Current Student FAQs

Graduate students in the College of Computing and in associated interdisciplinary programs (including CSE) will receive a survey link before registration the previous semester that will allow submission of CoC course preferences. New students will receive the link shortly before the beginning of the semester. The College of Computing graduate registration page has more information.  

I am not a graduate student in the College of Computing and am not enrolled in a CoC-associated interdisciplinary program. How do I get a permit for a College of Computing course?

The College of Computing graduate registration page is updated each semester and has the most current registration information.   

Descriptions for all courses, including special topics courses, are available at the CSE Courses and Descriptions page. 

Plans for the 2024-2025 academic year are as follows: 

CSE 6140 Algorithms- Fall 2024; possibly Spring 2025. 

CSE 6220 High Performance Computing- Fall 2024 and Spring 2025. 

CSE 6643 Numerical Linear Algebra (cross-listed with MATH 6643)- Spring (limited availability in Fall). 

CSE 6730 Modeling and Simulation- Fall and Spring . 

CSE 6740 Computational Data Analysis (cross-listed with ISYE 6740)- Fall and Spring. 

M.S. students: If you are a full-time student, you must register for at least 12 credits. At least 9 credits (6 credits for summer) must be taken on a graded basis (letter grade or pass/fail). The remaining credits may be taken on an audit basis (audit mode in a regular course or assistantship courses, such as CSE 8997 for GTAs working in courses taught by School of CSE faculty or CSE 8998 for GRAs working with School of CSE faculty, or their equivalents in other Schools). Students receiving a GTA or GRA position must register as full-time students with at least 12 credits as described. International students also must register as full-time students unless approved for a credit reduction by International Student and Scholar Services. 

Ph.D. students: If you are a full-time student, which is necessary if you have a GRA or GTA position, you must register for at least 12 credits. At least 9 credits (6 credits for summer) must be taken on a graded basis (letter grade or pass/fail); the remaining credits may be taken on an audit basis. We recommend that you register for at least 15 credits, including credits associated with your research (CSE 8999 or 9000, which are pass/fail courses, or the equivalent in your home unit) and possibly GRA (CSE 8998 or equivalent) or GTA (CSE 8997 or equivalent) positions (both audit-only courses; we recommend a maximum of 3 hours total). According to Georgia Tech recommendations for PhD student enrollment, if you have passed the qualifying exam fully, you should register for 18 hours of CSE 9000 (or the equivalent in your unit) with your advisor. If taking a course or serving as a GTA while taking CSE 9000, reduce the number of credits for CSE 9000 by the number of course or GTA credits. 

Can I register for courses on a different campus (e.g. Video or Online campus)?

Please use the CSE permit request form to submit your request and be patient! All forms submitted will be processed prior to the end of registration. 

How do I get a permit for CSE 8903?

Please use the CSE permit request form to submit your request. Note that both of these courses are audit-only, so at most 3 hours can be used to count toward the 12 hours needed for full-time students.

All Georgia Tech students must accept a Financial Responsibility Agreement. This is a University System of Georgia requirement. Students will not be able to move forward with registration until this agreement has been initialed. Please see the Clear Financial Responsibility Agreement page for instructions on how to remove the hold. 

M.S. Students: by the end of your first semester. 

Ph.D. Students: after you successfully pass the qualifying exam. 

See the CSE Program Forms page;  complete all forms using DocuSign as instructed. 

Review the CSE Graduate Student Handbook. If you have additional questions, email cse-advisor@cc.gatech.edu.

Can I include a course with a C grade on my program of study?

The CSE Student Handbook lists courses that have been pre-approved as application and computation specialization courses, but these lists are not exhaustive. Students wishing to take courses not on these lists should consult with their home unit. In all cases, the proposed program of study must be approved by the CSE home unit coordinator and the CSE program director.  

It may be possible to do so. Please contact the home unit to which you wish to transfer for further information about the transfer process for that unit. 

Contact cse-advisor@cc.gatech.edu for any courses you wish to transfer as a substitute for a CSE core course. For all other courses, contact your home unit coordinator. Note that Georgia Tech allows a maximum of six credits to be transferred, and only graduate courses not used to satisfy the requirements for a previously earned degree are eligible. All transfer credit must be approved during the first semester of matriculation. 

What Responsible Conduct of Research training is required of me?

Your Degree Works account will be updated after you apply for graduation as part of the degree audit process, typically 4-8 weeks into the semester. If you have applied for graduation and your Degree Works account has not been updated by that time, contact your home unit to find out when they will complete the degree audit process. 

Review the Graduate Student handbook for your program; links for the CSE, CS, and ML programs are available with Current Student Resources. If you have additional questions, email cse-advisor@cc.gatech.edu.

Yes.  You will need to satisfy the requirements of the master’s degree program, which may be easier for some degree programs than others. Please contact cse-advisor@cc.gatech.edu or your home unit for more information.

How do I transfer credits to use toward my Georgia Tech Ph.D. degree?

The announcement template email is provided below. Please send your announcement at least 1 week in advance to cse-advisor@cc.gatech.edu, phd-coc-announce@cc.gatech.edu, faculty@cc.gatech.edu, and scse-phd@cc.gatech.edu. 

CC: your full committee 
Subject: CSE (or CS or ML) Ph.D. Thesis (or Proposal) Announcement 
Title: 
Date: 
Time: 
Location: 
Name: 
School of: 
College of: 
Georgia Institute of Technology 
Your website: 
Committee: 
Abstract: 

It is not mandatory; however, if you want to register for it, follow the instructions listed above under Courses and Registration in this FAQ. 

All Ph.D. students in the College of Computing should register for TA training courses. You should take the course in the same semester as your TA.

1st TA-ship - CETL 8000 - COC (Graduate Teaching Assistant Preparation) 

2nd TA-ship - CETL 8801 - COC 

You can find more information about the courses at https://www.ctl.gatech.edu/grad-students/teaching-assistants. 

M.S. Students: Complete the College of Computing application when it is released sent mid-semester for opportunities the following semester. The survey will be sent to cse-ms@cc.gatech.edu. 

Ph.D. students: You may also complete the survey, but please also check with your advisor and home unit about opportunities.

Contact the professor(s) with whom you are interested in working to check the availability of such a position. 

Please contact the payroll department at https://hr.gatech.edu/payroll.

All students: Complete the Online Application for Graduation for Graduate Students (generally due by the end of the first week of the semester you intend to graduate; see the https://registrar.gatech.edu/calendar/academic calendar for the specific date). After submitting the graduation application, you may be added to a self-guided Canvas site provided by the Office of Graduate Education to provide further information. 

Also, check your Degree Works account for any missing requirements and work with your home unit coordinator to have everything submitted in a timely manner. Note that your specialization courses may only be updated during the degree audit process. 

M.S. CSE students: Make sure your approved program of study is up to date by the time registration finishes. 

Ph.D. students: Make sure all requirements have been satisfied except your dissertation and defense. 

There are three options. If there are no funding limitations and the thesis will be submitted by the deadline (see the academic calendar), registering as a full-time student as in a typical semester is a good option.  

Another option is to register for 1 hour of doctoral thesis hours in the final semester. Students who do so are not full-time and therefore will not receive a tuition waiver or be paid as a GTA or GRA. They must pay the 1 hour of tuition and fees, but they may be hired as a Graduate Assistant (GA) by their advisor and paid hourly, pending advisor and department approvals. The 1-credit-hour option may be used only once. Note that students who are US citizens are ineligible for student health insurance if they are registered for less than 4 credit hours; they should contact STAMPS Health Services and consider their options before using this option.  

For students who barely missed the final thesis submission deadline for their target graduating semester, enrollment waiver is a good option. Students must have successfully defended and submitted their thesis before the enrollment waiver deadline (see the academic calendar); nevertheless, they must stay 'on the books' at Georgia Tech in order to graduate the following semester, even though they may not be on campus during the semester. The enrollment waiver allows a student to stay 'on the books' without registering for any hours or paying any fees. To use the Enrollment Waiver, complete the Enrollment Waiver Form. Note that all thesis-related forms must be completed and submitted for the enrollment waiver to be approved. Students can use the enrollment waiver only once while at Georgia Tech. Note: International students should contact OIE via istart if registering for less than full-time to request an academic reduced course load.  

If none of these options seems to fit, students should discuss their case with the Registrar's Office. 

I am a Ph.D. candidate. What do I need to submit to complete my degree?

Please check Georgia Tech's Commencement page for updated information about the graduation ceremonies.

The College of Computing maintains a list that covers many important topics for Admitted Graduate Students. Students in other units may find the list useful as well, but may need to locate some unit-specific information. 

I don’t think I’m on the right CSE mailing list. Which mailing list is right for me and how do I request to be added?

Please see guidelines for the Graduate Internship Program, including information for international students. Submit the DocuSign form, with your offer letter with job description attached, to your home unit’s program coordinator or academic advisor (for the School of CSE, please list Iris Hamilton). Please discuss in advance if you will be a GTA or GRA during the internship semester. 

To ensure you receive up-to-date information in compliance with immigration law, please contact the International Student and Scholar Services within the Office of International Education.

All policies are available in the Georgia Tech Policy Library.