During their first two years in the PhD program, students must receive a "Quals Pass" (B+ or better) in three core qual courses - one each from I, II, and III - and a fourth "Quals Pass" in a course from any on the core or elective list.
| Core Qual Courses | ||
| I | COMPSCI 531 | Introduction to Algorithms |
| COMPSCI 534 * | Computational Complexity | |
| II | COMPSCI 516 ** | Data Intensive Computer Systems |
| COMPSCI 550 | Advanced Computer Architecture | |
| III | COMPSCI 520 | Numerical Analysis |
| COMPSCI 570 | Artificial Intelligence | |
| Elective Qual Courses | ||
| COMPSCI 512 | Distributed Information Systems | |
| COMPSCI 514 | Computer Networks | |
| COMPSCI 516 | Data Intensive Computer Systems | |
| COMPSCI 527 | Computer Vision | |
| COMPSCI 554 | Fault Tolerant and Testable Computing | |
| COMPSCI 555 | Probability for Electrical and Computer Engineers | |
| COMPSCI 671 | Machine Learning | |
**Course COMPSCI 516 will replace COMPSCI 510 as a Core Qual Course in Fall 2019. COMPSCI 510 will not be offered in Spring 2020.
Qualifying Exams - Spring Semester
The courses listed below will have a qualifying exam offered prior to the start of the spring semester. Students interested in taking one or more of these exams should register by January 1, 2019.
| Monday January 7, 2019 9am-12noon LSRC D106 |
Monday January 7, 2019 2:00-5:00 pm LSRC D106 |
Tuesday January 8, 2019 2:00-5:00 pm LSRC D106 |
| COMPSCI 510 Operating Systems |
COMPSCI 520 Numerical Analysis |
COMPSCI 534 * |
| Syllabus | Syllabus | Syllabus |
*Course COMPSCI 534 is ONLY offered every other Spring. It is not offered in Spring 2020, and will be offered again in Spring 2021. The Qual Exam is offered every Spring.
Qualifying Exams - Fall Semester
The courses listed below will have a qualifying exam offered prior to the start of the fall 2018 semester. Students interested in taking one or more of these exams should register by Wednesday, August 15, 2018.
| Monday August 19, 2018 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon LSRC D106 |
Wednesday August 21, 2018 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon LSRC D106 |
Thursday August 22, 2018 2:00 - 5:00 PM LSRC D106 |
| COMPSCI 531 Algorithms John Reif |
COMPSCI 570 Artificial Intelligence Ron Parr |
COMPSCI 550 Architecture Alvin Lebeck |
| Syllabus | Syllabus | Syllabus |
To register for a qual exam, send an email to gpc at cs.duke.edu. For more details on the qual requirement, see the Qualification Requirement section of the Computer Science PhD Degree Requirements.