Prerequisites

• COMS W3134 (or equivalent)
• Calculus II or III (or equivalent)

Course Overview

This course is designed to explore topics and skills needed for the successful completion of large computer science projects. This will be done through a mix of lecture and group work led by both the course instructor as well as guest instructors from both industry and academia. Students will exercise their development of these skills by applying them in the context of a project. For Spring 2023, students are expected to bring a project to the course. The course staff will be able to provide general support for projects but may not have the technical expertise to support projects in depth. As such, these projects will ideally already have a (technical) mentor or client sponsor who can support the student. For example, a student could be working on a research project with a professor or helping a local company develop a web interface to their product. Students may be admitted into the course without a (technical) mentor or client sponsor if they can demonstrate that they have the requisite background in the topic and resources to reach out to for support. Students will also be given opportunities to check in and seek help from the rest of the class on their projects. To document their projects and begin to build their personal portfolio, students will (learn how to and) develop a website, report, and presentation about both the final result of their project as well as the journey taken. Note: Per University policies, you cannot both receive payment and course credit for a single project. You also cannot receive course credit for a single project through two courses. Gray areas may be discussed with the course staff. Note 2: Projects done in groups will need to have larger scope so that all students can demonstrate contributions.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the semester, you will be able to:

• Write up and present the results of an open-ended project
• Learn and practice a series of skills to empower you in your future courses and careers
• Develop a simple website to document an open-ended projects
• Make use of the unix command line and version control software

Waiting List

This class is capped at 24 students. This semester, I am handling the waitlist as an instructor-controlled waiting list. Students will be admitted based on a combination of seniority, interests in the class, and contributions to a diverse set of viewpoints and experiences in the class. Half of the available slots will be reserved for Barnard students (assuming sufficient demand). To be considered for the class, please join the waiting list AND fill out the form at https://bit.ly/COMS3997-SP23-WL, which asks a few questions about your background and your interests in the class.

Office Hours

The most up-to-date schedule of office hours can be found here. I will also try to respond to requests emailed to bplancher+courses@barnard.edu within 24 hours during the weekdays and within 48 hours over the weekend.