Note: The syllabus is subject to change
There will be several routes of communication for this course:
CS61A AND CS61B AND CS70 is the recommended background.
Course programming assignments will be in Python. We do not assume that students have previous experience with the language, but we do expect you to learn the basics very rapidly. Project 0 is designed to teach you the basics of Python, but if you want to get a head start here is a good tutorial: ACM Python Tutorial
Extensions for projects and homeworks are generally granted only if
In a project group, the DSP extension only applies to the student with accommodation. If both students in the group have accommodation, they need to email the staff individually.
For assignments whose solutions are set to released publicly after the deadline, extension can only be requested up to the solutions release time.
This class includes five programming projects, ten electronic homework assignments, and four written homework assignments.
Written homeworks cannot be turned in late, you have to use your homework drops. Projects lose 20% of their total point value per day turned in late. However, projects also have slip days which can be used to delay the onset of the late policy. See the Homework Drop Policy.
Project 0 is to be completed alone. Projects 1 through 5 can be completed alone or in teams of two. If done in a team of two, the person who submits needs to tag the other team member on Gradescope. However, it is important that the submission reflects the understanding of both team members. Homework is to be submitted individually, but may be discussed in groups. If discussed in a group, acknowledge your collaborators in the submission per standard academic practice.
Please note that obtaining, sharing, and posting solutions to Electronic Homework, Written Homework, and Projects is a violation of academic integrity.
Please also note that sharing lecture recordings outside this class is prohibited due to privacy and accessibility concerns.
Programming projects must be turned in electronically by the listed due date and time. You will have a total of 5 slip days to be used across ALL projects to extend a deadline. Note that slip days are counted by the granularity of days, rounded up to the nearest day. For example, if you have yet to use your two slip days: for a project due at 11:59PM Pacific Time on Friday, any submission from Friday 11:59PM to Saturday 11:59PM will use up one slip day, any submission from Saturday 11:59PM to Sunday 11:59PM will use up two slip days, and any submissions after Sunday 11:59PM will begin being penalized by the late policy. Slip days will be applied to your grades at the end of the semester in a manner which maximizes your project grades. You may only use maximum two slip-days per project.
Projects will by default be graded automatically for correctness, though we will review projects individually as necessary to ensure that they receive the credit they deserve. Projects can be submitted as often as you like; we strongly encourage you to keep working until you get a full score.
Electronic component of HW: Electronic homework (hosted on Gradescope) is meant to reinforce and give practice with concepts covered in class. They will be automatically graded for correctness, and you can submit as many times as you like up to the deadline; again we encourage you to work until you have fully solved the homework. Electronic homeworks will be released on Tuesdays and due the following Mondays at 10:59PM Pacific Time.
Written component of HW: Written homework (submitted into Gradescope) is meant to make you think beyond strict repetition of what is covered in class and is used to reinforce conceptual material that you will see on exams. Written homeworks will be release on Thursdays and will be due two weeks later on Wednesdays at 10:59PM Pacific Time.
Note: Homeworks have no slip days.
You will each be allowed to drop your lowest written homework and your lowest electronic homework. These may be distributed throughout the semester, and do not have to all be from the same homework. (When calculating final grades, this will happen automatically, we’ll just use your highest scoring submissions.)
Note that this policy is also meant to deal with cases like internet issues while submitting, forgetting about the deadline, emergency situations, joining the class late, etc.
Submissions should acknowledge all collaborators and sources consulted. All code and written responses should be original. We trust you all to submit your own work, but to protect the integrity of the course from anyone who doesn’t want to play by the rules, we will actively be checking for code plagiarism (both from current classmates and previous semesters). We are not lenient about cheating; we sympathize with Kris Pister’s policy.
The midterm exam time is tentatively Thurs, Oct. 15, 5pm - 7pm Pacific Time. An alternative time will be offered for those who have exam conflicts or live in non-US timezones.
The final exam time is Wed, Dec. 16, 11:30am - 2:30pm Pacific Time (We have been moved from final exam group 14 to group 10 due to conflicts with many other classes). An alternative time will be offered for those who have exam conflicts or live in non-US timezones.
Overall grades will be determined from:
Grades are on the following fixed scale: (Refer to Notations for Intervals if you are not familiar with the notations below.)
The instructors may adjust grades upward based on class participation, extra credit, etc. The grade of A+ will be awarded at the instructors’ discretion based on exceptional performance.
If you are taking the class PNP, you will need to attain a letter grade of C- or higher AND take the final to pass. If you are taking the class SUS, you will need to attain a letter grade of B- or higher AND take the final to pass.
Regrade Policy: If you believe an error has been made in the grading of one of your exams or assignments, you may resubmit it for a regrade. Regrades for cases where we misapplied a rubric in an individual case are much more likely to be successful than regrades that argue about relative point values within the rubric, as the rubric is applied to the entire class. Because we will examine your entire submission in detail, your grade can go up or down as a result of a regrade request.
Here are the policies that govern admission into classes, and here are some answers to frequently asked questions about admission. The course staff does not control enrollment!