Boise State University’s Computing Ph.D. program provides students with a unique educational environment that brings together faculty from different programs and departments on campus. The broad range of expertise within our faculty allows us to achieve our mission, which is to train the next generation of computing researchers. Our graduates will develop solutions to complex problems in every sector of society from traditional science and engineering domains to critical areas such as national security, public health and economic innovation.
What makes us unique?
Students choose one of four emphasis areas and focus their coursework and research on their area of interest while receiving guidance from faculty with specialized expertise. The interdisciplinary nature of our program allows students to utilize the expertise, experiences and widespread support of supervisory committee members across our entire campus and broader academic community. View our directory of participating faculty.
What are students doing to prepare for their careers after graduation?
Computing Ph.D. students frequently have internships, publish papers, and present at conferences while completing their degrees. See what our students are accomplishing.
Prestigious fellowships have been awarded to Computing Ph.D. students to pursue their research:
Idaho National Lab Graduate Fellowship
NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium Graduate Fellowship
Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST)
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
Joint Fire Science Program Graduate Research Innovation Award
What are students doing after they graduate?
Graduates of our program have gone on to work in industry, higher education, national labs, and government agencies. View our alumni directory.
Program History and Quick Facts
- The program began in the Fall of 2016 with five students and three emphasis areas: Computer Science, Computational Math, Science and Engineering, and Cybersecurity.
- In 2018 the Idaho State Board of Education approved the addition of the Data Science emphasis.
- In 2019 Samer Khamaiseh was the first student to defend his dissertation.
- As of Fall 2024, there are 75 students enrolled in the program working under the supervision of faculty in the following departments:
I Chose Boise State Because There is a Diverse Community of Students
My adviser…is an organized, wise and trusted counselor or teacher who always keeps track of my research progress and motivates me to attend conferences to expand my research. She also encourages me to read articles and discuss passages from those papers with me. As a mentor, she is someone who is always in a student’s corner. I chose Boise State because there is a diverse community of students, free fun events on campus for students, and helpful faculty members.
-Amrina Ferdous, Ph.D. Student with an Emphasis in Data Science