Syllabus

Course description

In this course, students learn and gain practical experience with software engineering principles, techniques, and tools. Topics in this course include requirements analysis, specification, design, abstraction, programming style, testing, maintenance, communication, teamwork, and software project management. The practical experience centers on a quarter-long team project, in which a software development project is carried through all the stages of the software life cycle. Particular emphasis is placed on communication skills and on developing maintainable software. In-class activities further provide a hands-on experience in using state-of-the-art techniques and tools.

Prerequisites

Course format

The class meets three times a week for lectures (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). All class meetings are in-person. Additionally, individual groups are required to meet twice a week during section for team and project meetings (Tuesday and Thursday). Classroom material is enhanced with assigned readings and in-class exercises. A major component of the course is teamwork on a group project. Individual contributions include exercises, retrospectives, an exam, and participation.

Grading

Grades will be based on the following: Your individual grade on the group project milestone deliverables may be adjusted based on your contribution.
General information about grading at the University of Washington is available as part of the UW Student Guide.

Policies

Late Policy

Assignments must be submitted on Canvas by the due date and time. Unless otherwise noted, all times are given in PDT (Pacific Time). Group project milestones may not be submitted past the deadline. For other assignments, the submission site will remain open for 24 hours after the deadline. Assignments submitted within 24 hours after the deadline will incur a 20% penalty. Assignments will not be accepted beyond 24 hours after the deadline.

Academic Integrity

Except for clearly labeled group submissions, all assignments and projects in the course are to be done by you and you alone. Violation will result in an immediate F grade and possible initiation of formal procedures. We use automated techniques and manual checks to correlate submissions. At the same time, we encourage students to help each other learn the course material. As in most courses, there is a boundary separating these two situations. You are allowed to consult with other students in the current class to help you understand the material or homework/project requirements (i.e., the problem definition). However, you may not collaborate in any way when constructing your solution: the solution to an individual homework/project must be prepared by you working alone. In particular, you are not allowed to collaboratively work out a detailed solution to the extent that your submissions are identifiably similar. Please refer to the following websites for additional information on the Allen School and UW overall academic policies: Allen School Policies and UW Policies.

Use of AI Tools

You may use AI tools to assist with the coding of your group project milestone deliverables and for any AI-assisted features of your group project milestone deliverables. However you may not use AI tools for any other parts of the milestone deliverables or class assignments. If you use AI tools (1) your group members must all agree to the use; and (2) you must clearly disclose the use in the turned-in material. If you have any questions as to what constitutes acceptable use of AI, please talk to the course instructor.

Code of Conduct

The Allen School Code of Conduct articulates the behavioral expectations to which we hold ourselves and each other accountable. These expectations promote excellence and integrity in all of our activities, ensure that all persons are treated with respect, dignity, civility, and courtesy, promote constructive communication and collaborative teamwork, and articulate the available reporting and resolution pathways if violations of these expectations occur. Please refer to the following websites for details on the Code of Conduct at the Allen School and UW overall: Allen School Policies and UW Policies.

Course Communication

To ensure the security of your personal information, all communication related to this course should be conducted through either the course LMS (Canvas or EdStem Platform) or via your UW or CSE-issued email address. Personal email addresses should not be used for course-related correspondence.

Accommodations

If you require any special services or accommodations during a course please make sure to inform us within the first week of that course. This will give us time to plan accordingly to ensure that you get the help and support you need. Please refer to the following website for additional information on disabilty accommodations: UW Disability Accommodations Resources, and the following website for additional information on religious accommodations: UW Religious Accommodations Policy.