Departmental Courses

An introduction to the study of computing: fundamental concepts and skills; opportunities at Michigan Tech; career opportunities; social and ethical issues.

• Credits: 1.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-1-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall
• Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Major(s): Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Systems Science, General Computing, Electrical Engineering; Must be enrolled in one of the following Class(es): Freshman

Special topics in computer science offered on occasion based on student and faculty demand and interest.

• Credits: variable to 3.0; May be repeated
• Semesters Offered: On Demand
• Restrictions: Permission of instructor required

Starting point of the computer science programs. A high-level, object-oriented programming language is introduced as a problem-solving tool. Topics include design, coding, documentation, debugging, and testing of programs. Programming assignments are given in both a closed lab setting and as homework.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-2-2)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
• Pre-Requisite(s): MA 1031(C) or MA 1032(C) or MA 1120(C)

Continuation of CS 1121. Topics include data abstraction, class hierarchies and polymorphism, list, stack, queue and tree data structures, complexity-based algorithm and data structure choices, and recursion. Homework programming assignments are given.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-2-2)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 1121

An alternative starting point of the computer science programs for students with some programming experience, combining material from CS1121 and CS1122, offered at an accelerated pace. Homework programming assignments are given.

• Credits: 5.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-4-2)
• Semesters Offered: Fall
• Restrictions: Permission of department required
• Pre-Requisite(s): MA 1031(C) or MA 1032(C) or MA 1120(C) or MA 1160(C) or MA 1161(C) or MA 1121(C)

Programming in assembly language and C for students with prior experience in Java. Topics include binary number encodings, instruction set architecture, assembly language programming, and instruction encodings. C programming topics include program structure, preprocessor, arrays, structures, pointers, input/output, dynamic memory management, and linked data structures.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 1122 or CS 1131

Special topics in computer science offered on occasion based on student and faculty demand and interest.

• Credits: variable to 3.0; May be repeated
• Semesters Offered: On Demand
• Restrictions: Permission of instructor required

Presents fundamental concepts in discrete structures that are used in computer science. Topics include sets, trees, graphs, functions, relations, recurrences, proof techniques, logic, combinatorics, and probability.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
• Pre-Requisite(s): (CS 1121 or CS 1131) and (MA 1135 or MA 1160 or MA 1161 or MA 1121 or MA 2160 or MA 3160)

Presents fundamental concepts in data structures. Topics include abstract data types (priority queues, dictionaries and graphs) and their implementations, algorithm analysis, sorting, text processing, and object-oriented design. A significant programming project is assigned.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 1122 or CS 1131

An examination of social and ethical issues associated with computing. Topics include: ethical theories and decision making, intellectual property, freedom of expression, privacy, security, and professional responsibility.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
• Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Class(es): Junior, Senior
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 3141

Special topics in computer science offered on occasion based on student and faculty demand and interest.

• Credits: variable to 3.0; May be repeated
• Semesters Offered: On Demand
• Restrictions: Permission of instructor required

This course focuses on software development as a team. It covers software design models emphasizing process activities including Agile methodologies and Secure Software Development Life Cycle practices. Key topics include version control, automated testing, and documentation. Students will develop skills in communication, teamwork.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
• Pre-Requisite(s): (CS 2311 or MA 3210) and CS 2321

Introduction to the theory of formal languages and computation. Topics include regular languages and finite automata, context-free languages and push-down automata, Turing-acceptable languages, Turing machines and the halting problem. Proof techniques and applications, such as parsing, are also treated.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 2311 or MA 3210

Concepts and techniques in concurrent computing. Topics include: processes and threads, mutual exclusion, semaphores, monitors and condition synchronization, deadlock, safety and liveness, message passing, and concurrent architectures.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 2311 and CS 2321 and CS 3411

Development of robust programs that provide efficient services to system software developers. Topics include: file I/O, process creation and management, linking and libraries, interprocess communication, performance measurement, and socket programming.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 3421 or EE 3172

Introduction to the logical structure of computers, including the fundamentals of logic design, information storage and manipulation, control, and input/output. Topics include a review of current hardware technology, combinational and sequential logic, arithmetic, datapaths, hard-wired control, interrupts, caches, virtual memory, and an introduction to pipelining.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
• Pre-Requisite(s): (CS 1141 and CS 1040) or CS 1142

This course provides an introduction to database systems including database design, query, and programming. Topics include goals of database management; data definition; data models; data normalization; data retrieval and manipulation with relational algebra and SQL; data security and integrity; database and Web programming; and languages for representing semi-structured data.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
• Pre-Requisite(s): (CS 2311 or MA 3210) and CS 2321

Hands-on exploration of robot design and programming using real mobile robotic platforms. Robots feature onboard sensing such as cameras and other advanced perception tools. Students learn kinematics, actuation, sensing, configuration spaces, control, and motion planning while developing and testing on physical robots in collaborative teams.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (3-0-0)
• Semesters Offered: Spring
• Restrictions: May not be enrolled in one of the following Class(es): Freshman
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 3421 or EE 3172

This course concentrates on ensuring quality through the software process including definition, analysis, and measurement of quality attributes. Topics are software testing, static analysis, code review, process improvement and security engineering emphasizing derivation of test cases from requirements specifications and writing test plans.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (3-0-0)
• Semesters Offered: Spring
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 3141

Students will apply foundational skills to create navigable and accessible user interfaces. HTML and CSS will be explored. Students will learn about structure versus style, semantic markup, accessibility standards, assistive technologies, testing tools, approaches to front end development, design patterns, and adaptive layout techniques.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 2321

This course introduces the role of government in securing cyberspace. Students examine national cybersecurity policy and law. Topics include federal, state, and local entities involved in cybersecurity, relevant laws and regulations, concepts of civil liberties, intellectual property, privacy, development/diffusion of standards, and national security.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (3-0-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall
• Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Class(es): Senior

Special topics in computer science offered on occasion based on student and faculty demand and interest.

• Credits: variable to 4.0; May be repeated
• Semesters Offered: On Demand
• Restrictions: Permission of instructor required

Students study one or more special topics in computer science under the direction of one or more faculty members.

• Credits: variable to 4.0; Repeatable to a Max of 6
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
• Restrictions: Permission of instructor required

A discussion of the concepts underlying programming languages. Topics include programming paradigms; language theory and properties (including syntax, semantics, run-time behavior, and implementation issues); data, procedure, functional and control abstraction; functional programming, logic programming, and language security.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 2321 and CS 3311 and (CS 3421 or EE 3172)

Design, theory, and programming language translators and the theory and implementation of optimizers. Topics include: intermediate representations, advanced code generation, control-and data-flow analysis, advanced compiler optimization, dynamic compilation, global register allocation and instruction scheduling.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
• Restrictions: May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s): Graduate
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 4121

Fundamental topics in algorithm design, analysis, and implementation. Analysis fundamentals include asymptotic notation, analysis of control structures, solving recurrences, and amortized analysis. Design and implementation topics include sorting, searching, and graph algorithms. Design paradigms include greedy algorithms, divide-and-conquer algorithms, and dynamic programming.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
• Restrictions: May not be enrolled in one of the following Class(es): Freshman, Sophomore
• Pre-Requisite(s): (CS 2311 or MA 3210) and CS 2321

Principles of the design and implementation of operating systems. Topics include: process management, process scheduling, memory management, I/O, file systems. Includes a significant implementation component.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Spring
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 3331 and (CS 3421 or EE 3172)

Advanced course in architecture of high-performance computer systems. Topics include instruction-set design, simulation of processor architectures, multiple functional units, pipelining, dynamically scheduled pipelines, speculative execution, multi-core and multi-processor systems, advanced I/O subsystems and analytic models of architectural features of processors.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 3421 or EE 3172

Computer network architectures and protocols; design and implementation of datalink, network, and transport layer functions. Introduction to the Internet protocol suite (TCP, UDP, IP), domain name service and protocols, file sharing protocols, wireless networks, and network security.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 3411

This covers fundamentals of computer security. Topics include practical cryptography, access control, security design principles, physical protections, malicious logic, program security, intrusion detection, administration, legal and ethical issues.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall
• Restrictions: May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s): Graduate
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 3411 or CS 4411

Introduction to interactive computer graphics. Topics include 3D viewing, 3D transformation, interactive techniques, animation, modeling, lighting, texturing, vertex programs, fragment programs, and graphics algorithms. Requires substantial programming homework.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall
• Restrictions: May not be enrolled in one of the following Class(es): Freshman, Sophomore
• Pre-Requisite(s): (CS 1141 or CS 1142) and CS 2321 and MA 2330

This course focuses on modeling of software systems, automated analysis, verification, and design. Topics include declarative and imperative modeling languages, software tools for automated analysis and verification of models, specification languages for implementation, and formal specification languages for inductive verification of systems.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Summer
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 3311 and CS 3141(C)

Focuses on the software development process and related management issues. Topics include software process models, the Capability Maturity Model, process tools, use of standards, software maintenance, configuration management, project planning and tracking, team management, and measurement and estimation.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 3141

Provides an introduction to the architecture of microcontrollers, the embedded software stack (starting from firmware, hardware abstraction layer, real-time operating systems, device drivers and APIs), and tool chains for programming and debugging of embedded software.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (3-0-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall
• Restrictions: Permission of instructor required; Must be enrolled in one of the following College(s): College of Engineering, College of Computing; May not be enrolled in one of the following Class(es): Freshman, Sophomore
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 3411

Learn fundamental of cryptography and its application to network security. Understand network security threats, security services, and countermeasures. Acquire background knowledge on well known network security protocols. Address open research issues in network security.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (3-0-0)
• Semesters Offered: Spring, Summer
• Pre-Requisite(s): EE 4272 or CS 4461 or SAT 4812

This course exposes students to the concepts of secure software development. Students will learn how to develop high-quality software that is resistant against cyber-attacks, by minimizing the number of vulnerabilities that can be exploited by an attacker. Topics include access control, race conditions, buffer overflows, and code injection.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Spring
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 4471

Principles of user interfaces (UI) design and implementation. Topics include: UI theory, design principles, evaluation, and tools. Requires completion of a group project implementing and evaluating a UI.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Spring
• Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Major(s): Software Engineering
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 3141

Software architecture and concerns; quality attributes, metrics, critical components of architectures, the use of packages, build tools and techniques, and cloud architectures.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Spring
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 3425

A capstone project course. Using software engineering principles and techniques, students work as part of a team responsible for developing a quality software project.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-1-4)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
• Restrictions: Permission of instructor required
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 3712 and CS 4760

A continuation of the capstone project experience, intended for Software Engineering majors.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-1-4)
• Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 4791

The course covers classical statistical machine learning. Topics include classification (k-nearest neighbors, decision trees, random forests, logistic regression, naive bayes, neural networks), regression, clustering (partitional and hierarchical clustering), and evaluation.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Fall
• Pre-Requisite(s): DATA 2201 and (MA 2710 or MA 2720 or MA 3710 or MA 3720)

Data mining focuses on extracting knowledge from large data sources. The course covers data mining concepts and methodology.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Spring
• Restrictions: May not be enrolled in one of the following Level(s): Graduate
• Pre-Requisite(s): DATA 2201 and (MA 2710 or MA 2720 or MA 3710)

Fundamental ideas and techniques used in the construction of problem solvers that use Artificial Intelligence technology. Topics include knowledge representation and reasoning, problem solving, heuristics, search heuristics, inference mechanisms, and machine learning.

• Credits: 3.0
• Lec-Rec-Lab: (0-3-0)
• Semesters Offered: Spring
• Restrictions: May not be enrolled in one of the following Class(es): Freshman, Sophomore
• Pre-Requisite(s): CS 2311 and CS 2321