Course Syllabus

IMPORTANT NOTE:  All dates and policies contained in the CS 4011 syllabus and Canvas course are subject to change.  Students can expect to be informed immediately and clearly of any changes.

Critical Information

Instructor

Prof. Parker, 3144 MEB, parker@cs.utah.edu 

Class meetings

Fridays 11:50a-12:40p in GC 2760

Office hours

Wednesdays 2:30-3:30p, Thursdays 2:45-3:45p, Fridays 10-11a, and by appointment (request by sending a private Piazza message) in 3144 MEB

Attendance

Due to the interactive nature of class meetings, attendance is required (details below) and meetings are not recorded. 

Textbooks

Required: Cracking the Tech Career by Gayle Laakmann McDowell, second edition ($15.95 new paperback Links to an external site., ~$8-14 used paperback)

Strongly recommended: Cracking the Coding Interview by Gayle Laakmann McDowell, sixth edition ($29.49 new paperback Links to an external site.)

Final course grade

The final CS 4011 grade is comprised of assignments 75% and class meeting participation 25%.  There are no exams. 

Communication

All class announcements and student questions (public or private) take place on Piazza — sign up right away and set notifications appropriately.  Use of the Canvas Inbox or email is discouraged for CS 4011 communications.  

Posting of course materials by students

All CS 4011 course materials belong to Prof. Parker and the University of Utah.  These materials are made available to students enrolled in CS 4011 this semester.  No student may post or share outside of class any materials (syllabus, lecture slides, assignment instructions, etc.) without the instructor's explicit permission.  Doing so is a violation of copyright.

Course Information

CS 4011: Professional Development (1.0 credit) prepares students for the process of entering the software developer job market. Students practice technical and non-technical job interview scenarios, learn to build a resume and portfolio, and navigate the landscape of job advertisements with specific career goals in mind. Students research compensation expectations in order to prepare for salary negotiations.

CS 4011 is a required course for students majoring in Software Development.  Students pursuing other majors should consult with the instructor or an academic advisor before continuing.

Pre-requisites

CS 3505 and CS 5530

Learning objectives 

Upon completion of CS 4011, students are able to:

  1. employ computational problem solving skills in a “white board” setting
  2. conduct themselves in a professional manner during a mock-job interview, either technical or non-technical
  3. write a resume that concisely and accurately represents their experience and skill set
  4. organize a well-presented portfolio of sample work (i.e., a code repository)
  5. navigate the landscape of job advertisement sites in order to find opportunities compatible with their skill set, career goals, and location needs
  6. research compensation expectations ahead of salary negotiation

Students can expect to achieve these outcomes only if they attend class meetings, complete assignments in good faith and on time, and read the designated textbook sections.  Furthermore, students may vary in their competency level on these outcomes.

Student Evaluation

Assignments

The instructions for each assignment and its due date are posted on Canvas at least one week before it must be submitted. It is the student's responsibility to ensure the successful and timely submission of each assignment — start early and follow the instructions carefully.  Corrupted or missing files are not grounds for extensions — double-check your submissions and save a digital copy of all of your work in your College of Engineering account.  The timestamps of files outside of your College of Engineering account are not trusted.

Each assignment's deadline is followed by a one-day late period.  Late submissions are penalized 10 points.  Note that 12a marks the start of a new day and -10 points.

Class meeting attendance

Attendance is recorded in each class meeting.  Up to two absences may be made up by meeting with the instructor.  Any further absences negatively impact a student's final course grade.

Policies and Guidelines

Academic misconduct

As defined in the University Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities Links to an external site., academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to, cheating, misrepresenting one's work, inappropriately collaborating, plagiarism, and fabrication or falsification of information. It also includes facilitating academic misconduct by intentionally helping or attempting to help another to commit an act of academic misconduct.

A primary example of academic misconduct is submitting as one's own, work that is copied from another student or an outside source.

For academic misconduct in CS 4011, the sanction is to fail the course.

ADA statement

The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for people with disabilities.  If you need accommodations in the class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the Center for Disability & Access, 162 Olpin Union Building, 801-581-5020.  CDA will work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. 

All written information in this course can be made available in alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability & Access.

Other polices and guidelines 

Students are bound by the following policies and guidelines:

Students should read and understand each of these documents, asking questions as needed.

Student mental health resources

Rates of burnout, anxiety, depression, isolation, and loneliness have noticeably increased during the pandemic.  If you need help, reach out for campus mental health resources, including counseling, trainings and other support.

Consider participating in a Mental Health First Aid or other wellness-themed training provided by our Center for Student Wellness and sharing these opportunities with your peers.

1Mueller, P. A. & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2014). The pen is mightier than the keyboard: Advantages of longhand over laptop note taking.  Psychological Science, 25(6), 1159-1168. doi:10.1177/0956797614524581.