University at Buffalo (UB)
Computational and Data-Enabled Sciences PhD
The integration of large computing and big data is essential to tackle the urgent research problems in fields ranging from multi-scale modeling and design of materials to natural disasters, smart electric grids, and medical technologies.
We train scientists to analyze big data and multisource datasets to solve these grand challenges, by bringing together the talents of faculty across several departments including the Departments of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Math, Physics, and Chemistry.
The Computational and Data-Enabled Science PhD program is an interdisciplinary PhD program that integrates the core areas of data science, numerical algorithms, and high-performance computing toward research and discovery building on a graduate student’s domain science/discipline. Graduate students attending the program are required to have a Master’s degree, which provides the foundation on which the PhD program builds. This foundational Master’s work can be in various disciplines, including but not limited to engineering, mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, business, and pharmacy. The program aims for a 3-year timeline to completion.
Program Director
Sarah Muldoon
208 Mathematics Building
smuldoon@buffalo.edu
(716) 645-8774
- Master's degree in related field including but not limited to: engineering, mathematics, business, marketing, pharmacy
- 3 Letters of recommendation
- GRE scores
- GPA of 3.0 or better from your bachelor's degree courses
- Proof of English language proficiency (for international applicants only)
- TOEFL (IBT): minimum score 79
- TOEFL (PBT): minimum score 550
- IELTS: minimum score 6.5 (with no sub-score below 6.0)
- PTE Academic: minimum score 55 (with no subsection score below 50)
- Scores must be less than 2 years old
Application Deadlines
We accept applications on a rolling basis throughout the year, but encourage all prospective students to submit their applications by the deadlines noted below.
Fall enrollment:
Apply by February 1
Detailed information on what to include in your online application packet is outlined below.
All domestic and international students must apply online. Please note that the online application process will require you to upload supporting documents.
A nonrefundable fee of $85 is required to apply. You may pay the application fee online with a credit card or e-check.
Copies of transcript(s) for all post-secondary schoolwork must be uploaded with the online application for initial review. Upon an offer of admission, accepted applicants will be required to submit official transcripts and proof of degree(s).
Three letters of recommendation are required to apply to this program. Letters are to be requested through the online application by providing the names and email addresses of recommenders. While we will accept letters from professional sources, we strongly prefer letters from professors who are acquainted with your academic interests, achievements, and abilities.
As part of the application, the IAD requires a statement of purpose briefly describing your background and your academic and career goals.
To be considered for financial aid, you must have at least a combined verbal and quantitative score of 300 on the aptitude test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). We typically place more emphasis on the quantitative section, looking for candidates that score in the 80th percentile or above.
It is university policy that all PhD applicants provide GRE scores. Arrangements to take the exam can be made through the Educational Testing Service.
Note: the University at Buffalo Institutional Code is 2925.
International applicants are required to provide proof of English proficiency via the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score, International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score, or Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic). All applicants whose native language is not English will be required to provide proof of English proficiency. Please use Institution Code 2925 to provide your scores to us.
The University at Buffalo has the following minimum admission requirements for these tests:
- Minimum TOEFL score: 79 internet-based test, 550 paper-based test. A competitive TOEFL score (internet-based test) is at least 90.
- Minimum IELTS score: 6.5 (with no individual sub-score below a 6.0)
- Minimum PTE score: 55 (with no individual sub-score below a 50)
The exam results must be dated within 2 years from your proposed date of admission and remain valid upon entering the term for which you applied. For example, Fall 2020 begins in August 2020; therefore, your exam results must be valid until August 2020.
Information and arrangements to take the exam can be made by contacting the Educational Testing Service. It is strongly recommended to make test arrangements early in the year so sufficient time can be allowed for the results to be reported before our application deadline.
Fill out the International Applicant Financial Form. You will need to fill out the form labeled "Standard Graduate" for the appropriate academic year. The Financial Form and supporting bank documents may be uploaded to your application after an admissions decision has been made.
All international applicants must submit a completed financial statement. Answer all questions thoroughly. An I-20 cannot be issued without this statement documenting the necessary funds for each year of intended study (five years for a PhD program).
Please note that original financial documents must be brought to the school in person upon arrival at UB orientation.
Please do not mail application materials. All items should be submitted electronically with your online application. Please login to the Application Management System frequently to ensure that all of their supporting documents have been received.
The PhD program requires a minimum of 72 credit hours. Additional requirements include passing qualifying exams and preparing your dissertation. Students should refer to the student milestones section of the website to review more about the process of making academic progress as a PhD student.
When you first start our program, you will be assigned an advisor. In the first semester you should select your dissertation committee. Then, you will decide on a research topic and submit a short proposal that articulates your topic and its relationship to the computational and data sciences field. This technical report must be completed no later than the end of the second semester.
We want each dissertation committee to reflect the intellectual diversity of our program. Because of this, the committee:
- should not have more than 1 core member and 1 additional member with primary academic affiliation in the same department
- must have core members that are CDSE affiliated faculty
A minimum of 9 credits hours from the approved list of core classes must be taken in each area. One category must have 12 credit hours completed. The core course requirements total 30 credits, with a minimum GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale. Courses taken during your master's program may be transferred and used toward this requirement, with the approval of your dissertation committee and the Graduate Director. We strongly suggest you finish this coursework within the first two years of the program.
The classes below are a list of pre-approved courses that can be taken for each respective category. Students are not limited to these courses, and can work with their primary advisor to identify classes that meet each category requirement. The pre-approved courses should serve as a starting point to help with ideas on what to take!
Data Science
CSE 574: Intro Machine Learning
STA 521: Intro Theoretical Statistics 1
STA 522: Intro Theoretical Statistics 2
STA 534: Design of Experiments
STA 567: Bayesian Statistics
Applied Numerical Mathematics
MTH 537: Introduction to Numerical Analysis 1
MTH 538: Introduction to Numerical Analysis 2
MTH 539: Method of Applied Math 1
MTH 540: Method of Applied Math 2
MTH 550: Network Theory
MTH 555: Introduction to Complex Systems
MGF 636: Complex Fin Instruments
MAE 702 Seminar: Applied Functional Analysis
High Performance and Data Intensive Computing
MTH 548: Data-Oriented Computing for Mathematicians
CSE 570: Introduction to Parallel and Distributed Processing
CSE 587: Data Intensive Computing
CDA 609: High Performance Computing 1
CDA 610: High Performance Computing 2
Have questions or want to learn more?
For degree-specific questions, please contact the graduate coordinator at cdsedept@buffalo.edu.
For admissions-related questions, please contact gradeng@buffalo.edu