CS 7001: Introduction to Graduate Studies

Objectives

This class will prepare you to perform great research in computer science, regardless of the area you ultimately choose to pursue for your Ph.D. Towards achieving this goal, this course will:

Textbooks

You will be expected to read some material on graduate school, research, etc., which will be assigned throughout the term.
There are no required textbooks for the course.

Prerequisites

You must be a first-year Ph.D. student in the College of Computing.

Grading

This course will have a letter grade: A, B, or Fail. The components of the grade are as follows:

  • 4 Assignments (30%)
  • 5 Mini-Assignments (20%)
  • 1 Main Project (30%)
  • 2+ Mini-Projects (10%)
  • Participation (10%)
You must have more than 50% in each category and complete 66% of the course to pass.

Schedule

Papers will not be handed out in class.
Please print the readings and read them before class.
Speaker schedule is tentative!

Lecture Date Topics Notes/Resources Preparation
1 Mon 08/17 Course Overview
[pdf] [ppt]
Mini-Assignment 1:
Thought Questions
2 Wed 08/19 Why Ph.D.?
[ppt]
3 Mon 08/24 How do I recognize a great idea?
[ppt]
4 Wed 08/26 How do I get a fellowship? (Karen Adams)
[pdf]
5 Mon 08/31 Case Study #1: Example of a Scientific Revolution
[ppt]
Assignment 1:
Recognizing Good Ideas
Baran Interview
6 Wed 09/02 On Great Ideas #1: Scientific Revolutions
[ppt]
Kuhn
Mon 09/07 Labor Day
7 Wed 09/09 Case Study #2: Examples of Great Researchers
[ppt]
Hamming
8 Mon 09/14 On Great Ideas #2: Great Researchers
[ppt]
9 Wed 09/16 Motivation and Time Management
[ppt]
Mini-Assignment 2:
Time Log
Griessman
10 Mon 09/21 Fun in Atlanta (Panel)
11 Wed 09/23 Generating Ideas #1: Research Patterns
[ppt]
Assignment 2: Creating an Idea Polya
12 Mon 09/28 Case Study #2: Examples of Research Patterns
[ppt]
13 Wed 09/30 Generating Ideas #2: Creativity
[ppt]
Adams
Mon 10/05 Recess
14 Wed 10/07 Generating Ideas #3: Cross-Disciplinary Thinking
[ppt]
15 Mon 10/12 Communicating Ideas #1 (Karen Head)
16 Wed 10/14 Ethics (Jason Borenstein)
17 Mon 10/19 Communicating Ideas #2: Writing
[ppt]
Mini-Assignment 3:
Project and Mini-Projects Interim Report
Zobel Strunk
18 Wed 10/21 Mock PC Session #1
Assignment 3:
Critiquing Ideas
19 Mon 10/26 Mock PC Session #2
20 Wed 10/28 People Skills
[ppt]
Fri 10/30
Pseudo-Assignment:
Costume Contest
21 Mon 11/02 Communicating Ideas #3: Speaking
Mini-Assignment 4:
Elevator Pitch
Asher
22 Wed 11/04 Elevator Pitches
23 Mon 11/09 Teaching Skills (Lydia Soleil)
24 Wed 11/11 Commercialization (Keith McGreggor)
25 Mon 11/16 Diversity (Stephanie Ray)
Mini-Assignment 5:
Personal Web Page
26 Wed 11/18 Data Analysis and Visualization
27 Mon 11/23 Grad School Survival (Panel)
Wed 11/25 Turkey Cooking
Mini-Conference
28 Mon 11/30 Mini-Conference
Assignment 4: Talk Reviews
29 Wed 12/02 Mini-Conference
Pseudo-Assignment: Social
Mon 12/07
Project and Mini-Project Writeups Due

Home Reading Syllabus validate