CS378 Syllabus
CS378 Syllabus
Computing Facilities: There are some Macs available for this class in GDC 5.710A. All the
machines have Xcode 6 installed.
Tools: Xcode 6 (we may upgrade to Xcode 7 when its officially released)
Language: Swift 1 (we may upgrade to using Swift 2 when its available, with Xcode 7)
iOS Device: You are NOT required to have an iOS device. All the class deliverables can be
produced using the iOS simulator that comes with Xcode.
Class Discussion Tool: I will be setting up a discussion group for the class on Piazza. I will
provide instructions on how to get access to it when it becomes available.
Grading Policy:
Grading for the projects will be held off until after Digital Demo Day. Industry people typically
show up for this event.
Grade component breakdown:
Component Points
The final letter grade will be assigned based on your total points, with the following scale:
1000 - 950 A+
949 - 925 A
924 - 900 A-
899 - 850 B+
849 - 825 B
824 - 800 B-
799 - 750 C+
749 - 725 C
724 - 700 C-
699 - 600 D
599 - 0 F
If you are dissatisfied with a grade you receive on an assignment you must submit your
complaint via email, along with supporting evidence or arguments, to me or the TA within one
week of the date the teaching staff first attempted to return the assignment to you.
Skills & Experience Flags:
II - Independent Inquiry
This course carries the Independent Inquiry flag. Independent Inquiry courses are
designed to engage you in the process of inquiry over the course of a semester,
providing you with the opportunity for independent investigation of a question,
problem, or project related to your major. You should therefore expect a non-trivial
portion of your grade to come from the independent investigation and presentation
of your own work.
The University and the Department are committed to preserving the reputation of your degree.
It means a lot to you. In order to guarantee that every degree means what it says it means, we
must enforce strict policy that guarantees that the work that you turn in is your own and that the
grades you receive measure your personal achievement in your classes.
Every piece of work that you turn in with your name on it must be yours and yours alone unless
explicitly allowed by an instructor in a particular class. Specifically, unless otherwise authorized
by an instructor.
Students may not discuss their work with anyone except the instructor and other members of
the instructional staff (instructor, TA, lab proctor or partner on a pair assignment).
Students may not acquire from any source (e.g. another student or an internet site) a partial or
complete solution to a problem or project that has been assigned.
Your are responsible for complying with this policy in two ways:
1. You must not turn in work that is not yours, except as expressly permitted by the instructor of
each course.
2. You must not enable someone else to turn in work that is not theirs. Do not share your work
with anyone else. Make sure that you adequately protect all your files. Even after you have
finished a class, do not share your work or published answers with the students who come
after you. They need to do their own work on their own.
The penalty for academic dishonesty will be course grade of F and a referral of the case to the
Dean of Students. Further penalties, including suspension or expulsion from the university may
be imposed by that office.
One final word: This policy is not intended to discourage students from learning from each other,
nor is it unmindful of the fact that most significant work in computer science and in the
computing industry is done by teams of people working together. But, because of our need to
assign individual grades, we are forced to impose an otherwise artificial requirement for
individual work. In some classes, it is possible to allow and even encourage collaboration in
ways that do not interfere with the instructors ability to assign grades. In these cases, your
instructor will make clear to you exactly what kinds of collaboration are allows for the class.
It is expected that you are to do a significant amount of the work on your own.
Religious Holidays: By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending absence at least
fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class,
an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, you will
be given an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the
absence.
Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities may request appropriate academic
accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for
Students with Disabilities, 512-471-6259, www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/.
Schedule: A schedule of lecture topics and assignments, with due dates, follows.
Class # Day of Date Topic Notes
Week