Cleveland State University
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
CIS 601 Graduate Seminar in Computer and Information Science
Catalog Data:
CIS 601 Graduate Seminar in Computer and Information Science
Prerequisite: Completion of the MCISM preparatory program.
Introduction to current research topics in computer science and information
systems. Explores how research is done in these areas. State-of-the-art
industrial practices are also examined. Students prepare presentations on
current research topics in computer science or information systems based on
surveys of recent articles. Must be taken the first semester after completion
of the preparatory program.
Instructor:
Timothy Arndt
Office Phone:
(216) 687-4779
email:
arndt@cis.csuohio.edu
Expected Outcomes:
The student is able to effectively communicate complex technical
information through an oral presentation and illustrative figures. Student is
able to summarize complex research articles in computer science, classify the
research and give examples of how it may be applied. Student is able to
effectively communicate complex technical issues in computer science
research in the form of a short, written technical review article.
Course Outline:
The schedule of topics and their order of coverage is given below. Every
effort will be made to follow the schedule, but topics covered may vary
depending upon the progress made.
Week of
1&2
3-5
6
7-15
Topic
Introduction
Student & Visitor Presentations
Exam 1
Student & Visitor Presentations
Reading
Slides
Slides
NOTE: The instructor reserves the right to retain, for pedagogical reasons, either the original or a copy of
your work submitted either individually or as a group project for this class. Students' names will be deleted
from any retained items.
Grading:
Homework Assignments (2-3) 10% , Midterm Exam 20% Final Exam (noncomprehensive) 20%, Presentation 40%, class participation 10%.
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All homework assignments are due at the beginning of class on the specified
date. An assignment turned in one day late will get a 10% penalty, two days
late will get a 20% penalty, etc. Assignments turned in after the beginning of
class on the due date will be counted as one day late and will receive a 10%
penalty.
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All assignments must be individually and independently completed. Should
two or more students turn in substantially the same solution or program, in
the judgment of the instructor, the solution will be considered a group effort.
All involved in a group effort homework will receive a zero grade for that
assignment.
No late assignment are accepted after the assignment is graded and returned.
See the CSU student conduct code for further information.
Plagiarism of material used in the project/presentation will result in a grade of
F for the semester.
The following grading scale will be used to calculate final grades:
Total percentage
Total percentage earned
earned
93 - 100%
A
80 - 82%
B90 - 92%
A- 70 – 79%
C
87 - 89%
B+ 60% and below
F
83 – 86%
B
Examination Policy: Exams are based on presentations and assignments. Seating during exams will
generally be assigned.
Make-Up Exam Policy: Make-up exams/quizzes will only be given in case of serious need and only when
the instructor is notified prior to the exam time. If this is not done, the grade is automatically 0 for that exam.
Written verification for the student’s inability to take an exam will be required.
.
Homework Policy:
 All assignments must be individually and independently completed. Should two or more students turn
in substantially the same solution , in the judgment of the instructor, the solution will be considered a
group effort. All involved in a group effort homework will receive a zero grade for that assignment.
 See the CSU student conduct code for further information.
 Unacknowledged use of code from other sources (Internet, books, friends, etc.) will result in a score of
zero on that assignment. Two cases of this will result in a grade of F for the semester.
 Plagiarism of material used in the project/presentation will result in a grade of F for the semester.
Students will prepare a short presentation on a current research paper in Computer Science or Information
Systems based on a study a refereed journal article. Each presentation will be 20 minutes in length, with an
additional 5 minutes for questions. The presentation must be prepared in either PowerPoint or Acrobat format.
The file containing the presentation should be submitted by e-mail no later than the Friday before you are to
present. If you must make last minute changes, bring a USB drive with your presentation to class, but be
prepared to use the older version if the newer one is not compatible. I will e-mail you an acknowledgement
and will test your file for compatibility with my laptop. A one page abstract of the presentation should also be
submitted at the same time as the presentation. A typical presentation should include the following:
background/context (enough to make the problem understandable to a general CIS audience); problem
statement (what is being solved by the research described and why is it important?); previous approaches to
the problem; the approach taken in the research described; conclusions.
Late Assignment: All homework assignments are due at the beginning of class on the specified date. An
assignment turned in one day late will get a 10% penalty, two days late will get a 20% penalty, etc.
Assignments turned in after the beginning of class on the due date will be counted as one day late and will
receive a 10% penalty. No late assignment are accepted after the assignment is graded and returned.
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