PHD MS Along the way.xml

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<concept id="phd-ms-along-the-way">

  <title>MS Along the Way</title>
  <shortdesc></shortdesc>

  <prolog>
    <author type="creator">Graduate Program Committee</author>
    <copyright>
      <copyryear year="2014"/>
      <copyrholder>CS Department</copyrholder>
    </copyright>
  </prolog>
  <conbody>

    <p>Successful completion of an M.S. degree in computer science is not a pre-requisite to register as a Ph.D. student at Virginia Tech. Upon entering the graduate program, students are classified as M.S. or Ph.D. based on their stated degree objective. </p>

    <p>Students on a Ph.D. track can opt to obtain an M.S. during their course of study, i.e., “along the way”. They may use either the coursework or thesis option. PhD students who have completed the PhD Qualifier Process and who have a valid Plan of Study that satisfies the PhD requirements quite possibly have all the requirements for the MS Coursework.  Nevertheless, if a student has cleared the PhD Qualifier Process and has a valid PhD Plan of Study on file, the courses on that PhD plan of study can be used to fulfill the MS Coursework degree requirements. Note however, that each degree requires its own Plan of Study, a second plan of study must be filed for the MS degree. Almost all of the credits in the PhD plan of study can be used for the MS degree. Check with the GC for more specific details.</p>
  </conbody>
</concept>