Computer Science

Graduate Program

Computer Science offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in computer science. The M.S. degree provides an intensive course of study in areas of faculty research interest. It provides the student with an excellent understanding of computer science that provides a solid foundation for many advanced jobs in the field.

The Ph.D. is granted to highly qualified students who have completed a rigorous course of study and research training, resulting in the preparation and defense of a dissertation describing original computer science research. The Ph.D. is the highest academic degree. It confers the right to be addressed as doctor and opens the door to rewarding and fulfilling careers in academia and industry.

The doctoral student will obtain a broad and deep graduate-level background in computer science, with particular depth in a chosen area of specialization. The student will engage in research from almost the beginning of the program and will receive extensive training in computer science research over the course of the program under the direction of a faculty advisor as well as other faculty on the five-member Ph.D. committee.

graduate coordinator

Terry Yoo

Associate Professor of Computer Science

Graduate Program Offerings

Computer Science M.S. Program

The M.S. degree is a program of graduate study that provides students with intensive preparation for advanced work and leadership in a variety of fields in computing.

Helping students without computer science experience enter careers in technology – The University of Maine accepts qualified students who do not have an undergraduate degree in computer science by providing them with a track to join the mainstream graduate program within one year of being admitted. Students are expected to have had at least one university-level programming course (with a minimum grade of B or better) when applying.

The Master of Science student will explore topics in computer science more deeply than before, extending their undergraduate education and acquiring skills and expertise to further their careers. Their studies will be conducted under the direction of a faculty advisor who will help guide the student. An M.S. student can finish their studies by preparing and defending a Master’s thesis, completing an applied Master’s project, or pursuing a course-only option. If the student chooses to write a Master’s thesis they will work closely with other faculty on their three-member M.S. Advisory Committee.

M.S. Program Requirements

The M.S. program totals 30 credit hours in an approved program of coursework. The credit hours are divided as follows:

Professional Communications in Computer Science (public speaking, professional writing, online resource development). These will be offered as two one-credit courses. (2 hours) (SIE 501, SIE 502)
Research Ethics (one credit hour seminar). (1 hour) (INT 601)
One graduate-level Computer Science Theory course. (3 hours)
Three graduate-level Computer Science breadth courses were selected from four Breadth categories (at least three categories must be selected). (9 hours)
- AI
- Systems
- Data and Information
- Applications
Two COS course electives (6 credit hours). This requirement represents formal COS or COS cross-listed courses at the 500 level or above and cannot be satisfied with research credits or independent study.
One additional elective course (3 credit hours) approved by the M.S. Advisory Committee, not limited to computer science, however, the course must be at the 400 level or above and cannot be satisfied with research credits or independent study.
Six additional credit hours:

EITHER

An M.S. thesis is usually a research effort executed under six (6) thesis research credit hours of COS 699.

An applied M.S. project executed under three (3) project credit hours of COS 599 and a COS course elective (3 credit hours) of a formal COS or COS cross-listed course at the 500 level or above (cannot be satisfied with research credits or independent study).

A course-only option: a COS course elective (3 credit hours) of a formal COS or COS cross-listed course at the 500 level or above (cannot be satisfied with research credits or independent study) and an elective course (3 credit hours) approved by the M.S. Advisory Committee, not limited to computer science, however, the course must be at the 400 level or above (cannot be satisfied with research credits or independent study).

Additions to the COS Graduate Curriculum

Courses without a COS designation may be added to the Computer Science (CS) graduate curriculum by the CS Graduate Faculty. To initiate a petition, a student must submit a letter to the CS Graduate Program Coordinator requesting the course be added to the CS graduate curriculum. The letter of request must be accompanied by the syllabus of the course in question. Additional suggested materials include a copy of a previous exam from the course, and a description of past projects and homework assignments.

The CS Graduate Program Committee will then review the petition and make its recommendation, and it can by a majority vote of the committee members bring the petition to the full Computer Science Graduate Faculty for a vote. The CS Graduate Faculty has the final authority on these matters. The CS Graduate Faculty can by a 2/3rds majority vote approve the requested course as partial fulfillment of the program requirements, including fulfilling the COS theory or the COS breadth (AI, Systems, Data and Information, or Applications) or the COS elective requirements.

If approved by a 2/3rds majority of the CS Graduate Faculty and unless otherwise stipulated by them, the requested course will then be accepted to fulfill one of the requirements for any student in the program as well as the petitioner. Notice of the acceptance will be publicized via relevant documents and websites pertaining to the CS Graduate Programs.

The CS Graduate Faculty may revisit decisions about courses so approved at any time with the manner of oversight to be determined, but no such decision will invalidate any credit or fulfillment of a requirement previously obtained by a student having taken the course.

Advisor and M.S. Advisory Committee

The Advisor and M.S. Advisory Committee are critical to the success of the M.S. student. It is normally the case that an Advisor will be a tenured/tenure-track faculty member from within COS. However, a qualified faculty member from outside of COS may serve as advisor under one of two circumstances:

The non-COS faculty advisor is approved by 2/3 vote of the COS tenured/tenure-track faculty.
A COS faculty member agrees to serve as a co-advisor for the student.

The M.S. Advisory Committee is composed of a minimum of three members of the graduate faculty, at least two of whom are from within COS. The M.S. committee should be chosen as early as possible in the student’s course of study. The student’s M.S. advisor chairs the student’s advisory committee. The advisory committee guides the student on course work and the thesis and serves as the examining committee for the student’s final thesis defense.

Program of Study

A program of study is planned by the student in consultation with their Advisor or M.S. Advisory Committee as early as possible. The program shall consist of an outline of courses to be passed and research to be undertaken. Students holding a Bachelor’s degree should submit the program of study within the first three semesters.

Transfer Credits

A Master of Science student can transfer no more than six (6) hours of credit for work taken beyond the bachelor’s degree at other institutions prior to being admitted to the program. The Computer Science Graduate Program Committee shall determine, on a case-by-case basis at the time of admission, the credits that will be transferred into the program and the course requirements such transfers will satisfy. Under no circumstances will research credits be transferred.

Other Policies

The Computer Science M.S. Program is inherently part of the UMaine Graduate School and is governed under its rules and policies. For the resolution of any policies, procedures, or rules not covered here, students and faculty are referred to the UMaine Graduate School Policies and Regulations.

CS Masters and PhD Curriculum-Table

The Ph.D. is granted to highly-qualified students who have completed a rigorous course of study and research training resulting in the preparation and defense of a dissertation describing original computer science research. The Ph.D. is the highest academic degree. It confers the right to be addressed as doctor and opens the door to rewarding and fulfilling careers in academia and industry.

The doctoral student will obtain a broad and deep graduate-level background in computer science, with particular depth in a chosen area of specialization. The student will receive extensive training in computer science research over the course of the program under the direction of a faculty advisor as well as other faculty on the five-member PhD committee.

Ph.D. Program Requirements

The Ph.D. program totals 40/43 credit hours in an approved program of course work. The credit hours are divided into two components as follows:

The Computer Science Primary Doctoral Curriculum includes:

Professional Communications in Computer Science (public speaking, professional writing, online resource development). These will be offered as three one-credit courses. (3 hours) (SIE 501, SIE 502, SIE 693)
Ethics (one credit hour seminar). (1 hour) (INT 601)
One graduate-level Computer Science Theory course. (3 hours)
Three graduate-level Computer Science breadth courses selected from four Breadth categories (at least three categories must be selected). (9 hours)
- AI
- Systems
- Data and Information
- Applications
EITHER:
2 COS course electives (6 credit hours) AND a COS Master’s Thesis. This requirement represents formal COS or COS cross-listed courses at the 500 level or above and cannot be satisfied with research credits or Independent study.

3 COS course electives (9 credit hours). This requirement represents formal COS or COS cross-listed courses at the 500 level or above and cannot be satisfied with research credits or Independent study.

The Computer Science Dissertation Doctoral Curriculum includes an additional:

2 Electives approved by the student’s Ph.D. committee. It is expected that these electives will be directly related to the Ph.D. dissertation research. (6 hours).
A minimum of 12 credit hours of Ph.D. research credits (COS 699).

Note that these are the minimum requirements, and the student’s Ph.D. committee may require additional course work deemed necessary for completion of dissertation research. https://umaine.edu/cs/graduate-degree-programs/?preview=true

Additions to the COS Graduate Curriculum

Advisor and Ph.D. Advisory Committee

The Advisor and Ph.D. Advisory Committee are critical to the success of the Ph.D. student. It is normally the case that an Advisor will be a tenured/tenure-track faculty member from within COS. However, a qualified faculty member from outside of COS may serve as an advisor under one of two circumstances:

The non-COS faculty advisor is approved by 2/3 vote of the COS tenured/tenure-track faculty.
A COS faculty member agrees to serve as a co-advisor for the student.

The Ph.D. (or Graduate) Advisory Committee is composed of a minimum of five members of the graduate faculty, at least three of whom are from within COS. The Ph.D. committee should be chosen as early as possible in the student’s course of study. The student’s thesis advisor chairs the student’s advisory committee. The advisory committee guides the student on course work and the thesis and serves as the examining committee for the student’s final dissertation defense.

Program of Study

A program of study is planned by the student in consultation with their Advisor or Ph.D. Advisory Committee as early as possible. The program shall consist of an outline of courses to be passed and research to be undertaken. Students holding a Bachelor’s degree should submit the program of study within the first three semesters and those holding a Master’s degree in computer science within the first year.

Progress toward the Dissertation Defense

The dissertation is a major written work that describes the student’s original, publishable contribution to the field of computer science research. The research is performed in close consultation with the student’s advisor and Ph.D. committee. There are three key points of interaction between the Ph.D. committee and the student.

Proposal defense and Oral Comprehensive Examination – First, somewhere between 1.5 and 2.5 years after entering the program, the student provides to the committee a written dissertation proposal describing the proposed research topic, the research performed to date, a complete review of relevant literature, and plans for carrying out the proposed research. The student’s proposal will then be subject to examination by the Ph.D. committee during an oral defense. This oral examination constitutes the student’s Ph.D. Comprehensive examination and the committee can pass the student, ask for modifications, or require a new proposal presentation (see Admission to Candidacy below).

Pre-defense – Next, the student will present a pre-defense presentation to the committee somewhere between 6 and 12 months before the final dissertation defense. It is expected that a draft of the thesis will be largely completed at this time.

The pre-defense dissertation presentation is an oral presentation and interview attended by the Ph.D. advisory committee and is not open to the public.

Dissertation Defense – The final interaction occurs at the student’s Ph.D. dissertation defense. The candidate will present their research and be subjected to cross-examination not only by their advisory committee but also by the members of the audience. The Ph.D. dissertation defense is open to the public.

The Ph.D. Advisory Committee will confer and vote in private on the results of the Ph.D. dissertation defense. At its discretion, the committee may also invite other non-voting members into the conference including but not limited to the COS Graduate Program Coordinator, members of the COS Graduate Program Committee, and the SCIS Director. For the candidate to successfully pass their examination, only one dissenting vote of the advisory committee is allowed. The Ph.D. Advisory Committee can pass the student, ask for modifications to the dissertation, or require a new presentation of the dissertation defense.

If the candidate should not pass their Ph.D. dissertation defense, they are permitted a second attempt of their Ph.D. dissertation defense no sooner than 3 months but not more than 1 year after the initial defense.

Admission to Candidacy

To be admitted to Ph.D. candidacy, the student must complete all required course work outlined in the Computer Science Primary Doctoral Curriculum and pass the Ph.D. proposal defense. As stated above, this oral examination constitutes the student’s Ph.D. Comprehensive examination, and will include both a review of the topic, groundwork and planning of the dissertation as well as an examination of the student’s preparation to embark on the proposed research program. The committee can pass the student, ask for modifications, or require a new proposal presentation.

The combined proposal defense and candidacy exam is an oral presentation and interview attended by the Ph.D. advisory committee and is not open to the public.

If the student should not pass their combined proposal defense and candidacy exam, they are permitted a second attempt at this Ph.D. Comprehensive examination no sooner than 3 months but not more than 1 year after the initial exam.

Transfer Credits

A student can transfer no more than 50% of the credits required for the Ph.D. for graduate work performed before being admitted to the program. The COS Graduate Program Committee shall determine, on a case-by-case basis, the credits that will be transferred into the program and the course requirements such transfers will satisfy. Under no circumstances will research credits be transferred.

Petitions

In order to request an exception to the limitation of two attempts at an oral examination or defense, or other rules outlined here, the student (or candidate) should petition the COS Graduate Program Committee by submitting a written explanation of their request to the COS Graduate Program Coordinator with justifications of why such an exception should be granted. The petition should be endorsed by at least three members of their Ph.D. Advisory committee.

Other Policies

The Computer Science Ph.D. Program is inherently part of the UMaine Graduate School and is governed under its rules and policies. For the resolution of any policies, procedures, or rules not covered here, students and faculty are referred to the UMaine Graduate School Policies and Regulations.

CS Masters and PhD Curriculum-Table

Accelerated MS-CS Programs

The School of Computing and Information Science, in conjunction with the University of Maine Graduate School, offers the opportunity for Computer Science majors to begin taking graduate courses during the second semester of their third year and during their final undergraduate year, double-counting up to nine (9) credits toward the BS and the MS. This program is listed as an CLAS Accelerated Program. Enterprising students will then be able to get a non-thesis MS by staying one extra year during which they will complete the remaining 21 credits required by the MS.

Admission Process:

Provisional Admission – Students must be provisionally admitted into the 4+1 non-thesis MS programs during their third year. To qualify for provisional admission, students must satisfy the following requirements:

Students have completed at least 60 but no more than 100 credit hours applicable towards graduation.
Students have an average GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Students are on the track to complete the following core courses by the end of the Fall semester of the third year:

COS125, COS135, COS140, COS225, COS226, COS235, COS250, and COS331, as well as the three required Math classes (MAT126, MAT127, and one of STS232, STS332, or STS434), the four required Science classes (a two-class sequence with a lab plus two others from AST, BIO, BMB, CHY, ERS, FES, SMS, PHY, or WLE), and the two required English classes (ENG101 and ENG317)

In the junior year, students must submit the following materials to the Computer Science Graduate Program Coordinator by November 15:

Undergraduate transcript (unofficial transcript is acceptable)
A completed application to the COS 4+1 program, including three letters of recommendation. CS4+1_application
A plan of study that leads to graduation within 15 months after receiving the BS degree (Students must work with the graduate coordinator and their undergraduate faculty advisor to develop this study plan).

The graduate committee will make decisions on provisional admission for each applicant by January 15. The Computer Science Graduate Program Committee will forward its admission recommendation directly to the Graduate School.

Final Admission and Matriculation

In the final undergraduate year, provisionally admitted students must submit the formal application to the Graduate School (including payment of the application fee) by January 15. While submission of GRE scores is optional for such students, the GRE is highly recommended if the students wish to be considered for assistantships or scholarships; however, because of concerns arising from the public health crisis that began in early 2020, this recommendation is currently waived for the academic years for 2021-2022 and 2022-2023.

Beginning in the Spring semester of the third year and continuing through their final undergraduate year, provisionally admitted students would take up to 9 credits toward the MS degree (required classes listed below). These courses would also count towards the BS degree (joint credits satisfying the two COS electives required of the BS), but must be part of the Master’s Program of Study.

Upon graduation with a BS degree, and with satisfactory performance in courses taken as an undergraduate (defined as 3.5 cumulative GPA and no grade below “B” in the courses to be double-counted for the MS degree), the student may be formally matriculated into the MS program. Students who meet these requirements must matriculate in their MS program within one semester/term after receiving their BS degree in order to use the joint credits.

To receive the degree of Master of Science in Computer Science, in years 4 and 5 the successful Computer Science 4+1 student is expected to complete any remaining requirements outlined in the UMaine Master of Science in Computer Science Curriculum.

Program information

The University of Maine Computer Science Graduate Degree Admission Requirements

The School of Computing and Information Science, in conjunction with the University of Maine Graduate School, offers the Master of Science (M.S.) and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in computer science.

About Admissions to the UMaine CS graduate programs:

For admission requirements in general, consult the Graduate Catalog > Admission.

Consideration for admission to the Computer Science graduate program is given to highly-qualified and motivated individuals on the basis of scholastic preparation and intellectual capacity. Admission requirements are typically met by individuals with an undergraduate computer science degree, although other applicants will also be considered. Applicants may also be admitted provisionally who do not meet the requirements; such individuals will be required to take selected undergraduate courses in addition to the regular required graduate course work. Application to the program should be made as early as possible before the semester for which admission is sought.

In order to receive full consideration for possible admission and possible teaching assistantships beginning in the Fall 2024 term, we will need your completed application filed with the UMaine Graduate School no later than January 15.

While we do conduct rolling admissions, if you wish to receive full consideration for admission (without financial support), you should have your completed application filed with the UMaine Graduate School by March 15 for the upcoming Fall term, and by October 15 for the upcoming Spring term. International students should be advised that there are additional steps to securing visas to study in the United States, and they have the responsibility for securing interviews with their respective consulates and working with the UMaine Office of International Programs.

Again, if you wish to have your application considered for financial support, the best time to submit your application would be before January 15, for the following Fall term.

About Financial Support:

At UMaine, the admissions and financial support decisions are made separately. Unlike some other universities where if you are admitted you are guaranteed support, UMaine first determines admissions for our students, then a separate process is conducted to determine if you will receive support. Admissions to the UMaine CS Graduate programs entitles you to enroll in our classes; it is an assessment of your preparation and credentials. The decision about financial support is a second step and should not be construed as a judgement on your application; it says more about the limited resources of our university.

Financial support is controlled by neither the Graduate Program Committee nor the Graduate Program Coordinator. Support typically is made through one of two mechanisms: (1) Teaching Assistantships which are technically issued by the Graduate School, and (2) Research Assistantships which are offered by individual professors and research groups which may have funding to support students.

Recommendations for Teaching Assistantships are made by the Office of the Director of the School of Computing and Information Sciences. Typically, they make those assignments and decisions after a student is admitted for graduate studies. Those positions are limited.

To receive full consideration for both admissions and for financial support, applicants should submit their materials by January 15.

Admission Requirements:

Prospective students should consult the admissions section of this catalog for a complete list of the requirements of the Graduate School. Admission requirements to the Computer Science graduate program include:

The candidate will have completed a bachelor’s degree at a regionally-accredited university or four-year college.
Successful applicants will usually have a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale). Normally, no applicant will be considered who has less than a 3.0 or less than a B average in undergraduate computer science courses.
As of the Fall 2023 term, the requirement for GRE general scores are permanently waived. 4. International students will need to submit TOEFL (minimum 82, minimum 98 for teaching assistants), or IELTS Academic scores (with no individual score lower than 6.5 and a minimum average of 7.0).

All successful applicants to the Computer Science graduate programs are requested to conduct online live interviews with a member of the UMaine Computer Science faculty. Applicants should seek interviews with faculty members whose research interests align with their individual goals and interests. If the applicant does not have a preference, they may contact the UMaine Computer Science Graduate Program Coordinator to arrange an interview.

Students are expected to have completed the following courses or their equivalent at the time of admission:

COS 125 – Introduction to Problem Solving Using Computer Programming
COS 225 – Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming and Design
COS 226 – Introduction to Data Structures and Algorithms (foundation)

COS 250 – Discrete Structures (foundation)
COS 235 – Computer Architecture
COS 331 – Operating Systems (foundation)
One year of calculus OR a semester of calculus and a semester of linear algebra 5. One semester of statistics.

The expected computer science preparation is captured by the three foundation courses: COS 226 – Introduction to Data Structures and Algorithms, COS 250 – Discrete Structures, and COS 331 – Operating Systems. The other computer science courses listed among the required preparation are considered prerequisites for the three foundation courses.

Students who are missing one or more of the computer science foundation courses or their equivalent can only be considered for provisional admission. Students provisionally admitted may be eligible for placement into the curriculum waiving the prerequisite courses for which the student demonstrates completion of equivalent courses or other preparation. All such waivers of prerequisite courses must be approved by the Graduate Program Committee. Provisionally admitted students can qualify for financial aid, teaching assistantships, or research assistantships. A provisionally admitted student must complete the missing foundation courses with at least a B grade before they can assume regular status in the program.

Typical Minimum Standardized Test Scores:

In response to applicants’ inquiries about TOEFL (or IELTS Academic) scores, we require that international students achieve standardized test scores for TOEFL (minimum 82, minimum 98 for teaching assistants), or IELTS Academic scores (with no individual score lower than 6.5 and a minimum average of 7.0).

For admission requirements in general, consult the Graduate Catalog > Admission. Application for Admission:

For formal admission to the graduate program, applicants need to supply:

Application
Application Fee
Personal statement, including academic and research interests
Resume or CV, including citations of publications and other credentials
Original Transcripts
Original TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language or IELTS Academic) international students
Three Letters of Recommendation

We encourage all applicants to the doctoral (Ph.D.) program to explore possible collaboration with UMaine Computer Science faculty through interviews and correspondence, in which they describe their research interests, their background and experience in doing independent research, and their future goals. The successful student may recruit these faculty as their thesis advisor and work in their laboratories. (For other information about funding, see the UMaine Graduate School web page of prospective students on funding your degree). We highly encourage all applicants to Apply Online on the Graduate School website. Please note that even though you enter details about people supplying reference letters and that the University will use its online services to accept the letters, it is up to you to compel reference letters from those parties. For additional information, please see the Computer Science website, the Graduate School website, or contact us (see Contact Information).

Research Assistantship Opportunities

Funding is available for graduate research assistants on a wide variety of research projects. Such funding is generated by individual faculty members as well as by groups of faculty. You may want to contact individual faculty regarding their current and imminent projects. We encourage all applicants who seek funding through graduate research assistantships to submit, in addition to the complete application package, a video of approximately 8 to 10 minutes, in which they describe their research interests, their background and experience in doing independent research, and their future goals. This movie may be uploaded to a video hosting site such as YouTube.com or SciVee.tv with the url link forwarded to us or may be burned to a CD and mailed (please provide in QuickTime format if mailed on CD) to us as part of your graduate application. Posting in DropBox or similar site may be another option. (Note: Do NOT attempt to e-mail the large movie file). Submission of a video is particularly important for prospective graduate students whose first language is other than English.

Teaching Assistant Opportunities

Financial assistance is available on a competitive basis in the form of nine-month teaching assistantships. Teaching assistants help faculty members with classes. All assistantships are given for one year at a time. Satisfactory academic progress and satisfactory performance as an assistant are necessary, but not sufficient conditions for retaining an assistantship. Teaching Assistants (TAs) are evaluated by their students and the course instructor at the end of each semester. Assistantships are competitive and are given only to the very best students. Applicants interested in teaching assistantship opportunities should follow the instructions for submitting a video under the previous paragraph. All students are automatically considered and there is no separate application process.

Additional Financial Support Options

For general information on the range of grants, loans and scholarships available from Federal and other sources for graduate students, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid. University-wide assistantships and scholarships may be available. All full-time students are eligible to apply.

Many computer science students are supported through jobs on campus in various technical support roles. Openings are regularly posted here.

Labs and Equipment

• Computer science specialized labs. Research labs are maintained in East Annex to work with both undergraduate and graduate students, depending on project needs, by several computer science professors: Turner (Maine Software Agents & Artificial Intelligence Lab [MaineSAIL]), Dickens (High Performance Computing Lab), Fastook (Ice Sheet Modeling Lab), Chawathe (Databases Lab), and Sepideh Ghanavati (Privacy Engineering and Regulatory Compliance Lab). In addition, the student Cyber Security team is provided with a room in the East Annex to support their needs.

• Additional SCIS specialized labs: Other professors in the School teach one or more required or elective CS courses and their labs are also often used by CS students. Among these professors with specialized computing labs include Nittel (Geosensor Lab, Rm 321 Boardman), Yoo (Convergent Science Lab), Yasaei Sekeh (Sekeh Lab), Chen (Chen Lab). Hahmann (Spatial Knowledge and Artificial Intelligence Lab, Rm 236A Boardman), Ranasinghe (Multisensory Interactive Media Lab, Rm 237 Boardman). Further, some CS undergraduate students work in the Virtual Environment and Multimodal Interaction Lab (VEMI), which is located in Carnegie Hall and is supported by SCIS professor Nicholas Giudice. Typically, equipment in specialized research labs is initially supplied through start-up funds and then maintained through external research grants.

• SCIS common use labs. The labs in Room 138, Rooms 127/129, and Room 137 in Boardman Hall are used for both research and educational purposes. They are not typically scheduled for classes. Rather, these are labs where all Computer Science and New Media students may come with their laptop computers to work on individual and group class projects, obtain tutoring help, do informal exam reviews with others, use labs as study halls, and similar activities. Students may use the labs anytime they have access to them, including evenings and weekends.

Lab Room 138 (The General Computing Lab) has (a) five group-work tables with two iMacs and a large external monitor in each bank of tables; and (b) one group of three Windows 10 computers. It also has whiteboards and an overhead projector for group work. It is staffed 20 hours per week by selected undergraduate senior computer science students (i.e., lab monitors/learning assistants) who help with general training on equipment as well as tutor on computing and math problems when course teaching assistants (TAs) are unavail- able. Several computer science TAs have office hours next door in Room 138A. Room 138 Computer Science Tutoring Schedule for Fall 2019 (to be posted when available)

Lab Rooms 127 (Focus Ring Lab) and 129 (Still Water Lab) are adjoining rooms that have (a) ten iMac stations for photo, audio, and video editing/production; and (b) one or more virtual reality (VR) production workstations. The rooms are staffed 20 hours per week by selected under- graduate senior New Media students (i.e., lab monitors/learning assistants) who help with general training on equipment and software and who check-out and check-in equipment to students enrolled in NMD classes. Two adjunct professors are located in Room 131 next door who also help and check out equipment.

Room 137 (the student break room) has free coffee, water, hot chocolate, a microwave, a refrigerator, etc. It serves also as a group work room. It has whiteboards as well as a large external monitor for mirroring laptops as needed. This room also has lockers containing Arduino kits, mini-drones, robots, and similar items that may be checked out from the Room 138 Lab Monitors. Occasional instructor-led and student- led help or review sessions are scheduled in this room over the other available rooms if possible. For larger groups, Room 138 may be similarly scheduled.

Detailed descriptions of services, equipment, and software available through the common use labs and how to use the equipment is found in the SCIS Common Use Labs in Boardman Hall Lab Manual.

Other School-related labs. Computer science students are highly encouraged to purchase a laptop prior to their second semester in the program that meets minimum specifications outlined by the faculty (see Appendix A of the SCIS Common Use Labs in Boardman Hall Lab Manual.) Consequently, SCIS general-purpose computing labs tend to support the sharing of laptop screens on large lab monitors rather than supplying large numbers of computers in the labs. However, both the School and the University supply computer labs to meet specialized software needs and for those students not required by their programs to obtain laptops. CS faculty teach service courses to meet the needs of other programs on campus in Room 106 Neville Hall, which contains 24 Windows machines.

Campus-wide computing labs. There is one primary public cluster maintained by the the University of Maine IT department. It is the Hackerspace, a work space/lab geared toward computing and electronic “makers”. It is located in the student union and available for anyone to use and provides access to a wide variety of New Media technologies. Any software used by any course may, upon request, be made available in these clusters, including compilers, office suites, and database software. Both Windows machines and Macintoshes are available.

There is one other maker space on campus available for use, often for a nominal fee is located in the Innovative Media Research and Commercialization Center (IMRC), it consists of rooms and equipment which include state-of-the-art audio and video studios as well as other media equipment that CS students also have access to.Further computing research facilities: Computer science researchers have access to substantial additional computing facilities, including a 648 processor green supercomputer, a 72 processor green supercomputer, five mobile robots, and a teaching/research cybersecurity lab. Also available is access to the University’s computing resources as well as to various supercomputer centers. Access is also available to the Gulf of Maine Observing System which includes an autonomous underwater vehicle and several autonomous boats. The University is an Internet 2 site and has significant high-speed Internet access. Buildings are wired for high-speed Ethernet, and wireless access is available over much of the campus.

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