CIS 400/401 Senior Design Projects 2011/2012

Instructor Information:
Instructor:Insup Lee
E-Mail:lee [at] cis.upenn
Office:Levine 602
Hours:Monday 4:30-5:30PM
Thursday 2-3PM
TA:Andrew G. West
E-Mail:westand [at] cis.upenn
Office:Levine 613
Hours:By Appointment
TA:Alex Roederer
E-Mail:roederer [at] cis.upenn
Office:Levine 514
Hours:By Appointment

Schedule and notes:
Our first course meeting will be on Sept. 8, 4:30-6:00PM, in Towne 315
Class will meet on 9/15 for a LaTeX tutorial by Alex Roederer
Class will meet on 9/20 for a special lecture by Douglas McGee (attendance will be taken)
Class will meet on 2/23 for a special lecture by Joshua Beeman (attendance will be taken; slides are available here)
Class will meet on 3/22, 3/27, 3/29, and 4/5 from 4:30-6:00PM in Towne 313 for Final Project Presentations

Milestone Dates:
GENERAL INFORMATIONN/A [*WRITING-GUIDELINES*] [LaTeX TUTORIAL] [Intro Slides]
400: Project Proposal10/13 - 5PM [SPEC] [TEMPLATE] [RUBRIC] (meetings 10/20-10/27)
400: Progress Report12/8 - 5PM [SPEC] [TEMPLATE] (presentations 12/6--12/14)
400: Progress Presentations12/6 and 12/8 -Complete-
401: Project Poster4/18[SPEC] 11:59 PM, Due on Dropbox
401: Final Project Report4/20[SPEC] 11:59 PM, Due on Dropbox
401: Final Project Presentations3/22, 3/27, 3/29, 4/5[SCHEDULE] 4:30PM to 6:00PM in Towne 313
401: Demo Day Presentations4/23 8AM-1PM. Levine Hall Lobby
SEAS Design CompetitionTBD To be held in Levine Hall Lobby


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. 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 demonstration, along with project summary slides, will be presented to your peers during presentations near the conclusion of the Fall semester.

In CIS 401, your progress is expected to continue. A mid-term interview meeting will ensure student teams are on track to complete their goals. At the conclusion of spring term, final progress will again be presented during in-class presentations. Moreover, CIS Demo Day will allow students to present their work to judges, along with posters summarizing their contributions. Winning projects will be recognized (with prizes), and top finishers will advance to the SEAS-wide competition.


Frequently Asked Questions:

  • Are team projects allowed? Yes, we encourage that student's work as pairs/groups. This allows teams to research questions of greater complexity, at greater depth. The scope of the project should reflect the number of team members.

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

  • I have independently produced a project idea, but can't find an advisor. What do I do? It may be possible for the course instructor to advise your project. Please speak to Insup about this.

  • Can I register for a class that conflicts with CIS 400/401? Relative to prior editions of this course, this year's version will be placing additional emphasis on, (a) in-class presentations by student groups, and (b) information sessions by external lecturers. If it is necessary, course conflicts should be discussed with the professor.


    Ideas & Past Year's Projects::

  • PROJECT SUGGESTIONS & IDEAS
  • Senior Project's 2010/2011
  • 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)
  • 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!