Students who are awarded financial aid must maintain satisfactory academic progress with satisfa­ctory performance of assistantship duties (when applicable)­. Satisfactory ac­ademic progress includes registering for a minimum of 9 graduate-level credits each Fall and Spring semester, and maintaining a minimum 3.0 GPA.

To maintain satisfactory academic progress beyond the first year, those students entering with a bachelor’s degree are expected to take and pass the PhD Preliminary Examination after no more than three semesters of study. Students entering with an MS degree in Computer  Science (or a related area) are expected to take and pass the PhD Preliminary Examination after one semester of study.

Students who enter the program with a bachelor’s degree are normally supported up to two years for the MS degree, or up to five years for the PhD degree. Students entering with a master’s degree are normally supported up to three years. Students who receive financial aid midway in their studies should speak to the CIS Graduate Program Committee Chair regarding their expected length of support.