Doctor of Computer Science
CTU’s Doctor of Computer Science degree program is designed to provide an in-depth study of specialized subjects related to computer science so that you can predict trends and, ultimately, make contributions in your area of expertise. Along with intensive research and writing projects, you will have the opportunity to explore high level design issues, evaluate methods of maintaining security in distributed systems, develop a software process improvement plan for an organization, and design, test and implement an experiment–including reporting on the results.
Specifically designed for computer science professionals, consultants, and academics, the online Doctorate in Computer Science program offers a core degree and concentrations in Big Data Analytics and Cybersecurity and Information Assurance.
The Doctor of Computer Science features:
- An online curriculum with a residency component
- Multiple start dates throughout the year
- An opportunity to complete the program in three years
- Dissertation development integrated into the program
- In-person symposium experiences
We're Flexible So You Can Be Too
At CTU, working-adult students come first. Our flexible online course schedule helps you to build a class schedule around your schedule. And with grants and scholarships available for those who qualify, a degree from CTU can be both achievable and affordable. Learn more below or fill out the form to speak with an admissions advisor.
Relevant Institutional/Programmatic Accreditation
CTU is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission www.hlcommission.org
CLASSES START
- October 26, 2021
- December 07, 2021
TOTAL CREDITS
PROGRAM AVAILABILITY
- Online
Program Details
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Total tuition for this degree program will vary depending on your educational needs, existing experience, and other factors.
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Program Overview
Effective February 2019, this program is no longer available for future enrollments at the Denver South campus.
The Doctor of Computer Science is a 100-credit-hour terminal degree in computer science. The program includes 40 credit hours of core management courses, 20 credit hours for elective courses, 4 credit hours of symposium-related courses, and 36 credit hours of doctoral research. The research element will culminate in a dissertation.
The Doctor of Computer Science program is a terminal degree for computer science professionals, consultants, and academics. The program encourages students to think and act strategically and demonstrate the ability to make positive contributions in their chosen area of technical expertise.
This program does not lead to additional licensure or certification. As such, CTU has made no determination regarding prerequisites for licensure or certification in any state or jurisdiction.
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Degree Requirements
Courses: Core
Credits
Electives: DCS students must complete ten 4-credit courses for these electives. These courses may be selected from any of those offered under DCS. Up to two of those electives may be chosen from the Doctor of Management program instead.Course Title Course Description Credit Hours CS814 Current Topics in Computer Science and Information Systems 4 CS875 Futuring and Innovation 4 RES804 Principles of Research Methods and Design 4 RES812 Qualitative Research Methods 4 RES814 Quantitative Research Methods 4 RES860 Doctoral Research I: Principles of Research and Writing 4 RES861 Doctoral Research II: Annotated Bibliography 4 RES862 Dissertation Research Process 4 RES863 Doctoral Research III: Dissertation Literature Review 4 RES864 Doctoral Research IV: Dissertation Methods 4 RES865 Doctoral Research V: Dissertation Introduction 4 RES866 Doctoral Research VI: Dissertation Findings 4 RES867 Doctoral Research VII: Dissertation Discussion and Conclusion 4 RES868 Doctoral Research VIII: Dissertation Conclusion 4 Select ten 4-credit courses from 800-level CS or EM or EIS courses 40 SYMP801 Doctoral Symposium I 2 SYMP802 Doctoral Symposium II 2 Total Credit Hours: 100 Total Credit Hours: 100
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Admission Requirements
Program Areas of Focus
The DCS program is designed to provide candidates with theoretical, research, and application capabilities in the field. The areas of focus are described below.
Foundations
The program provides a focus on computer science and information systems topics and an orientation to research and writing at the doctoral level. Coursework covers current topics in the disciplines as well as research methods and qualitative techniques. The research component results in a broad overview of the student’s area of concentration in order to put the research into context and inform the student’s selection of a research topic.
Acquisition of Knowledge
Once the foundations are in place, the focus is on student development of an in-depth understanding of the knowledge and research methods in his or her chosen area of study. While most of the focus is on developing a richer understanding of the discipline, the research courses include quantitative methods and the dissertation process.
Leadership and Professional Advancement
The program includes the two remaining concentration courses plus the final six doctoral research courses that are designed to help students to complete the research and dissertation.
Symposium
Doctoral programs at Colorado Technical University require a residential symposium. Additional information about CTU's doctoral symposium can be viewed in the Doctoral Symposium section of this catalog.
Graduation Requirements
In addition to the successful completion of the above 100 credits with an acceptable GPA, students must also satisfactorily complete their research proposal and final dissertation. The research proposal must be approved by the student’s Research Supervisor and University Reviewer. The dissertation, which must be approved by the student’s dissertation committee, is an extensive document that includes the research study. In addition, graduation requires presentation of the final dissertation.
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Next Steps
Program details are provided lower on the page.
