Residence Requirement and Research in Industrial
Laboratories
The term residence indicates that the student is at home
intellectually with the faculty community. The student is expected
to reside at George Mason University and associate with the GMU
faculty for at least two full academic years. The advisory
committee determines the equivalent of two academic years of effort
at GMU. The basis for residency, as here defined, is effort in the
intellectual community at GMU to complete the basic or core study
area requirements of the comprehensive examinations, completion of
the advanced specialty areas of study and the associated advanced
specialty portions of the comprehensive examinations, and
preparation of a dissertation proposal that defines a definitive
research contribution.
Student research in industrial and government laboratories is
encouraged to the extent that these facilities support quality
independent research by the doctoral student. The greater
Washington area is home for the largest group of information
technology professionals in the world, many of whom have made
definitive contributions to research in this area. Area
professionals with outstanding credentials and interests in
information technology are solicited as Visiting Industrial
Professors at GMU. They may serve on doctoral advisory committees
and, where permitted by available time and interests, direct
doctoral dissertations.
