CSC 400

Problem Seminar (Introduction to Graduate Study)

Spring 2021.

Course Description

CSC 400 is the only course required of all students in the PhD program.  Its primary purpose is to integrate new students into the culture of the department and the broder CS research community.  For many years, 400 was taught by Prof. Randal Nelson, who died tragically in April of 2020, shortly after the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.  In Randal’s absence, and with several students deferring their PhD admission until spring, we opted not to teach the course in the fall of 2020.  This was the first time it had been missing from the curriculum in over 40 years.  Beginning next year, it will again be a 4-credit fall course.  This spring it is being offered in an abbreviated, 2-credit form.  Since several students are still unable to enter the country due to the pandemic, all course content will be offered online.  Topics to be covered include:

• Introduction to the department: faculty, staff, peers, areas of research, offices and labs. 
• Introduction to the PhD program: funding, academic hurdles and expectations. 
• Introduction to the wider CS community: professional organizations, funding agencies, history, conferences and journals. 
• The nature of graduate research: how to find a topic, how to be productive. 
• Professional standards: academic honesty, codes of ethics/conduct, respect and inclusion. 
• Local and internet library resources; how to do a literature search; how to read and review papers. 
• How to write a research paper: organizing and presenting material; understanding your audience; mastering LaTeX. 
• How to give an effective talk. 
• How to review a paper; how to review a grant proposal. 

These topics will consume about half of our class sessions.  With so much to cover, the emphasis will be on breadth, not depth.  The other half of our time will be devoted to a survey of department research, in the form of guest lectures by members of the faculty. 

Grading

Grades for the semester will be based on participation in class Zoom sessions and online forums, and on a modest number of assignment.  The latter are likely to include

• Creating a professional web site and starting a curriculum vitae. 
• Reviewing a research paper. 
• Conducting a literature search and writing an area survey. 
• Giving a talk on the above. 
• Writing a grant review. 

Academic Honesty

Students are expected to adhere to the highest standards of integrity, including

• the University’s Academic Honesty Policy
• the ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
• the related policies of the AAAI and the IEEE

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Last Change: 31 January 2021 /