[Note: This text contains important comments (in this color). -- A. Gelbukh]
[Disclaimer: This is my own translation of the original text at http://www.cic.ipn.mx/sitioCIC/descargas/Convocatoria-DCC_B17.pdf (this cached version). This translation can be incorrect or obsolete (if the original is updated); the translation and the comments are provided as is and have no legal power.]
[THIS IS A PAST CALL. THE NEW ONE IS SIMILAR. See the new call here, but check my comments in red color below.]
PhD in Computer Science (DCC) August - December 2017
Center for Computing Research - Centro de Investigación en Computación
The Instituto Politécnico Nacional (National Polytechnic Institute, IPN), through the Center for Computing Research (CIC), invites those interested in studying the PhD program in Computer Science to participate in the admission process to start the school year August - December 2017, under the following bases:
The CIC IPN offers the PhD Program in Computer Science (DCC) to train professionals who hold the degree of Masters in Science and / or Engineering and who aspire to obtain the PhD degree to develop research in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT).
To obtain the PhD degree requires original and quality research. The DCC program provides a solid and internationally recognized qualification with the International Competence level by the National Quality Science Program (PNPC) of the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT).
The applicant for the PhD Degree in Computer Science (DCC) must have an academic and professional background (Master's degree), demonstrating his or her academic and intellectual capacity and coherence in his or her career to ensure the completion of his or her doctoral studies successfully and within the required time.
A PhD in Computer Science will have solid knowledge, experience and creativity, to conduct scientific research, generate relevant and innovative publications, train human resources and provide innovative solutions to scientific and technological problems in any of the program's specialties.
The graduate will have developed the capacity of criticizing, skills and abilities to solve problems that support and promote the general advance of knowledge that respond to the needs of industry and the public and social sector, both nationally and internationally. Through the acquired knowledge and skills developed in their PhD work, a PhD in computer science will be able to promote scientific and technological research by carrying out basic and applied research projects.
In order to enter the DCC PhD program, the applicant must comply with the requirements established by the IPN Graduate Studies Regulations (REP IPN), Chapter 3, Articles 29 to 35. Further details of the regulations can be consulted through the website www.cic.ipn.mx in the Regulatory Framework section.
These requirements correspond to the following:
1. To have completed Master's studies in the field of computer science or computer engineering or areas related to information and communication technologies (ICT).
2. Demonstrate an adequate level of command of the English language.
3. Show ability to continue studies at the doctoral level.
4. Express interest in developing a research proposal in any of the lines promoted by the Center for Computer Research
The admission process consists of six steps:
You must fill in the application form online to start the admission process, through the following link URL: http://www.cic.ipn.mx/dcc/admision
[Note: You can probably reuse your existing scores if you have passed this exam not earlier than 3 years ago. The minimal score is specified below under Selection Criteria section as the median plus one; I think in the previous year it was 152. Only quantitative reasoning score is relevant; see under Selection Criteria section. -- A. Gelbukh]
You should make an appointment and take the exam through the official website of the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The information for the GRE can be consulted at: https://www.ets.org/gre, and for the EXADEP at: https://www.ets.org/exadep. GRE Code: No. 7509, Country: Mexico, Institution: Instituto Politécnico Nacional.
There are four options for proof of English proficiency:
To take the exam, you must register in the Department of Educational Technologies (DTE) of the CIC IPN. To carry out this step, the applicant has the period from February to April. You should visit the DTE and submit a copy of an official identification, e.g., National Electoral Institute (INE) ID, passport, or professional certificate. The minimum passing qualification on the English proficiency exam, which is applied by the IPN Foreign Language Center (CENLEX IPN), is eight.
You should book an appointment and take the exam through the official website of the Educational Testing Service (ETS). TOEFL Code: No. B770, Country: Mexico, Institution: CIC IPN Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Submit the TOEFL-ITP [WARNING: this must be an error: IPT is not accepted -- A. Gelbukh] or TOEFL-IBT (less than two years old). In case of presenting evidence of another type of examination recognized nationally or internationally, you will have to validate it at the Directorate of Foreign Language Training of IPN.
If you have English language studies at an institution endorsed by the Ministry of Public Education (SEP) or international, you should submit in the DTE the original documentation of the studies that have been completed, with validity not exceeding one year [note: they probably mean that you should have completed the studies not earlier than one year ago -- A. Gelbukh].
In case of being native English speaker, it is necessary to validate in the CENLEX IPN, through the DTE, the documentation that guarantees the language mastery.
The file shall be composed of the following documents:
[Note: see below exceptions for foreign aspirants. Note: The deadline for this step is later than the deadline for the next Step 5; see the section on important dates below -- A. Gelbukh]
A. Proof of the GRE General Test (Graduate Record Examination) or EXADEP (Admission to Graduate Studies) test result. The proof is valid if it is less than 3 years old. In case of not having it, while waiting for the result to be received, the applicant may attach a proof of that he or she has booked the examination date.
B. Proof of command of the English language.
C. Digital copies of the Bachelor's and Master's degrees, as well as the professional certificate of Bachelor's and Master's degree. In case of being in process, present proofs that accredit it.
D. Digital copy of the certificate of degree or of the qualification record. It must indicate the overall grade point average.
E. Digital letter-size copy of the Single Key of the Population Registry (CURP).
F. Digital letter-size copy of the birth certificate.
G. Curriculum Vitae and in digital PDF format.
H. Letter signed by the applicant in which he or she states that he or she has not failed any postgraduate degree from the IPN. [Note: I think they mean this form: http://www.comunidad.cic.ipn.mx/admision/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/DTE-13-00-CartaNoHaberEstudiado-en-otro-posgIPN.pdf; the text to fill at the top is the date in the format day, month, year, as "a 1 de June de 2017"]
I. Printed admission application format, generated through online registration (step 1), including a recent photograph of small size (black and white or color).
You must send the digital files that integrate the file, in PDF format, to the Department of Educational Technologies dte@cic.ipn.mx with a copy to the DCC Coordination dcc@cic.ipn.mx.
Proofs of study of Bachelor's degree, Master’s degree, study certificates, and birth certificate must be submitted with translation into Spanish and duly legalized (apostilled). The requirement of the professional certificate does not apply to foreign applicants. The CURP is processed upon arrival in Mexico.
[Note: First, legalization is to be done in your country or in an Embassy of your country. After that, certified translation from English can be done in a Mexican Embassy or in Mexico. See discussion on http://www.gelbukh.com/scholarships-how-to.html. -- A. Gelbukh]
[Note: The deadline for this step is earlier than that of Step 4; see the section on important dates below. This step will take much time for preparation, so start ASAP. -- A. Gelbukh]
The purpose of this file is to show the academic background of the applicant and to identify his or her knowledge, as well as to explore the expectations of the program and the research proposal to be developed at the CIC.
It is necessary to prepare the research proposal under the guidance of your possible thesis advisor.
The research file is composed of the following documents:
A) Letter of nomination of the possible thesis advisor at the CIC.
B) Curriculum Vitae of the applicant.
C) Personal letter of reasons to enter the program.
D) Three letters of recommendation in free format of active PhDs in the area of his or her interest, of the institution where he or she studied his or her Master's degree. The letters should express the applicant's competitiveness in research work he or she has completed and their results.
E) A document of PhD topic proposal prepared in coordination with your possible thesis advisor (see form PTD-01, http://www.cic.ipn.mx/sitioCIC/descargas/FORMATO_PTD1.docx). [The link gives the official form in Spanish; I provide here my own translation: http://www.gelbukh.com/calls/FORMATO_PTD1-English.docx. Recommended length: close to 15 pages; not longer, but not much shorter. Preparation of this document needs much time, so do start ASAP. -- A. Gelbukh]
F) A presentation of the PhD proposal, with a maximum length of 15 slides [they mean presentation slides, such as PowerPoint; see the next step -- A. Gelbukh].
The presentation of the doctoral proposal will be scheduled after the steps 1 to 3 have been completed. The DCC coordinator will maintain communication with the applicant. The proposal should be prepared for presentation in 20 to 30 minutes. This activity is carried out under the supervision of the possible thesis advisor, who must be present at this stage.
The proposal should include the following aspects:
A) Title of the proposal.
B) Review of trends in the state of the art, by authors from the CIC and outside the CIC.
C) Description of the proposal.
D) Objectives.
E) Goals.
F) Possible expected results and the relevance of the scientific contribution that will be obtained.
G) Schedule of activities.
H) References (also include in your file the most important papers in extenso in PDF format).
I) Resources needed for its development.
After completing the above steps, the Council of Teachers will evaluate the results of the admission process and make admission decisions. Subsequently, the list of accepted applicants will be published on the official CIC IPN website. The results will be final.
To speed up the immigration procedures, the Admission Commission will notify the applicant in a timely manner of the outcome of the admission process.
In the process of selection of the applicants, the following aspects will be considered:
• The score for the quantitative reasoning ability obtained in the GRE or EXADEP exam with score of at least the median plus one [I think in the previous year it was 152. Note that only quantitative reasoning is mentioned here; the scores for Qualitative reasoning and Writing seem not to be relevant, so you can save time on these and prepare better for the quantitative score. -- A. Gelbukh];
• The level of command of the English language;
• The PhD work proposal;
• The professional and academic career of the applicant.
The maximum enrollment of students expected for admission to the PhD program in Computer Science for the semester B17 is 30 students.
The PhD program in Computer Science is accredited by the CONACYT as Postgraduate Quality Program, where it currently has the maximum level corresponding to that of "International Competition."
Students enrolled in the CIC IPN's DCC PhD program will receive a monthly scholarship of 13,769.40 pesos, provided they meet the requirements established by the CONACYT scholarship regulations. [As far as I know, these regulations include a minimum score average from your previous degree studies. Contact your advisor for details. -- A. Gelbukh]
The CONACYT grants this economic support for a maximum period of 8 months to those students who will dedicate full time and exclusively to their postgraduate studies. For more information see: http://www.conacyt.mx/index.php/becas-y-posgrados/becas-nacionales
In addition to the CONACYT grant, the IPN manages the medical service coverage with the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) during the postgraduate study period, with the permanent social security number.
Application for admission: February 15 - May 4
CENLEX IPN English Exam Registration: February 15 - May 9 [you don’t need this if you have TOEFL -- A. Gelbukh]
English exam at CENLEX IPN: May 16 10:00 p.m., May 18 5:00 p.m. [you don’t need this if you have TOEFL -- A. Gelbukh]
Submission of the academic file: February 15 - June 2 [this is Step 4 -- A. Gelbukh]
Submission of the research file: February 15 - April 28 [this is Step 5; note that the deadline is earlier than that of Step 4 -- A. Gelbukh]
Presentation of research proposals (for foreign applicants this activity is done via Internet): March 1 - June 9
Publication of the results: June 23
Registration for the postgraduate program at the IPN: August 1-4 [that is, you should be in Mexico by this date -- A. Gelbukh]
Start of semester: August 7
For more information on the DCC Curriculum you should consult the link: https://www.cic.ipn.mx/dcc
The admitted applicants must formalize their enrollment in the program without any compulsory payment, but with the possibility of making the voluntary contribution as a donation for opening a file to the account Banamex No. 375-5306877, holder: Comisión de Operación y Fomento de Actividades Académicas del IPN (COFAA-IPN). See: www.cic.ipn.mx/donativos [contact your advisor for explanation of this step -- A. Gelbukh]
For information related to academic aspects: Dr. Raúl Acosta Bermejo, Academic Coordinator of the DCC, phone +52 (55) 5729 6000 extension 56652, e-mail: dcc@cic.ipn.mx. For information related to administrative matters: call +52 (55) 5729 6000 extension 56556 and 56567.
Any situation arising during the admission process and not contemplated in this call will be resolved with full compliance with the Regulations of Postgraduate Studies of the IPN by the competent authority according to each case.