�����Allen School “300s” �Curriculum Overview

Also: Career Seminars�Dan Grossman�November 25, 2024��

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Goal (in 10 minutes)

Content overview (“what do you learn where”) of the CSE curriculum,

particularly the CSE 300s, for direct-admit freshmen

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Why:

• Empowering + exciting + reassuring to hear what lies ahead
• Can help with course planning and finding areas of interest

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But:

• Much may not make sense: very hard to describe courses you haven’t taken yet (!)
• Analogy: Tell a 9^th-grader about 12^th-grade classes
• Courses will make sense as you take them: we designed it that way!

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CSE 121, 122, 123: 80-90% non-majors, programming fundamentals

300-level and beyond: 95-100% majors

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400-level

• Large, mostly unordered set of “senior-level courses”
• But usually start taking them as a junior
• ~50-150 students per course
• ~15 courses offered each quarter

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• Very roughly decreasing order of current popularity:

Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Distributed Systems, Security, Deep Learning, Networks, Security, Operating Systems, Vision, Data Visualization, Natural Language Processing, Human-Computer Interaction, Compilers, Graphics, Complexity, Cryptography, Computational Biology, Software Engineering, Robotics, Computer Architecture, and much more!

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Capstones

• Our smallest undergrad courses: 20-30 students

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• Design and implementation team projects, with iteration, presentation, and more

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• ~10 offered per year, different topics available each year: Virtual Reality, Operating Systems, Games, Hardware, Security, Biology, Robotics, …

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• < ½ CSE students take one (used to be higher)

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• Not strictly after 400s despite the picture

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“300-level”

The fundamentals!

“400-level”

Senior-level courses

capstone

design

“100-level”

Intro. programming

My favorite part ☺

300-level:

The “bridge” from the introductory programming to senior-level courses

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Theory: logic, discrete math, big-O, prob/stats, finite-state machines, …

Programming: specifications, testing, data structures, GUIs, C, Linux tools, …

Systems: bits, assembly, caching, managing resources, C

Hardware: [optional for CS]

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Some 300-level courses required, others very popular anyways

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208

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The fundamental math that gives meaning/correctness to computing:

logic, proofs, induction, sets,

finite state machines,

undecidability

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208

Probability, statistics, and randomness in computing:

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Likelihood of X given Y, …

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208

Matrices (arrays of arrays), representing systems of linear equations – main algorithms, properties, etc.

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208

Design, specify, test, and implement programs larger than at 100-level

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Abstractions, advanced Java features, design patterns, etc.

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208

Data structures: trees, heaps, hashing, graphs, …

Run-time analysis: “Big-O”

Parallelism: Algorithms with > 1 processor

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208

Design and implementation of user interfaces – graphical elements and when/how to use them well

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208

[my favorite class ☺, elegant software from new perspectives]

functional programming, static vs. dynamic typing, modularity, general principles across all languages

…

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208

Using databases and other systems for large-scale, persistent data storage, management, and analysis

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208

Tools and concepts used in many other classes: Linux command-line, version control (git), more

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208

All the key levels between languages like Java and the hardware, how “it’s all 1s and 0s”

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208

Builds on 351 to teach effective principles for programming in C, which is “closer to hardware”

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208

Intro to EE (circuits, signals, processing waveforms) for non-EE majors

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Cross-listed with EE as follow-on to CSE 369 / EE 271, more hardware design

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Lab courses for digital-logic hardware: building on logic concepts in 311 to build digital hardware

Lab courses for digital-logic hardware: building on logic concepts in 311 to build digital hardware

The “bridge” from the introductory programming to senior-level courses

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Theory: logic, discrete math, big-O,

prob/stats, finite-state machines, …

Programming: specifications, testing,

data structures, GUIs, C, Linux tools, …

Systems: bits, assembly, caching, resource management, C, …

Hardware: [optional for CS]

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Whew ☺

• That was ~1.5 years of CSE classes in ~5 minutes
• Empowering + reassuring + exciting, not “oh, that all makes sense”

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• Try to keep the “big picture” amid the day-to-day studying
• Curriculum was designed as a coherent package
• Each course complements the others and should forever change the way you look at CSE (and the world!)
• Early on, courses may seem disconnected, but it “all fits together” as you learn more
• It’s a known, good thing that CSE 123, 311, 351 are nothing like each other

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• Why the 300s are my favorite: The classic, timeless elegance after introductory programming and before advanced material
• I’ve taught CSE 331 4x, CSE 332 2x, CSE 341 16x (!), CSE 351 2x

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Career prep?

• Courses teach you abilities/skills/knowledge essential to your career,*
• But not focused on all the other aspects of career success

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• Have heard about activities like resume reviews, mock interviews, career fairs, …
• Also have whole seminars about career prep
• At multiple stages along your journey
• That’s why CSE 190B doesn’t do more
• …

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*Remember earlier presentation on many career pathways, not just “software engineer at large company”!

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Career prep – current offerings

1. 492J: Career Preparation Seminar: about the recruiting process with ~70% about prepping for technical interviews

• Ideal time to take is quarter after CSE 332
• Try to offer most quarters

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2. 492L: Alumni Career Experience Seminar (formerly Leadership Seminar Series): hear from a different alum 5-15 years ahead of you each quarter: “postcard from your future”

• Probably best for juniors but flexible
• Each Winter

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3. 492C: Navigating Early-Career Challenges: Coherent from-one-person course

• Aimed at graduating seniors looking at key skills/challenges in first 1-2 years
• Currently every quarter

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4. 492P1 Patterns for Career Success: Coherent from-one-person course

• Aimed at graduating seniors looking at 10ish years arc
• Spring

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