CSC400: Problem Seminar
Fall 2025

Course Information

An introduction to the technical, social, economic, and political aspects of graduate education in computer science at Rochester. Class meetings consist primarily of group discussions and presentations that focus on a broad range of topics, and are intended to improve the critical analysis, technical writing, presentation, and problem-solving skills of students. Both class discussions and written assignments are drawn from material presented in other first-year graduate courses offered within the department. The course also offers a forum for individual department faculty members to discuss their research interests and recent results. Satisfactory performance is required of all first-year PhD students.

Credit hours: 4.0

Prerequisites: None

Class: Tue-Thu 1650-1805 (450PM-605PM) Hylan 203

If changes to this syllabus are necessary, they will be announced on BlackBoard.

Instructor Information

Prof. George Ferguson <ferguson@cs.rochester.edu>

Office: Wegmans Hall 2103 (see instructor website for office hours)

Bibliographic or other resources

Any required readings will be posted on BlackBoard.

There are no other required materials or resources for this course.

Course Objectives

In this course, students will get to know:

Course Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Grading

Grades will be based on the following elements:

Letter grades will follow the Arts, Sciences, and Engineering Graduate Student Grading Scheme. The following table is an estimate of how the numeric grades will map onto the letter grades (subject to change):

A Excellent ≥90%
A-, B+  
B Good ≥80%
B-    
C Poor ≥70%
E Failure <70%

All appeals of grades must be made no later than ONE WEEK after the grade was posted (or sooner as announced on BlackBoard).

Policies

Attendance

Attendance is required in class and at other department functions as announced in class.

Academic Honesty

All assignments and activities associated with this course must be performed in accordance with the University of Rochester’s Academic Honesty Policy. More information is available at: www.rochester.edu/college/honesty

Disability Resources

The University of Rochester respects and welcomes students of all backgrounds and abilities. In the event you encounter any barrier(s) to full participation in this course due to the impact of disability, please contact the Office of Disability Resources. The access coordinators in the Office of Disability Resources can meet with you to discuss the barriers you are experiencing and explain the eligibility process for establishing academic accommodations. You can reach the Office of Disability Resources at: disability@rochester.edu; (585) 276-5075; Taylor Hall.

Students with an accommodation for any aspect of the course must make arrangements IN ADVANCE through the Disability Resources office. Then, as instructed by the office, contact the instructor to confirm your arrangements. Do not leave this until the last minute.

Excuses

Students who are unable to attend or complete any part of the course due to illness should contact the instructor AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Please note that the University Health Service (UHS) does not provide retroactive excuses for missed classes. Students who are seen at UHS for an illness or injury can ask for documentation that verifies the date of their visit(s) to UHS without mention of the reason for the visit.

Students with an appropriate excuse for missing any exam or project deadline must make arrangements IN ADVANCE.