Doctor of Computer Science
The Doctor of Computer Science program at Colorado Technical University is the terminal degree for computer science professionals, consultants and academics. The program encourages students to think and act strategically and facilitates in developing the ability to predict future trends and make positive contributions in their area of technical expertise.
Program Outcomes
- Perform research that advances the field of computer science.
- Effectively communicate technical material to non-technical decision makers.
- Develop a software process improvement plan for an organization.
- Design, test and implement an experiment, reporting on the results.
- Evaluate established and emerging security systems.
- Predict future trends and developments based on data and research.
Each year of the DCS program is designed to provide candidates with the theoretical, research and application capabilities necessary to pursue a successful career in their chosen field. The organization of each year is described below.
Year 1: The Foundation
Year one focuses on the software engineering process: analysis, design, simulation and modeling. This research will result in a broad overview of computer science and enable the use of simulation and modeling skills to produce an experimental design.
Year 2: Acquisition of Knowledge
Once the foundation is in place, year two is where the student begins to form a personal understanding of the advanced research and methods used in the specialized area of study. The focus of research will be in database systems, software usability and new developments in computer science. Projects in year two include the preparation of an industry white paper and a proposal for research to be carried out in the third year.
Year 3: Leadership and Professional Advancement
The final year of the program involves developing metrics and risk analysis programs, exploration of high level design issues, evaluation of methods of maintaining security in distributed systems, and anticipating and planning for the future. The deliverable in year three is an applied research project to be submitted to an academic journal.
The DCS program includes twelve 5-credit classes, one per term for three years. These are taught using the Professional Learning Model™ in an executive format. Each combines an active online component with an intensive residential session, lasting four days at our Colorado Springs campus. These are graded classes, and you must maintain an average of 3.3 out of a possible 4.0 in these classes.
There are also 12 Research and Writing courses that produce six publishable projects during the program. These are independent study with the assistance of a faculty mentor. Each project must receive a grade of "satisfactory" in order to complete the degree.
Doctorate of Computer Science Course List
|
Course |
Title |
Hours |
|
CS800
|
Processes, Methods & Environments |
5 |
|
CS801
|
Research and Writing I |
3 |
|
CS805
|
Experimental Design/Analysis |
5 |
|
CS806
|
Research and Writing II |
3 |
|
CS810
|
Simulation & Modeling Techniques |
5 |
|
CS811
|
Research and Writing III
|
3 |
|
CS815
|
Foundations in Computer Science |
5 |
|
CS816
|
Research and Writing IV |
3 |
|
CS820
|
Usability and Interaction |
5 |
|
CS821
|
Research and Writing V |
3 |
|
CS825
|
Advanced Topics - Database Systems |
5 |
|
CS826
|
Research and Writing VI |
3 |
|
CS831
|
Research and Writing VII |
3 |
|
CS836
|
Research and Writing VIII |
3 |
|
CS837
|
Requirements Engineering |
5 |
|
CS838
|
Concurrent and Distributed Systems |
5 |
|
CS840
|
System Metrics and Risk Analysis |
5 |
|
CS841
|
Research and Writing IX |
3 |
|
CS845
|
Software Architecture & Design |
5 |
|
CS846
|
Research and Writing X |
3 |
|
CS850
|
Networking and Security |
5 |
|
CS851
|
Research and Writing XI |
3 |
|
CS855
|
Socio-Technical Futuring |
5 |
|
CS856
|
Research and Writing XII |
3 |
|
|
|
|
View all degrees available in the School of Information Technology