CS-3240: Pre-Senior Design

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FAQ

  • Why is it an online course?
    We wanted to leave the junior Spring semester open for study-abroad. This is the ONLY required course that semester, and because it can easily be done remotely (no lectures!), we offer it online.

  • I'm going to be on-campus. Can I stop by for help?
    We are always available (during office hours) for both on-campus and off-campus students. Off-campus students can use skype or call by phone.

  • What is Senior Design all about?
    Think of this course as the course that "brings it all together," an opportunity for you to apply what you have learned to a substantive project. In Senior Design, you will build and demonstrate a "product". In doing so, you will not only learn how to manage your time in a large project, but also get to practice many related skills: design, planning, software engineering, presentation, and writing.

  • Who should take this course?
    The course is required for students in the B.S. program, and for those B.A. students who aren't doing their project in the second major.

  • I haven't taken some of the prerequisites. Can I take this course?
    The official pre-requisites are the Big Three junior courses (OS, algorithms, foundations). If you haven't taken all three because you are in the BA program, stop by to discuss.

  • Am I required to program in Java?
    Not at all. There is no language requirement at all. That said, it's probably a good idea to discuss implementation choices with your mentor.

  • What constitutes an acceptable SD project?
    In a nutshell, an SD project needs to have core computer science as its "meat", something that's innovative, somethat that will challenge you and take you out of your comfort zone. See this page for more details.

  • Can I change my project in the Fall?
    Generally, we want to discourage a major change in direction. You can certainly make a case for it. It might be, for example, that some important equipment needed is no longer available.