Prerequisite: Computer Science & Informatics (or related) major, Senior standing

Course Description

This project-based capstone is intended for computer science seniors. Each student will design, implement, and present a project that integrates computer science content from his or her major courses. It is expected that the project will involve building a software and/or Web-based product, such as database of resources for a non-profit organization, a mobile app for locating classrooms on campus, or an interactive, multimedia Web site for a student group. In addition, students will review seminal papers and results in computer science in a seminar-style setting.

Specific objectives:

• Students will study and understand the significance of seminal works in computer science as well as cutting edge research and technologies.
• Students will design and implement a semester-long project that integrates concepts from across the computer science curriculum.
• Students will demonstrate effective technical writing and oral communication skills through a project report and presentation.

Required Work

The class will meet weekly to discuss important papers in computer science. A collection of papers will be identified by the instructor at the beginning of the course, with input from the students. Students will take turns selecting papers from this list and leading the discussion. In addition, each student will meet individually or in small groups with the instructor to receive guidance and to report on his/her project. The project must integrate content from the computer science curriculum. For example, developing a mobile application that connects to a customer database would integrate concepts from Data Structures, Web Programming, and Databases.

Each student will complete a 10-page (minimum) project report that provides background information, design goals, and a detailed description of the project. A draft of that report must be submitted for feedback and the appropriate revisions made in the final report. In the last week of the course, students will present their projects to the class.

Students are expected to attend and participate in discussions each week. In the case of an emergency, the student should make every effort to notify the instructor of his/her absence, and meet with the instructor at earliest opportunity to discussed missed material. The final grade for the course will be based on the following weightings:

Seminar-style discussions	45%
attendance/participation (25%)
preparation/leadership (20%)
Capstone project	55%
project proposal (5%)
midway checkpoint (5%)
report draft (15%)
final report (20%)
project presentation (10%)

At the minimum, traditional grading cutoffs for the final average will apply. That is, 90% is guaranteed an A, 87% is guaranteed a B+, etc. Depending on class performance, some shifting of grades (in an upward direction only) may occur as final letter grades are assigned.

It is expected that all students check their Creighton email accounts regularly. Official announcements, such as assignment revisions or class cancellations, will be distributed through Creighton email.

Policy on Collaboration

Creighton's policy on cheating and plagiarism is spelled out in the the Student Handbook, with college procedures available online at www.creighton.edu/fileadmin/user/CCAS/docs/2010_Site/academic_honesty_policy.pdf. In addition, the Capstone project must be an original work of the student or team of students for this course. When the project builds upon existing ideas or code, the sources must be appropriately referenced.

Weekly Schedule (check regularly for updates)