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Computer Science

Doctorate
What is the Ph.D. in Computer Science?
Who is this Program For?
How Do You Apply?
What Will You Study?
Why Study Computer Science at Tufts?
What Can You Do With a Ph.D. in Computer Science?
Frequently Asked Questions
Apply Request Info
Application Deadlines
Fall: Applications received after Jan 15 will be considered only if space is available.
Spring: Sep 15
Summer: n/a
School/Department
Computer Science
Contact
gradadmissions@tufts.edu
Location
Medford/Somerville
Format
On-campus
Commitment Options
Full-time
Part-time (Daytime)
Average Duration
3 -5 years
Credits
Varies

Overview

What is the Ph.D. in Computer Science?

The Ph.D. in Computer Science at Tufts University is a research-focused doctoral program for students who want to advance knowledge in computing and apply computer science to complex problems across disciplines. Students work with faculty advisors and dissertation committees to conduct original research and publicly defend a doctoral dissertation.

Offered through the Department of Computer Science, the program is available on campus in Medford/Somerville. Full-time and part-time study options are available, and the average duration is 3–5 years.

 Who is this Program For?

This program is designed for students pursuing advanced research in computer science and related interdisciplinary fields. Applicants should be prepared for rigorous doctoral study involving independent research, coursework, seminars, teaching, and dissertation work.

The program may be a strong fit for students interested in core and emerging areas of computing, from algorithms, AI, cybersecurity, and data science to HCI, robotics, systems, computational biology, visualization, graphics, and computing for social impact.
 

Application Requirements

  • Application Fee
  • Resume/CV
  • Personal Statement
  • Transcripts
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Official GRE scores (if applicable)
    • GRE General Test scores not required for applicants who will have received a degree from an institution located in the U.S. or Canada by time of enrollment. GRE scores required for all other applicants.
  • Official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo test scores (if applicable)
    • Competitive scores for the Department of Computer Science are below:
      • TOEFL Total: 100 (Reading 26, Listening 26, Writing 22, Speaking 25)
      • IELTS Total: 7.5 (minimum of 7.0 for each subscore)
      • Duolingo Total: 120 (Literacy 125, Conversation 120, Comprehension 135, Production 105)
  • Portfolio (optional)

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 What Will You Study?

Doctoral study in computer science combines advanced coursework, research preparation, teaching experience, and independent dissertation research. Students work with a dissertation supervisor and faculty committee to plan a program of research aligned with their academic and professional goals.

Ph.D. requirements include 60 SHUs, core competence, seminar participation, at least one semester of teaching assistance, a qualifying exam with a research presentation and oral exam, a thesis prospectus, dissertation committee review, dissertation research, and a public dissertation defense.

Current research areas include:

  • Algorithms and theory
  • Artificial intelligence and machine learning
  • Bioinformatics, computational biology, and cognitive science
  • Cybersecurity policy
  • Data science
  • Human-computer interaction
  • Networked systems and technologies for social impact
  • Distributed, cloud, AI, social impact, and high-performance systems
  • Programming languages
  • Robotics and human-robot interaction
  • Software systems development
  • Visualization and graphics

About the Department of Computer Science

The Department of Computer Science at Tufts University supports research and graduate education across foundational, applied, and interdisciplinary areas of computing.

Faculty research connects computer science with fields across engineering, medicine, the sciences, humanities, and human development. The department’s work spans core and emerging areas of computing, including intelligent systems, data science, cybersecurity policy, human-centered technology, robotics, software and networked systems, computational biology, visualization, and graphics.

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 Why Study Computer Science at Tufts?

 

Interdisciplinary Research

Computer science research at Tufts often bridges departments and schools across the university. Doctoral students may pursue research that connects computing with engineering, medicine, biomedical science, data science, human behavior, robotics, systems, visualization, or social impact.

Faculty Mentorship

Doctoral candidates plan a program of research under the direction of a dissertation supervisor and with guidance from a faculty committee. This structure helps students develop research independence while receiving sustained mentorship throughout the Ph.D..

Computing for Social Good

The Department of Computer Science emphasizes computing across disciplines that reflect real-world needs. Students may explore how computing can support advances in health, security, accessibility, education, robotics, data-driven discovery, and socially meaningful technologies.
 

Boston-Area Location

Tufts’ Medford/Somerville campus places students near the technology, research, healthcare, startup, and innovation communities of Greater Boston and Cambridge. This location can support professional connections, research exposure, and access to a broader computing ecosystem.

 What Can You Do With a Ph.D. in Computer Science?

A Ph.D. in Computer Science can support advanced research, teaching, technical leadership, and innovation-focused career paths. Graduates may pursue opportunities across academia, industry research, technology, government laboratories, healthcare technology, robotics, cybersecurity, AI, data science, and software systems. 

Potential paths may include:

  • University faculty member or postdoctoral researcher
  • Computer science, AI/ML, data science, or research scientist
  • Cybersecurity, HCI, robotics, systems, or software systems researcher
  • Computational biology, bioinformatics, visualization, or graphics researcher
  • Technology startup founder or technical leader

 

What is the Career Outlook?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment for computer and information research scientists is projected to grow 20% from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations. The median annual wage for computer and information research scientists was $140,910 in May 2024.

 Frequently Asked Questions

 

Is the GRE required?

GRE General Test scores are not required for applicants who will have received a degree from an institution located in the U.S. or Canada by the time of enrollment. GRE scores are required for all other applicants.
 

Are scholarships or financial aid available?

Full-time PhD students within the School of Engineering often receive a tuition scholarship. Applicants should review current tuition and aid information and contact gradadmissions@tufts.edu with questions. 

Does Tufts host information sessions and campus tours?

Yes. Prospective students can explore admissions events, virtual tour options, and campus visit information through Tufts Graduate Admissions.
 

How do I apply?

Applicants can apply online through Tufts Graduate Admissions Portal. Required materials typically include transcripts, a resume or CV, letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose. International applicants may also need to submit English proficiency documentation. Visit the admissions page for current deadlines and application requirements. 

Faculty

faculty photo

Jeffrey Foster

Professor and Chair of Computer Science
Computer Science
Programming languages, software engineering, security
faculty photo

Marty Allen

Teaching Professor
Computer Science
Artificial intelligence, machine learning, reinforcement learning.
faculty photo

Megumi Ando

Minnie McNeal Kenny Assistant Professor
Computer Science
faculty photo

Johes Bater

Assistant Professor
Computer Science
privacy-preserving analytics, federated databases, differential privacy, private data sharing, secure computation, database performance, data science, trustworthy database systems
faculty photo

Ankit Bhardwaj

Assistant Professor
Computer Science
low-latency and highly scalable datacenter systems
faculty photo

Remco Chang

Professor
Computer Science
Data visualization, visual analytics, human-computer interaction, databases, computer graphics
faculty photo

Ming Chow

Teaching Professor
Computer Science
cyber security
faculty photo

Alva Couch

Associate Professor
Computer Science
data science, software systems engineering, performance analysis, system, network, and data management
faculty photo

Lenore Cowen

Professor
Computer Science
computational molecular biology, data science, graph algorithms, network science, discrete mathematics
faculty photo

Ethan Danahy

Research Associate Professor
Center for Engineering Education Outreach
design, implementation, and evaluation of different educational technologies
faculty photo

J.P. de Ruiter

Professor of Psychology and Computer Science
Psychology
Cognition and Psycholinguistics
faculty photo

Fahad Dogar

Associate Professor
Computer Science
Improving performance and reliability of networked systems, specifically cloud-based systems, mobile and wireless systems, and the Internet. Also, interested in designing technologies for developing regions.
faculty photo

Karen Edwards

Assistant Teaching Professor
Computer Science
low-dimensional geometric topology
faculty photo

Soha Hassoun

Professor
Computer Science
Machine Learning for Systems Biology; Metabolic Engineering, computer-aided design for integrated circuits
faculty photo

Michael Hughes

Wittich Family Assistant Professor
Computer Science
Machine learning : probabilistic models, Bayesian inference, variational methods, time-series analysis, semi-supervised learning Clinical informatics : electronic health record analysis
faculty photo

Robert Jacob

Professor
Computer Science
human-computer interaction, new interaction modes and techniques, implicit brain-computer interfaces, user interface software
faculty photo

Milod Kazerounian

Assistant Teaching Professor
Computer Science
programming languages, type systems, dynamic languages
faculty photo

Susan Landau

Professor in Cybersecurity and Policy
Computer Science
Cybersecurity policy, Privacy, Communications Surveillance
faculty photo

Dave Lillethun

Assistant Teaching Professor
Computer Science
computer science education, distributed systems, operating systems, networked systems, software development, secure systems and networking
faculty photo

Liping Liu

Associate Professor
Computer Science
Machine Learning, Data Science, Deep Learning, Generative Models, Time Series, Graph Learning
faculty photo

Saeed Mehraban

Assistant Professor
Computer Science
Quantum computational complexity, Continuous variable systems, Quantum Pseudorandomness
faculty photo

Noah Mendelsohn

Professor of the Practice
Computer Science
distributed systems, operating systems, World Wide Web
faculty photo

Megan Monroe

Associate Teaching Professor
Computer Science
data, visualization, language
faculty photo

Abani Patra

Center Director for Data Science of TIAI, Professor of Computer Science and Math
Computer Science
computational sciences, data driven modeling
faculty photo

Vladimir Podolskii

Associate Professor
Computer Science
Computational complexity, logical foundations of computer science, tropical geometry
faculty photo

Raja Sambasivan

Ankur and Mari Sahu Assistant Professor
Computer Science
Cloud computing, evolvability, debugging distributed systems.
faculty photo

Matthias Scheutz

Karol Family Applied Technology Professor
Computer Science
Artificial intelligence, artificial life, cognitive modeling, foundations of cognitive science, human-robot interaction, multi-scale agent-based models, natural language understanding.
faculty photo

Mark Sheldon

Teaching Professor
Computer Science
programming languages, software systems, concurrency, distributed information systems
faculty photo

Elaine Short

Assistant Professor
Computer Science
human-robot interaction, accessibility, robotics, human-in-the-loop machine learning, assistive technology Applying human-centered design and disability community values to the development, deployment, and evaluation of AI and machine learning for robotics, including: human-centered human-in-the-loop machine learning; disability-friendly assistive robotics; autonomous HRI in groups, public spaces, and other human-human contexts; and accessibility and disability inclusion in robotics education and the computing research community.
faculty photo

Jivko Sinapov

Associate Professor
Computer Science
Artificial Intelligence, Developmental Robotics, Computational Perception, Robotic Manipulation, Machine Learning, Human-Robot and Human-Computer Interaction
faculty photo

Donna Slonim

Professor
Computer Science
data science, algorithms for analysis of biological networks, gene and pathway regulation in human development, algorithms for precision medicine, computational approaches to pharmacogenomics and drug discovery or repositioning
faculty photo

Diane Souvaine

Professor
Computer Science
computational geometry, design and analysis of algorithms, computational complexity
faculty photo

Richard Townsend

Associate Teaching Professor
Computer Science
functional languages, compilers for embedded systems, program analysis and optimization, embedded domain-specific languages
faculty photo

Daniel Votipka

Lin Family Assistant Professor
Computer Science
computer security and privacy, secure development, security professionals, human-computer interaction, mobile security

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