target audience is a computer science faculty member who may not be an expert in the area of the paper. In evaluating the oral presentation, the faculty will consider preparation, appropriateness of materials, delivery, and handling of questions.
A student must demonstrate enough understanding of the area to identify, perhaps with their advisor's guidance, an interesting problem and possible path to solution. While a student is not necessarily expected to solve the problem, initial results are always strong evidence of the feasibility of an approach. A paper that simply surveys a research area is not appropriate.
Abstracts
Abstracts should be no longer than 250 words. A good abstract describes the problem addressed, the methodology used and the results obtained. It should capture the full impact of the paper. Abstracts are due the third Friday of Spring Quarter. Please send an electronic version of the abstract to the academic coordinator.
Written Papers
Written papers should be approximately 20 pages, double-spaced, 11 point type. Written papers are due no later than the sixth Monday of Spring Quarter, at noon. Please deliver a hard copy to the Academic Coordinator.
Oral Presentations
Oral presentation should be timed to take 30 minutes. The talks will be scheduled one hour apart, so there will be ample time for questions. Expect to spend substantial amounts of time answering questions. Presentations will be given the seventh Thursday and Friday of Spring Quarter. Remember that most members of the audience will not be familiar with your subject. It usually is a good idea to include one or two introductory transparencies covering background and the problem statement.
Oral presentations should be rehearsed for timing and effective delivery. A good rule of thumb is to allow three minutes per transparency. Transparencies should be uncluttered, with at most 10-15 lines and LARGE, LEGIBLE (size in the range of 20, 24, 28, and 32) type. A good test for the legibility of a transparency is to place the transparency on the floor, stand up, and check to see if you can read it comfortably. (See a CSE office assistant for transparencies when needed.)
Evaluation Process
A committee of four faculty members will be assigned to read each paper and to attend the talk. It is possible that more than these four faculty will read the paper, and probable that more than the four will attend the talk. The evaluation of the student is open to all the faculty and the decision as to whether the student advances to candidacy is a decision of the faculty as a whole.
