Ph.D. Program Coordinator: Prof. Khaled Elleithy

Tech Building, Room 229
Fax. (203) 576-4765
Tel. (203) 576-4703
Email: elleithy@bridgeport.edu

---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ph.D Program Home

Ph.D. Program Introduction

   The much anticipated opening of a new Ph.D. program in Computer Science and Engineering will usher in a new era at the University of Bridgeport ?and for engineering and computing professionals throughout the region. The program is currently accepting applica¬tions for its inaugural class this fall. Nine years in the planning, it was licensed by the Board of Governors of Connecticut’s Department of Education in June 2005.
   “Ours will be the first engineering Ph.D. program in Fairfield County, and the only one in Connecticut, that will accommodate the scheduling needs of part-time students by making all coursework available in the evening,?reports Dr. Tarek Sobh, dean of the School of Engineering. This flexibility is expected to be especially appealing to engineers and computing professionals working in corporations and industry in Fairfield and Westchester counties.


Depth and Breadth

   As Dr. Sobh notes, a Ph.D. program that combines computer science and computer engineering is unusual. “Our program will offer depth and breadth in both disciplines,?he says. Other unique characteristics include the program’s teaching and publishing requirements.
   Recognizing that many of its grad¬uates will pursue academic careers, the program requires all students to teach two courses. “The teaching practicum is an important component,?Dr. Sobh says. “Most Ph.D.s in this field is not prepared to teach, and this experience will give our students an edge as they compete for faculty positions.?
   Similarly, the requirement that all students have research articles accepted for publication prior to graduation will demonstrate to prospective employers that they know how to write for scholarly publications, Dr. Sobh says. The requirement is for two articles in high-level refereed journals or one journal and two confer¬ence articles.
   Another highly relevant requirement for all Ph.D. stu¬dents calls for two coursesin global technology management.


Long and Distinguished History

   The largest graduate engi¬neering program in Connecticut across all disciplines, the University of Bridgeport has amassed a long and dis¬tinguished history in computer science and engineering since it began offering master’s degrees in 1970.
   Among other distinctions, two years ago the university was ranked second in the nation in the production of M.S. degrees in computer science for women and fourth for men and women combined. Both student and faculty research papers have won prestigious awards at professional engineering con¬ferences throughout the years. Strong affiliations with many area companies have led to varied internship and co-op opportunities. And graduates have gone on to research and development careers at many of the most distinguished com¬panies locally and nationally.
   The new Ph.D. program will build on this tradition of excellence.


Research Areas Available for Ph.D. Students

• Computer architecture and VLSI and FPGA
• Design, modeling and simulation of embedded and integrated systems
• Electromechanical systems prototyping and optimization
• Robotics, automation, machine perception and sensing
• Software engineering, Web development and computational sciences
• Systems and computer security and biometrics
• Wireless and mobile computing and networking