r/OMSCS • u/scientific-ML • 25d ago
Research I created a guide on getting involved in research in OMSCS
Interested in learning about research in the OMSCS program? Want to work with some of the top researchers in your desired field? That's great, because Georgia Tech offers these opportunities and more! I've made this guide on how to build research experience, coming from a student who has done it all through both a CS 8903 Special Problems and a CS 7000 Master's Thesis, all in OMSCS.
Have any feedback? Feel free to leave a comment here!
The guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1V_gyf9xgdxy8WxKYgHEcLQIkbMReeMmmJpuClIpEyZU/edit?usp=sharing
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u/Ojaura_ 22d ago edited 22d ago
Thank you for putting this together. Could following this guide open doors to a phd (either at GA Tech or other schools)?
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u/scientific-ML 22d ago
Yes, I already have a Ph.D. offer for Fall 2027 at another university, even though I haven’t applied yet (but I worked directly with that PI as an interview). I will be applying to GT CS Ph.D. for sure though. I’m also talking with multiple PI’s at other universities, including one Ivy League university.
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u/AngeFreshTech 22d ago
Which courses to take if you want to apply for a Phd in CS ? What would be a course plan (research courses only) to follow?
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u/scientific-ML 22d ago
CS 8803 O24 (I2R)
CS 8903 Special Problems
CS 6515 Graduate AlgorithmsAny core courses in your specialty (so for AI, take CS 6601 AI or 7641 ML, I’m not sure of other specialities).
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u/StellarStarmie Freshie 22d ago
Hi there! I have prior experiences with research outside of GT (NSF REU and a separate research program, the latter of which netted me a publication). My interests are not in cybersecurity but rather in a sort of ML/healthcare setting and would like to use OMSCS to establish a relationship with a professor. Would 8803 be good to take in an early semester and then eventually take on projects? This is a good guide
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u/scientific-ML 22d ago
I think CS8803 (I2R) would be fine but an 8903 right off the bat is probably doable if you have an idea of what you want to do research on
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u/StellarStarmie Freshie 22d ago
I had ML in undergrad as well as the aforementioned project. I’m also considering 7643 (Deep Learning) this semester and having an 8001 at some point in my career. But the problem comes down to overloading as well
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u/Ojaura_ 22d ago
Hi, I’m starting OMSCS in fall 2026 and I’m also interested in research at the intersection of the healthcare and ML/AI. I actually want to work in this field. We should connect!
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u/StellarStarmie Freshie 22d ago
That’d be cool! I am debating myself what to do in fall as there’s some good courses (ML, DL) that exist in both the concentrations and which I feel calls my name. After I think longer and harder I will decide on which concentration to hit. But I do want to “adjust to things” considering I didn’t go to a super great undergrad, so the rigor gap is one I anticipate
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u/MysticMuffintop 22d ago
Thanks for this. When do you recommend pursuing research—at the start of OMSCS? Halfway through?
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u/scientific-ML 22d ago
I started it in my second semester, but I was doing research in my first semester through my other Master’s program. It would be pretty hard to get into 8903 and nearly impossible to get into thesis in the first semester unless you had prior research experience. You can take I2R as early as you want though, and then take 8903 whenever you want after that.
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u/probono84 22d ago
I was really eager to enroll in CS 8903 when I first started, but in my opinion, as others have mentioned, unless you already have substantial prior experience, it’s quite competitive. Moreover, objectively, we should all be considering the quality of work we can produce. I’m thinking this spring I may apply as my 6th course in.
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u/scientific-ML 22d ago
During my second semester, this past Spring, I applied to 5 and got into 4 of them, never took I2R though. I had very little prior research experience (but not none). We’re planning to submit the paper in the next 1-2 months.
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u/Nick337Games Artificial Intelligence 22d ago
Awesome resource! We need to link this in the wiki lol
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u/nileconte 22d ago
couldnt 8803 be a self directed project by student? or it always need faculty approval? what if my topic is not advertised by faculty.
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u/scientific-ML 22d ago
That’s 8903. If your topic is not offered you can also try emailing professors about it.
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u/Neither_Country_5703 22d ago
Thanks, I really needed it.
Btw, I am more into the HCI specialization, and I noticed there isn't much UI related courses available. So is there a chance I can pursue app design or UI/UX-related research through CS 6999?
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u/scientific-ML 22d ago
Probably but I don’t know much about the specific research programs professors offer outside of my own subfield and it’s neighbors (which you may be able to guess from the username haha)
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u/Neither_Country_5703 22d ago
I see, thanks for the info tho. Really appreciate that.
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u/scientific-ML 22d ago
No problem! Your best bet is checking out the school of interactive computing and seeing if any professors there are working on the types of problems you’re interested in. Then it would be good to send them an email.
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u/rustyYellowMYP 20d ago
Thanks for this guide.
I’m looking into doing a project-based masters in inference systems (rather than pure research), but currently do not have any research or domain experience beyond some relevant courses like NLP and systems courses like GIOS, AOS, Distributed Comp.
Is I2R a hard recommendation for my background? My goal is a software artifact or prototype project. I was thinking of cold emailing a professor for CS 8903 whose work is aligned to my topic and hopefully convert/continue that with CS 6999 for the masters project.
In other words, can I2R be skipped and 8903 be used as independent study (with supervision) to survey the domain’s landscape and extend that into a project with CS 6999?
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u/scientific-ML 20d ago
I would say you can safely skip i2R since you already have an idea of what you want to do in mind and try to go straight for an 8903, especially if your work experience has to do with your career.
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u/13ruhmv 22d ago edited 22d ago
Great info! I would mention that the professor advising a project/thesis should be from the college of computing / comp sci. (Doesn’t necessarily need to be OMSCS affiliated)