University of Texas at Austin

CSEM PhD Proposal Requirements

Every written PhD proposal in the Computational Science, Engineering, and Mathematics (CSEM) program must conform to the following set of requirements. The proposal must be set in 11- or 12-point font and conform to standard U.S. letter dimensions using one-inch margins. It must contain the following sections.

  • Title page: The title page must contain the title of the proposed work, the date of the proposal presentation, and the name of the student, the dissertation advisor, and committee members.
  • Proposal abstract: The two-page proposal abstract, as approved by the dissertation committee and the GSSC.
  • Description of the proposed work: The body of the proposal is not to exceed 20 pages. The student should incorporate the following elements:
    • A description of the technical background and context needed to understand the proposed work, including a survey of the relevant literature;
    • A statement of the objectives, significance, and originality of the work;
    • A statement of work completed to-date;
    • A description of the work yet to be completed, including a description of the methodology or approach to be used, where appropriate.
  • References: A list of references must appear, which contains items cited in the proposal and, optionally, other uncited references of a general nature related directly to the work.
  • CV: The student must include a one- to two-page CV of their professional career to-date. The CV should include a listing of all degrees earned, papers published or in preparation, technical talks or posters presented in a professional setting, and other relevant information.
  • Timeline: A timeline of the effort required to complete the proposed work should be given.
  • Appendices: At most 10 pages of additional material may be included as appendices. This material is to be supplemental in nature only, and the committee may or may not read it.

Effective Fall Semester 2021