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Ph.D. in Imaging Science: Curriculum and Requirements
The Ph.D. curriculum offers students a thorough course
of study and research, structured and directed by experts
in the field. Graduates of the program will contribute
to an increase in the fundamental body of knowledge
associated with Imaging Science. They will acquire the
capabilities, skills, and experience to continue to
expand the limits of the discipline, and to meet future
scholarly, industrial, and government demands on the field.
The course of study involves approximately two years of course work
beyond the baccalaureate and a research-based thesis. The curriculum
includes a required ("core") 7-course sequence (see below) designed to
provide a fundamental understanding of the physical, electro-optical,
mathematical, computational, and statistical foundations of Imaging
Science that are necessary to understand, analyze, and optimize imaging
systems. Integrated into these core courses are laboratory experiments
intended to provide hands-on experience and a common framework for
describing and understanding various imaging systems.
Graduate elective
courses offered by the Center for Imaging Science (and other RIT
academic departments in fields closely allied with imaging science)
permit
concentration in a range of imaging science research and imaging
application areas, including electro-optical imaging, digital image
processing, color science, perception and vision, electrophotography,
lithography, remote sensing, medical diagnostic imaging, electronic
printing, and machine vision.
Graduates of the program must:
- successfully complete 99 quarter credit hours of core and elective courses and research credits;
- define a study plan in close consultation with their faculty advisor that has a range of 60 to 72 course credits and a range of 27 to 39 research credits to achieve the 99 credit total;
- be resident at RIT as a full time student for at least 3 consecutive quarters;
- pass a series of written and oral examinations intended to
demonstrate a solid grasp of the foundation
disciplines of Imaging Science and the capability to extend the
field in new directions; and
- complete an acceptable dissertation under the supervision of the research advisor and
dissertation committee.
Each student's course work requirements are defined by a study
plan defined in consultation with the student's research advisor and
the Graduate Coordinator, and must include the completion of the core
sequences, plus at least two three-quarter sequences in topical areas.
Some examples of topical areas are: remote sensing, digital image
processing, digital graphics, electro-optical imaging systems, medical
imaging, astronomical imaging, and microlithographic imaging technologies.
Students may take a maximum of 16 course credits in other departments. Of the 27 to 39 credits of research, 3 credits are associated
with the Imaging Science seminar course (1051-706, 707, 708). There is
a maximum of 9 research credits per quarter.
Students with a master of science degree in a related field (e.g.,
physics, chemistry, or electrical or computer engineering) may be
granted up to 36 quarter credits toward the doctoral degree in imaging
science based on their earlier studies. These credits may be granted
after successful completion of the comprehensive examination and
approval of their study plan. The required research credits may not be
waived by experience or examination.
Admission requirements
Because imaging science encompasses a wide variety of scientific
disciplines, students with diverse backgrounds are accepted into the
program. Undergraduate preparation leading to a bachelor of science
degree in engineering, computer science, applied mathematics, or one of
the natural sciences is usually required, but exceptional students from
other fields may be accepted. All students admitted to the doctoral
program in imaging science must have completed courses in the following
areas:
- Calculus
- University physics (one year)
- Modern physics
- Computer language
Admissions decisions are made by a committee comprised of graduate
faculty of the Center for Imaging Science. To be admitted, students
must have a record of academic achievement from their undergraduate
institutions, as indicated by official transcripts; demonstrate
proficiency on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); and request
letters of recommendation from two people well-qualified to judge their
abilities for graduate study.
Assistantships and Financial Assistance
Graduate assistantships and tuition remission scholarships are
available to qualified students. These students typically are funded as
Graduate Teaching Assistants during their first year, and as Research
Assistants thereafter. The stipend for a newly accepted student
is currently $15,000. The amount increases to $15,500 upon
passing the written comprehensive exam and to $16,000 upon
advancement to candidacy.
Prorated Summer quarter support is generally available once a student
has begun work with a research advisor.
Applicants seeking financial assistance from the Center must have all application
documents submitted to the Office of Graduate Enrollment Services by
January 15 for the next academic year. Students whose native language
is not English must demonstrate proficiency in English, as evidenced,
for example, by a minimum TOEFL score of 600 (paper based), 250
(computer based) or 100 (Internet based). Students whose native
language is not English are advised to obtain as high a TOEFL score as
possible if they wish to apply for a teaching or research
assistantship. These candidates are also encouraged to take the TSE-A
(Test of Spoken English), in order to be considered for financial
assistance.
Further Information
For more information on Imaging Science graduate program requirements,
policies, and procedures, as well as capsule course descriptions and
tables of key events during study for the PhD in Imaging Science,
please see the Graduate Handbook.
| Imaging Science Core Courses |
| Course Number |
Class Name |
Credit Hours |
| 1051-706,707,708 |
Imaging Science Seminar |
3**
|
| 1051-716 |
Fourier Methods for Imaging |
4
|
| 1051-718 |
Digital Imaging Mathematics |
4 |
| 1051-719 |
Radiometry |
4 |
| 1051-720 |
The Human Visual System |
4 |
| 1051-733 |
Optics |
4 |
| 1051-713 |
Probability, Noise, and System Modeling |
4 |
| 1051-782 |
Digital Image Processing |
4 |
**The Imaging Science Seminar sequence counts toward the student's required 27 to 39 credit hours of Ph.D. research.
Example Tracks
(NOTE: other PhD tracks, such as Digital Imaging, Color Science and Astronomical Imaging, are also available, but are under revision due to
recent changes to the core curriculum)
| Remote Sensing Track |
| Course Number |
Course Name |
Credit Hours |
| 1051-719 |
Radiometry (a core course) |
4 |
| 1051-761 |
Remote Sensing: Sensors and Radiometric Image Analysis |
4 |
| 1051-762 |
Remote Sensing: Spectral Image Analysis |
4 |
| Recommended Remote Sensing Electives:
Multivariate Statistics, Spectral Methods and Instrumentation, Radar Remote
Sensing, Photogrammetry, Pattern Recognition. |
| Medical Imaging Track |
| Course Number |
Course Name |
Credit Hours |
| 1051-730(1014-730) |
MRI |
4 |
| 1051-753 |
Ultrasonic Imaging |
4 |
| 1051-797 |
Principles of Computed Tomography Imaging |
4 |
| Recommended Medical Imaging Electives: Information
Theory, 1051-784 DIP: Pattern Recognition, 1051-TBD Imaging with
Wavelet Transforms, 1014-747 Principles of Magnetic Resonance; and
0301-710 Advanced Electromagnetic Theory |
| Detectors Track |
| Course Number |
Course Name |
Credit Hours |
| 1051-739 |
Principles of Solid State Imaging |
4 |
| 1051-728 |
Design and Fabrication of a Solid State Imaging Camera |
4 |
| 1051-742 |
Testing of Focal Plane Arrays |
4 |
| Nanoimaging Track |
| Course Number |
Course Name |
Credit Hours |
| 1051-724 |
Introduction to Light, Electron, and Scanning Probe Microscopy |
4 |
| 1051-743 |
Fundamentals of Radiation-Matter Interactions |
4 |
| 1051-7xx |
Nanoscale Science and Technology of Imaging Systems |
4 |
Click
here for the official RIT bulletin description of
the Ph.D. Imaging Science program.
Additional Information on the Ph.D. Program
Advancement to candidacy
Advancement to Ph.D. candidacy proceeds through the following steps.
- Advisor selection
- Submission and approval of preliminary study plan
- Passing a written comprehensive exam
- Study plan revision based on outcome of comprehensive exam and adviser recommendation
- Research committee appointment
- Candidacy exam based on thesis proposal
If the faculty decision, following the comprehensive exam, is not to
permit the candidate to continue in the doctoral track, the advisor and
graduate coordinator will counsel the student about options, including
pursuit of an MS degree. If the faculty decision is to permit the
candidate to continue in the doctoral track then the program continues
with study plan revision, research committee appointment,
candidacy/proposal exam, and, finally, dissertation defense.
Research committee
By the end of the quarter following admission to candidacy, the
student, in consultation with the advisor, must present a request to
the graduate coordinator for the appointment of a research committee.
The committee will include the advisor, one member of the faculty, a
person competent in the field of research, and an external chair. The
external chair must be a tenured member of the RIT faculty who is not a
faculty member of the Center, and is appointed by the Dean. The
research committee will supervise the student´s research,
including review of the research proposal, meeting with the student
during the course of the research, and conducting the dissertation
defense.
Research proposal
The student and the research adviser select a research topic for
the dissertation. The proposed research must be original and
publishable. Although the topic may deal with any aspect of imaging,
the research is usually concentrated in an area of current interest
within the center. The research proposal must be presented to and
approved by the student's Ph.D. research committee at least six months
prior to the dissertation defense.
Residency
All students in the program must spend at least three consecutive
quarters (summer quarter excluded) as resident full-time students to be
eligible to receive the doctoral degree. A full-time academic workload
is defined as a minimum of nine academic credits per quarter or an
equivalent amount of research, as certified by the graduate
coordinator.
Time limitations
All candidates for a doctoral degree must maintain continuous
enrollment during the research phase of the program. Such enrollment is
not limited by the maximum number of research credits that apply to the
degree. Normally, full-time students complete the course of study for
the doctorate in approximately three to five years. A total of seven
years is allowed to complete the requirements after admission to
candidacy.
Exceptions to residency requirement and time limitations
If circumstances warrant, the residency requirement may be waived
via petition to the graduate coordinator, who will decide on the
student's petition in consultation with the adviser and graduate
faculty. The request must be submitted at least nine months prior to
the thesis defense. The time limitation may only be waived via petition
to the Dean and Graduate Council.
Final examination of the dissertation
The Research Advisor, on behalf of the student and the student's Research Committee must notify the Graduate Coordinator of the scheduling of the final examination of the dissertation by forwarding to the Graduate Coordinator the title and abstract of the dissertation and the scheduled date, time, and location of the examination. The final examination of the dissertation may not be scheduled within six months of the date on which the student passed the candidacy exam (at which the thesis proposal was presented and approved).
Barring exceptional circumstances (requiring permission from the Graduate Coordinator), the examination may not be scheduled sooner than four weeks after formal announcement (i.e. Center-wide hallway postings and email broadcast) has been made concerning the dissertation title and abstract and the defense date, time, and location.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 29 February 2008 )
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