Information for Prospective Students

Information for Prospective Students#

I receive many inquiries from students who are interested in joining my research group and/or seeking MS or PhD admission. To help set expectations and reduce confusion, this page explains how admissions and funding work at Loyola University Chicago and what I look for in prospective members of the Software and Systems Laboratory (SSL), which I direct.

Please Read Before Contacting Me by E-mail#

If you are interested in working with the Software and Systems Laboratory, please follow these guidelines before requesting a meeting.

  1. Submit a complete application to Loyola University Chicago at https://gpem.luc.edu/. I am unable to meet with students who have not yet applied through the university’s official process.

  2. Ensure that your Statement of Purpose clearly articulates your connection to SSL. Your application should describe why your background and goals align with our research directions, what areas of SSL’s work interest you, and how you see yourself contributing to ongoing projects.

  3. After submitting your application, you may request an appointment via Calendly (https://calendly.com/gkthiruvathukal). I will only consider meeting with applicants who already have an active application on file. This policy is not meant to be discouraging; it is necessary given the volume of inquiries and my responsibility to prioritize active applicants.

  4. Part-time applicants must have a clear and documented funding plan, including explicit employer support to dedicate substantial time to research. Without this, part-time study is not compatible with the expectations and demands of SSL projects. There are many more established PhD programs that welcome part-time professional applicants. We’re not quite ready to be one of them.

Admissions and Funding Considerations#

All undergraduate and graduate admissions at Loyola University Chicago are handled centrally by the university. Faculty members, including department chairs, cannot personally admit students or guarantee financial support.

For the PhD program, a departmental committee reviews all applications and makes admissions decisions. We have a limited number of departmental teaching assistantships each year. Research assistantships depend on whether individual faculty members have active grant funding.

Students who hold external national or international fellowships are especially encouraged to apply. Applicants with fellowships that provide at least three years of support are typically the most competitive.

Admission to the MS or PhD program does not guarantee placement in my lab. Lab membership depends on research alignment, preparation, and available funding. Prospective students should be prepared to explain how their interests connect to ongoing work in the group. Generic or mass-mailed inquiries cannot–and will not–be considered.

Note

For general questions about the PhD application process, please contact phd-admissions@cs.luc.edu.

Expectations for Prospective and Current SSL Members#

As director of the Software and Systems Laboratory, I oversee a research group focused on systems, high-performance computing, software engineering, AI-assisted scientific computing, and interdisciplinary work that spans computing and other fields. Because of this breadth and the applied nature of our research, we look for students who have strong foundational preparation and can grow into collaborative, long-running projects.

A solid understanding of fundamental computer science topics is essential. This includes experience with advanced data structures, systems programming, operating systems, and programming languages. Strong Linux/Unix proficiency is expected, as our work involves servers, distributed systems, and HPC environments.

We place a high value on excellent software engineering skills, including the use of open-source tools, version control (especially GitHub), testing practices, documentation, and collaborative workflows. Depending on the project, familiarity with mathematics (discrete mathematics, probability, and linear algebra) may be helpful.

Our group actively uses AI tools as part of research workflows, but we expect students to engage with these tools critically and not as substitutes for understanding. Intellectual curiosity, a willingness to learn, and comfort with complex, open-ended problems are crucial. Students should be able to give and receive constructive feedback.

Communication skills matter. SSL is not a code-only research group; students are expected to write papers, prepare presentations, and contribute to discussions about research methods and evaluation.

Conduct Expectations for All SSL Members#

Professional conduct, reliability, and respect for others are essential to success. We maintain a collaborative, inclusive environment and expect all members to uphold recognized community standards.

Two examples that reflect the spirit of how we operate are:

These documents articulate widely accepted expectations for respectful behavior, professionalism, equity and inclusion, and responsible conduct in computing. We expect all SSL members to engage with colleagues in ways consistent with these principles.

How We Work as a Team#

SSL is a highly collaborative research group. Students typically begin by joining an existing project, learning the technical foundation, research questions, and workflow conventions of the group. As they develop expertise, students may take on leadership roles and help shape new project directions.

Purely solo projects are rare in our group; however, many solo projects often originate as side projects and become SSL projects. Students should expect to work closely with peers, faculty, and sometimes collaborators at Argonne National Laboratory and other universities (e.g. Purdue University, Northern Illinois University, Northwestern University, and Arizona State University, among others).

As a world-focused laboratory, we greatly value diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we welcome students from all backgrounds who are committed to a respectful and collaborative research environment.

Please see my presentation on Inclusive Mentoring to understand my mentoring approach.

Preparing a Strong Case or Inquiry to Join#

Students who wish to express interest in working with the lab should begin by reading several of our recent publications and briefly describing how their background aligns with specific projects.

Thoughtful inquiries that demonstrate familiarity with our work are far more likely to be considered than generic requests.

Prospective students should also be prepared to learn independently, read papers on their own initiative, and demonstrate evidence of technical depth through coursework, projects, open-source contributions, or prior research experience.

This page serves as a starting point. For formal application procedures, please consult Loyola University Chicago’s official admissions resources.

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