Computer Scientist, GS-1550
Definitions:
EXPERIENCE: One year of work experience is twelve months working full-time (at least 35-40 hours per week). Part-time experience can be pro-rated (i.e., a year at 20 hours per week is credited as 6 months of experience). If your position consisted of mixed duties, experience credit is given for the percentage of time that you spent on qualifying duties (i.e., if you held a position for 2 years, full-time, consisting of 25% personnel work and 75% budget work, and then applied for a budget position you could calculate your experience as follows: 2 yrs = 24 months. 24 months x 75% [percentage of time spent on budget duties] = 18 months of qualifying experience.)
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION: A year of undergraduate education is 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours or the equivalent of college study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent was a prerequisite.
GRADUATE EDUCATION: In the absence of specific graduate program information, a year of graduate education is 18 semester hours or 27 quarter hours of graduate level college course work, or the number of credit hours the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full time study. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.
For GS-05:
BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must meet the following to satisfy the basic education requirement for Computer Scientist, all grade levels. Bachelor's or higher degree in computer science OR a bachelor's or higher degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have included any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus.
For GS-07:
In addition to the Basic Education Requirement as described above, applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-07 level:
One full year of graduate-level education which provided the knowledge and skills required for the position.
OR: Superior Academic Achievement based on undergraduate study. (CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SUPERIOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT).
OR: One year of appropriate professional experience that is in or directly related to the duties of the position to be filled is qualifying if it is equivalent to at least the GS-05 level in the Federal service, and if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Examples of such experience may include: providing services (in a trainee capacity) to develop software systems and/or computer graphics systems used in support of automated systems; or assisting senior scientist and engineers in the research, mathematical, and statistical design of devices used in support of automated systems.
OR: a combination of successfully completed graduate level education, as described above, and professional experience, as described above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE)
For GS-09:
In addition to the Basic Education Requirement as described above, applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-09 level:
Two full years of progressively higher level graduate education or Master's or equivalent graduate degree.
OR: One year of appropriate professional experience that is in or directly related to the duties of the position to be filled is qualifying if it is equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service, and if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Examples of such experience may include developing and testing software programs or developing and testing portions of more complex systems using 3rd and 4th generation programming languages. Candidates are expected to recognize when deviations from standard procedures are necessary and be capable of recommending appropriate changes. In addition, advanced level mathematics is required for comprehension of the theories, principles, practices, and techniques of computer science.
OR: a combination of successfully completed graduate level education, as described above, and professional experience, as described above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE)
For GS-11:
In addition to the Basic Education Requirement as described above, applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-11 level:
Three full years of progressively higher level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
OR: One year of appropriate professional experience that is in or directly related to the duties of the position to be filled is qualifying if it is equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service, and if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Examples of such experience may include performing hardware and software analysis, and writing software in an environment that requires a good working knowledge of the syntax, capabilities, and limitations of a programming language, as well as working knowledge of and experience with the operating system under which the software operates. Successful candidates will have had the scope of assignments defined for them, but will be capable of exercising judgment in selecting specific approaches and, when necessary, making minor changes to adapt the methods to specific work situations.
OR: a combination of successfully completed graduate level education, as described above, and professional experience, as described above. (CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO COMBINE GRADUATE EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE).
For GS-12:
In addition to the Basic Education Requirement as described above, applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-12 level:
One year of appropriate professional experience that is in or directly related to the duties of the position to be filled is qualifying if it is equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service, and if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Examples of such experience may include digital computer system design; system software organization, assembly and programming languages; and analysis, interpretation and evaluation of computer software data and techniques. Work generally has not required modification or adaptation of standard procedures, methods or techniques, and development has involved typical methods and techniques to address problems for which guidelines and precedents exist.
For GS-13:
In addition to the basic education requirement as stated above, applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-13 level: One year of appropriate professional experience that is in or directly related to the duties of the position to be filled is qualifying if it is equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service, and if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Examples of such experience may include developing software systems using knowledge of techniques, procedures, and processes such as operation system theory, data structures, computer system architecture, software engineering, and computer communications; developing integrated computer systems. The complexity of this work typically required extensive modification and adaptation of standard procedures, methods, and techniques, and the development of totally new methods and techniques to address novel or obscure problems for which guidelines or precedents were not substantially applicable. At this level, computer scientists have wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment to perform work of marked difficulty and responsibility.
For GS-14:
In addition to the Basic Education Requirement as described above, applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-14 level:
One year of appropriate professional experience that is in or directly related to the duties of the position to be filled is qualifying if it is equivalent to at least the GS-13 level in the Federal service, and if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Examples of such experience may include management of the software development for a major project or system initiative involving new or unexplored areas of system theory, data structures, architecture and communications; overseeing the development of integrated systems. Work has required full documentation and responsibility for all procedures, methods, and techniques used, as well as the development of new guidelines for use and implementation.
For GS-15:
In addition to the Basic Education Requirement as described above, applicants must meet the following to qualify for the GS-15 level:
One year of appropriate professional experience that is in or directly related to the duties of the position to be filled is qualifying if it is equivalent to at least the GS-14 level in the Federal service, and if it equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position. Examples of such experience may include planning and execution of research directed at complex problems of critical operational or scientific importance requiring high levels of originality and creativity for their solution; managing resources effectively in planning, developing, and executing projects; using significant, substantive, and progressively responsible and complex techniques of development and implementation.