Context:
I'm currently an OMSCS student doing research under some wonderful GT faculty entirely remote (in the same timezone as Atlanta) while also working full-time. I believe that OMSCS already alleviates most of the biggest constraints working professionals have and those same problems carry over to individuals searching for a remote PhD option. I also know that the department has been toying with this idea for some time but I'm not sure what the sentiment is as of 2026.
Big hurdles I can think of right away:
- Family obligation(s): Separation from family/moving/financial obligations (Biggest one IMO)
- Opportunity cost: of not working (PhDs are typically fully-funded but even the salary of an RA/TA would be less than what someone in industry would make)
- Job flexibility and timelines: Some remote tech jobs are flexible; allowing you to manage your time and tickets during the day with little supervision. However, maybe other In-person jobs could be much more demanding on time. Same could be said about PhD program timelines
- Program flexibility and timelines: Time to research outside of work, publish, attend conferences
- Timezone differences: Might be limited in global availability due to meetings with teams or professors (for people not already on EST/EDT)
- Faculty-to-student ratio: PhDs require direct mentorship from a professor and considering the sheer size of OMSCS – this may pose a conflict
There's a real population of serious PhD candidates effectively priced out of programs; not due to academic merit, but some of the points listed above.
OMSCS already proves GT can maintain rigor at a remote scale. A selective remote PhD seems like it would logically make sense. I currently love conducting research under GT faculty; even while entirely remote.
An EECS program would be really awesome but challenging given lab dependencies. GT has demonstrated remote viability in ECE already; are they really far off?
I wonder if anyone has recently explored this with faculty or administration? Also curious if anyone has direct experience with research in the online ECE program.