Approved Cognate Courses

What are Cognate Courses?

Cognate courses are specially approved graduate-level courses offered by departments outside of Computer Science (CS). These courses provide interdisciplinary knowledge that supports the research and academic goals of CS students.

Credit Requirements

Ph.D. Must complete 3 to 9 credit hours from the approved list of cognate courses.
Master's May take up to 3 credit hours from this list, though it is not required.

Content Overlap Policy

Cognate courses must not significantly overlap with any other course on a student’s Plan of Study. This ensures that the coursework remains diverse and complementary.

Adding New Courses to the Cognate List

To propose a new course as a cognate, students should send an email to the Associate Department Head for Graduate Studies and their advisor. The request should include documentation showing that:

The course has a strong relationship to Computer Science (e.g., course syllabus, as an application area or as relevant to the student's research).

Courses focused primarily on programming instruction or software use generally do not qualify.

Accounting and Information Systems (ACIS)

5504: Information Systems Design & Database Concepts
5704: Managing Information Systems for Executive Decision Making

Aerospace and Ocean Engineering (AOE)

5074: Advanced Ship Structural Analysis
6145-46: Computational Fluid Dynamics

Biochemistry (BCHM)

5024: Computational Biochemistry for Bioinformatics (BCHM 5024 may not be used as a cognate by students who are taking the CSA degree option in Bioinformatics)

Business Information Technology (BIT)

4164: Future of Security: Integrative Solutions for Complex Security Systems
4604: Data Governance, Privacy, and Ethics
5114: Crime & Conflict in Cyberspace
5524: Intro Bus Intel and Analytics
5564 Healthcare Information Tech
5594 Web-based Application and Electronic Commerce

Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)

5064: Knowledge-Based Expert Systems
5084: Information Technologies in Constgruction

Computational Modeling & Data Analytics (CMDA)

4634: Scalable Computing for CMDA

Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)

4525: Video Game Design and Engineering
4530: Hardware-Software Codesign
4534: Embedded System Design
4540: VLSI Circuit Design
4550: Real-Time Systems
4644: Satellite Communications
5434: Cyber-Physical Systems
5480: Cybersecurity and IOT
5505-6: Testing and Verification of Digital Systems
5514: Design of Systems on a Chip
5534: Electronic Design Automation
5550G: Advanced Real-Time Systems
5554: Computer Vision
5560: Spread Spectrum Communications
5605: Stochastic Signals and Systems
5644: Game Theory for Communications Networks
5654: Digital Communications II: Advanced Theory and Analysis
5664: Cellular Communication Systems
5674: Software Radios
5714: Robust Estimation and Filtering
5734: Convex Optimization
5840: Cybersecurity and IOT
6314: Advanced Instrumentation in Power Systems
6334: Computational Methods in Power Engineering
6504: Advanced Topics in Computer Engineering
6604: Advanced Topics in Communications

Education, Curriculum, and Instruction (EDCI)

5804 STEM Education Foundations
5854: Biotechnology Literacy by Design

Instructional Design and Technology (EDIT)

5624: Interactive Learning Media, Arts, and Design

Educational Research and Evaluation (EDRE)

5644: Questionnaire Design and Survey Research
6504: Qualitative Methods in Educational Research I
6524: Qualitative Methods in Educational Research II
6605-6: Quantitative Research Methods in Education I & II
6654: Multivariate Statistics

Engineering Education (ENGE)

5514: Applied Design and Assessment of Educational Experiences in Education

Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM)

5734: Introduction to the Finite Element Method
5984: ESM Special Study Class on Scientific Visual Analysis and Multimedia
6734: Finite Element Analysis

Geography (GEOG)

5034: Analysis of Spatial Data
5314: Geographic Information Systems

Graduate School

5134: Human Centered Design

Industrial Systems Engineering (ISE)

5034: Math Prob & Stat for ISEs
5104: Operations Research
5154: Applied Human Factors Engineering
5164: Transfer and Application of Emerging Technologies
5314: Industrial Applications of Robotics Devices
5405-06: Optimization
5424: Simulation
5464: Queuing Theory
5604: Human Information Processing
5624: Human Factors Research Design
5654: Human Factors System Design
6404: Graph Theory and Network Flows
6414: Integer Programming
6424: Dynamic Programming
6434: Scheduling and Sequence Theory
6464: Queuing Networks
6514: Advanced Topics in Mathematical Programming
6614: Human Computer Systems

Mathematics (MATH)

5114: Specialized Topics in Algebra
5125-26: Abstract Algebra
5214: Topics in Analysis
5225-26: Real Analysis
5235-36: Complex Analysis
5245-46: Ordinary Differential Equations
5344: Specialized Topics in Topology and Geometry
5424: Numerical Linear Algebra
5425-26: Applied Partial Differential Equations
5454: Graph Theory
5464: Combinatorics
5515-16: Modeling and Simulation of Biological Systems
5524: Matrix Theory
5544: Mathematical Optimization for Machine Learning
5545-46: Calculus of Variations and Optimal Control Theory
5554: Approximation Theory

Mechanical Engineering (ME)

5704: Robotics and Automation
5714: Digital Signal Processing
5724: Advanced Instrumentation and Signal Processing

Management

4094: Startup: Commercializing Innovation
5824: Technology Based Entrepreneurship

Philosophy (PHIL)

5505, 5506: Symbolic Logic

Plant Pathology, Physiology, & Weed Science (PPWS)

5314 Biological Paradigms for Bioinformatics (PPWS 5314 may not be used as cognates by students who are taking the CSA degree option in Bioinformatics)

Psychology (PSCI)

5554: Culture, Politics, and Society in Network Environments

Science and Technology Studies (STS)

6614: Advanced Topics in Technology Studies

Statistics (STAT)

4204: Experimental Designs
4534: Applied Time Series
4604: Statisticial Methods for Engineers
5104: Probability and Distribution Theory
5105G-5106G Advanced Theoretical Statistics
5114: Statistical Inference
5124: Linear Models Theory
5204: Experimental Design and Analysis
5314: Monte Carlo Methods in Statistics
5414: Time Series Analysis I
5434: Applied Stochastic Processes
5444: Bayesian Statistics
5454: Reliability Theory
5504: Multivariate Statistical Methods
5615-5616: Statistics in Research
5664: Applied Time Series Analysis
5984: Special Studies Exploring Intro to AI and Ecology
6105-06: Measure and Probability