CIS 400/401 Senior Design Projects 2010/2011

Instructor and TA's Information:

Instructor: Insup Lee
E-Mail: lee [at] cis.upenn
Office: Levine 602
Office Hours: M 4:30 - 5:30 PM, TH 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Teaching Asst: Andrew  King
E-Mail: kingand [at] cis
Office: Levine 514
Office Hours: F 12 - 3PM or by appointment

This year's teams and projects: link

Schedule CIS401:

  • REQUIRED LECTURES: Jan 18th and Jan 20th @ 4:30 in 313 Towne
Schedule CIS400:

  • Schedule your progress report interview ASAP! info link
  • CIS400 progress report due December 12th @ Midnight Remember to schedule a meeting!- progress report spec
  • Library/Research resource info session, 9/21 MOORE 100B, 4:30-6:00 PM.
  • LaTeX turtorial will be on Thursday, 9/16 MOORE 212, 4:30-6:00 PM. Tutorial, examples and writing guidelines: latex_tutorial.zip
  • Our first course meeting. Thursday September 9th, 4:30-6:00 PM.

Milestone Dates:

Final report due April 22nd, midnight final report spec
Poster due April 20th, midnight poster spec
Progress report due December 12th, midnight progress report spec
Project Proposal due Oct. 7th, 5:00 PM spec_proposal.zip
GENERAL INFORMATION N/A [Intro Slides] [General Rubric] [Tech. Comm. Rubric] [Writing Guidelines]
 [In-text citations guide]


Course Structure:

[Goals] The goal of this course is to provide an opportunity to define, design, and execute a project of your own choosing. Evaluation is based on your ability to select an interesting topic, communicate your objectives in writing and presentations, to accurately gauge what resources are required to complete your chosen task, and your ability to execute your plan.

[Course Mechanics] In CIS 400 you are required to submit two revisions of your project description. After the first submission you will sign up for a design review meeting. During the 20-30 minute meeting we will review your document, discuss, and tweak your objectives (This first portion is 25% of the CIS 400 grade). The second revision, due later in the semester, is expected to be a longer and more technical account of your approach and progress. It should also include a prototype demonstration. (This portion is 75% of the CIS 400 grade). Additional review meetings will be held during the spring semester (CIS 401) to assess your progress. At the conclusion of spring term, poster presentations will be held, with prizes awarded to outstanding projects.


Frequently Asked Questions:

  • Are team projects allowed? Teams with 2 - 4 members are most desirable. Solo projects are not likely to be approved.

  • Can I have a project advisor from outside the CIS department? Yes, but I will likely require an additional advisor within the CIS department who can evaluate your work from a CIS perspective.

  • Can I register for a class that conflicts with CIS 400/401? Yes, but you are required to sign up for and attend the individual project review meetings and any other additional meetings.


    Ideas & Past Year's Projects::

  • PROJECT SUGGESTIONS & IDEAS
  • PREVIOUS PROJECT SUGGESTIONS & IDEAS
  • Senior Project's 2009/2010
  • Senior Project's 2008/2009
  • Senior Project's 2007/2008
  • Senior Project's 2006/2007
  • Senior Project's 2005/2006
  • Senior Project's 2004/2005


    Project Resources:

  • Senior Design Project Course Guide @ Penn Libraries
  • Information Resources in CIS @ Penn Libraries
  • Science & Engineering Libraries @ Penn

  • Derwent Innovations Index (Patent Library)
  • Google Scholar
  • CiteSeer Digital Library and Citation Repository
  • ACM Digital Library
  • IEEE/IEE Electronic Library
  • Full-text version of "Lecture Notes in Computer Science" (lots of books)

  • Plagiarism - What it is and how to avoid it -- DON'T DO IT!