The ACO program is a joint venture of the College of Computing, the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and the School of Mathematics, with additional participation by the faculty of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The program is directed by a Coordinating Committee drawn from the participating faculty and representing all of the participating units. The program does not constitute an independent academic unit.
Each student in the program has a home department chosen from among the three sponsoring units.
Academic Requirements
Students must satisfy the Institute's requirements as described in the general catalog. However, specific requirements for the ACO program may vary significantly from those of other programs in the participating departments.
Regardless of the home department, each ACO student must complete the ACO core courses. At least 15 hours of course work beyond the program core must also be completed; some of these additional courses are specified by the student's home department. All required courses must be passed with a grade of B or better. Here is a list of past and current ACO-related courses. Other requirements include the minor field of study, passing the comprehensive examination, defending a research proposal, and successful defense of the dissertation. Currently enrolled ACO students should consult the FAQ page for more information and the page describing expected progress toward the PhD in ACO.
Graduate level courses taken at other institutions may be used to satisfy ACO course requirements with the approval of the Coordinating Committee. However, the Committee may request passing an examination in the subject before granting this approval.
