| Instructor: | Jamie Morgenstern |
| Teaching assistant: | Bernie Zhu |
| Lecture: | Monday, 6:30–9:20 PM — CSE2 G10 |
| Office hours: | Jamie, Tuesday, 4–5 PM; Bernie, Wednesday, 7–8 PM. Find the Zoom links in the office-hours post on Ed. |
| Discussion: | Ed Discussion (also available in Canvas). All non-personal questions should be posted there. |
| Staff email: | csep546-staff@cs.washington.edu |
| Anonymous feedback: | feedback.cs.washington.edu |
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Lecture recordings are scheduled for all ten classes and will be available through Panopto Recordings in Canvas after processing.
Machine learning explores the study and construction of algorithms that can learn from historical data and make inferences about future outcomes. This study is a marriage of algorithms, computation, and statistics, so this class will have healthy doses of each. The goals of this course are to provide a thorough grounding in the fundamental methodologies and algorithms of machine learning.
Prerequisites: Students entering the class should be comfortable with programming and should have a pre-existing working knowledge of linear algebra (MATH 308 or equivalent), vector calculus (MATH 126 or equivalent), probability and statistics (CSE 312/STAT 390 or equivalent), and algorithms. For a brief refresher, consult the reference materials on the Textbooks page.
Grading: Homework performance determines your provisional course grade, based on five assignments: HW0 (10%), HW1 (20%), HW2 (20%), HW3 (20%), and HW4 (30%). Curving of homework scores will be based on an affine transformation at the instructor’s discretion and will not be publicly posted. To receive your provisional grade, you must also demonstrate the corresponding level of independent understanding through the in-person quizzes described below.
There will be eight short in-person quizzes, each with three questions, assessing essential concepts from recent course material. Quizzes must be completed independently, without notes, devices, or AI tools. Each quiz is scored out of 3 points. We drop your two lowest whole-quiz scores, including zeros for missed quizzes. Your best six quizzes count, for a total of 18 points. Taking all eight gives you more opportunities to replace a weaker score. You can miss two quizzes without reducing the maximum score available on the six that count. Approved accommodations and university-required exceptions will be honored.
Quiz dates: October 12, 19, and 26; November 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30. There is no quiz on December 7, the last day of class. See the course schedule for quiz numbers.
Planned quiz makeups: If you expect to be late or absent, let course staff know by the preceding Friday. With advance notice, we can plan a makeup either at the end of class or before the next lecture. Send personal scheduling details privately to course staff. Approved accommodations continue to apply.
Quizzes are a requirement for grade eligibility, rather than a separately weighted percentage of your course grade. Your homework determines your provisional grade; your best-six quiz score determines the highest grade you are eligible to receive. Meeting a quiz threshold does not guarantee that grade: your homework performance must also support it.
| Course grade eligibility | Minimum best-six quiz score |
|---|---|
| 3.5–4.0 | 15/18 |
| 3.0–3.4 | 13/18 |
| 2.5–2.9 | 11/18 |
| 2.0–2.4 | 9/18 |
The thresholds are two points apart. For example, homework supporting a 3.8 combined with a best-six score of 14/18 yields a course grade no higher than 3.4. A best-six quiz score of at least 9/18 is required for eligibility to earn a course grade of 2.0 or higher through the quiz route.
We provide weekly quiz question generators that are very similar to the generator used to create your in-person quiz questions, so you can practice. Each set includes three short questions and worked solutions. Actual quizzes may use different numbers, contexts, or wording. Try the questions independently before revealing the solutions, and focus on understanding and explaining the concepts. Practice work does not count toward your course grade. The practice page uses a finite bank of 100 prepared versions per material week, hosted on the UW course website; it does not call an external AI service.
Students are expected to demonstrate independent understanding through the quizzes. Only students whose best-six quiz score is below 9/18 may choose to take a comprehensive final exam as an alternative way to demonstrate understanding. Students with best-six quiz scores of 9/18 or higher are not eligible to take this exam to improve their quiz result.
For students who choose this option, final-exam performance replaces the quiz result for determining grade eligibility; we do not take the better of the two results. The exam assesses the quarter’s essential concepts using the same standards of independent understanding. Homework still determines the provisional course grade. The exam schedule and score-to-grade-eligibility mapping will be provided before the exam. A student below 9/18 who does not take the final remains ineligible for a course grade of 2.0 or higher.
We take academic integrity very seriously. Please read the UW Student Conduct Code: Academic Misconduct. If you’re uncertain about whether something is academic misconduct, ask the Instructor or TAs at least 24 hours before the assignment is due.
This course welcomes all students of all backgrounds. You should expect and demand to be treated by your classmates and the course staff with respect. If any incident occurs that challenges this commitment to a supportive, diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment, please let the instructor know so the issue can be addressed.
University policy prohibits all forms of sexual harassment. If you feel you have been a victim of sexual harassment or discrimination, you may speak with your instructor, the department chair, or file a complaint with the UW Ombudsman’s Office (339 HUB, 206-543-6028) or the University Complaint Investigation and Resolution Office (UCIRO) (22 Gerberding Hall).
Your access in this course is important to us. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please communicate your approved accommodations to us at your earliest convenience. If you have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations, please contact DRS at 206-543-8924, uwdrs@uw.edu, or disability.uw.edu.