The following information relates to procedures for current graduate students in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) to continue on for a Ph.D. after a Master's Degree, or to change degree programs.
If you are a current graduate student in our department, continuing on for a Ph.D. after a master's degree or changing degree programs requires a petition. Depending on what you desire, there are differences in terms of the required supporting documentation and in how the petition is processed. These procedures are described below.
In all cases, the petition and all the required supporting material should be submitted electronically to the departmental admission committee (grad-admissions@cse.tamu.edu). You will be notified by the admissions committee when the departmental committee has made a decision. If the petition is approved, then you should proceed to file the necessary petitions required by the Graduate and Professional School to change your degree objective.
Upgrades: Continuing on for a Ph.D. after a master's degree, changing from a master's program to a Ph.D. program, or from a non-thesis master's to a thesis master's program.
Continuing on for a Ph.D. after a master's, or changes from a coursework-only master's (MCS or MEN) to a thesis master's program (MS) or from a master's degree program (MCS, MEN, or MS) to a Ph.D. program will be handled by the graduate admissions and recruiting committee. The committee will evaluate the application as they do all other applications to that degree program.
Email your request for a degree "upgrade" to the graduate admissions office (grad-admissions@cse.tamu). The admissions office will communicate the committee's decision to you. Include the following information in the email:
- Your name.
- Your UIN.
- Current degree and the degree that you wish to upgrade to.
You will then receive an email with the instructions to request a degree change. The admissions office will communicate the decision to the student.
Downgrades: Changes from a Ph.D. program to a master's program, or from a thesis master's to a non-thesis master's program.
Changes from a Ph.D. program to a master's degree program, or from a thesis master's program (MS) to a coursework-only master's (MCS or MEN) will be handled by the Graduate Admissions and Recruiting Committee. You should be aware that petitions for such changes in degree objectives are normally granted only in exceptional cases. Also, you should understand that such petitions are rarely granted if you received financial support from the department in terms of an assistantship or a scholarship.
To request a degree "downgrade," send an email to the graduate admissions office (grad-admissions@cse.tamu.edu). The admissions office will communicate the committee's decision to you. Include the following information in the email:
- Your name.
- Your UIN.
- Current degree and the degree to which you wish to downgrade.
You will then receive an email with the instructions to request a degree change.
Note: If the reason you wish to change is that you could not find an advisor, then the committee will want to know that you put in a good faith effort to find an advisor. You should describe this in the statement. A supporting letter of recommendation from the potential advisor detailing the work that has been done is needed as well. Note that faculty members are advised to refrain from sending a letter of recommendation unless they have worked with the student.
Updated January 8, 2009