An introduction to computer programming — the concepts involved in using a high-level language and the program development process. The goal of this course is proficiency in the design and implementation of programs of significant size and complexity. This course is quite demanding because of the length of the programming exercises assigned. This is the first course in the computer science major sequence.
Prerequisites: Math 140 credits or placement; or Math 130 with a B or higher in the previous semester; or permission of the instructor.
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to tackle computational challenges that they might encounter later in their careers. Students interested in computer science will be well-prepared to delve deeper into the field and students in science and engineering will be able to incorporate computation into their studies.
Name | Role | Office | Office Hours | |
Swami Iyer | Instructor | siyer@cs.umb.edu | M-3-201-14 | In-person: Tue Thu 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Remote: Wed 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Zoom link) |
Adnan Ali | Teaching Assistant | a.lnu008@umb.edu | M-3-201-10 | Tue Thu 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM |
Jenna Kim | Teaching Assistant | jiehyun.kim001@umb.edu | M-3-201-10 | Tue Thu 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM |
Shruti Varade | Teaching Assistant | s.varade001@umb.edu | M-3-201-10 | Tue Thu 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM |
Kenichi Maeda | Course Assistant | kenichi.maeda001@umb.edu | M-3-0731 | Tue Thu 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM |
Rohini Deshmukh | Course Assistant | r.deshmukh001@umb.edu | M-3-0731 | Tue Thu 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM |
Sonali Mamidipaka | Course Assistant | sonali.mamidipaka001@umb.edu | M-3-0731 | Mon Wed 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM |
Sarah Wilkinson | Supplemental Instruction Leader | sarah.wilkinson001@umb.edu | - | - |
Note: In case you want to email us, please start the subject line with [CS110]
.
We will have two lectures per week, during which I will present the material from the slides. I strongly recommend skimming through the material before each lecture, and reading it again thoroughly soon after.
Section | When | Where |
1-4, 8-9 | Tue Thu 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM | W-1-0088 (Snowden Auditorium) |
Starting from the second week, there will be a discussion every week. The focus of the discussion for a particular week will be the current assignment. The teaching assistant (TA) will walk you through the exercise/project problems systematically. The TA will also answer any specific questions you may have about the assignment or the course material in general. You may also seek help from the course assistant (CA) who will be assisting the TA during the discussions. The discussions will be worthwhile only if you go to the sessions having read the assignment writeup thoroughly and have at least a moderate understanding of the problems involved. The TA will assume that you have done the reading in advance.
Section | When | Where | TA | CA |
1 | Tue 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM | W-1-0055 | Adnan Ali | Sonali Mamidipaka |
2 | Thu 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM | W-1-0061 | Adnan Ali | Sonali Mamidipaka |
3 | Tue 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM | W-1-0055 | Jenna Kim | Rohini Deshmukh |
4 | Thu 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM | W-1-0061 | Jenna Kim | Rohini Deshmukh |
8 | Tue 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM | Y-4-4130 | Shruti Varade | Kenichi Maeda |
9 | Thu 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM | Y-1-1320 | Shruti Varade | Kenichi Maeda |
As part of the College of Science and Mathematics Freshman Success Program, supplemental instruction (SI) is available to all CS110 students free of charge. The SI sessions will also start from the second week. The focus of the sessions for a particular week will be the material covered in class during the previous week. The SI leader will walk you through the relevant lecture notes and solve problems. In addition, the SI leader will answer any specific questions you may have about the current exercise/project assignment, or the course material in general. The SI sessions are optional, but highly recommended, especially if you feel like you are falling behind in the course. You may attend as few or as many sessions as you like. You will receive extra-credit points for attending the sessions (see the Grading section below).
When | Where |
Mon 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM | M-2-0213 |
Wed 1:00 PM - 1:50 PM | M-2-0213 |
Fri 1:00 PM - 1:50 PM | M-2-0213 |
Sat 1:00 PM - 1:50 PM | Remote (Zoom link) |
Tutoring for this course is available through the Tutoring Programs.
Introduction to Programming in Python: An Interdisciplinary Approach by Robert Sedgewick, Kevin Wayne, and Robert Dondero
This text offers an excellent introduction to computing principles, motivating each by examining its impact on specific applications drawn from fields ranging from materials science to genomics to astrophysics to internet commerce.
Item | % of Final Grade |
Exercises (best 5 out of 6) | 5 |
Projects (best 5 out of 6) | 20 |
Exams (1 and 2) | 70 |
Attendance | 5 |
% Score | Grade |
[93, 100] | A |
[90, 93) | A- |
[87, 90) | B+ |
[83, 87) | B |
[80, 83) | B- |
[77, 80) | C+ |
[73, 77) | C |
[70, 73) | C- |
[67, 70) | D+ |
[63, 67) | D |
[60, 63) | D- |
[0, 60) | F |
3A(E1 + E2) / 200N
, where A
is the number of unique sessions you attended (attending multiple sessions in a week just counts as one), N
is the number of unique sessions held, and E1
and E2
are your Exam 1 and Exam 2 scores, respectively. For example, if A = 9
, N = 13
, E1 = 62
, and E2 = 82
, the SI score is 1.5%
.Click here to calculate your current course grade.
Starting from the second week, I will use iClicker to record your attendance in class. You will be able to mark yourself present, using your laptop or smart device, during the first 15 minutes of a class. In addition, I will take paper-based attendance on some undisclosed days. If I find any discrepancy in your attendance record on those days (ie, you were marked present on iClicker but absent on paper), you will receive a 0 for your overall attendance score.
The TAs will manually record your attendance during discussions.
I will use Piazza as the online discussion forum for the course. If you have any general questions about the projects, lectures, textbook, or other course material, the most effective way to get them resolved is by posting them on Piazza. You can expect your questions to be answered by the course staff or one of your classmates. Remember that you can post anonymously, but you are anonymous only to your classmates and not to the course staff.
I will use Gradescope to grade your projects and exams.
To write and execute Python programs in this course, you will need a laptop (Linux, Mac, or Windows) properly configured with the necessary software. Click here for setup instructions.
In order to use the computing resources of the department, and in particular, those in the UNIX/PC Lab (M-3-0731
), you need to setup a CS account. With your CS account credentials, you can connect to our designated server (users.cs.umb.edu
) remotely using SSH. With the same credentials, you can also sign into the Linux systems in the CS Lab. In addition, you can sign into the Windows systems in the lab with the same username and an initial password abcd_1234
, which you must change the first time you sign in.
Visit CS Labs Portal to register for a portal/CS account and confirm via email. If you already have a CS account, use the same username. The next step is to sign into the portal and select your courses for the term. You will be notified via your UMB email once the course directories and your account are created.
You have to remember to use iClicker during the first 15 minutes of a class to record your presence. Set a reminder on your smartphone if you are of the kind that forgets these things easily. I will not fix your attendance record if you forget to mark yourself present.
You must provide appropriate documentation if:
The documentation must be a letter from the Dean of Students if the type of your absence is among those listed on their website. For other types of absences, the supporting documentation must be shared with me directly.
Click here for the collaboration policy and the penalties for infractions of the policy.
Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 offers guidelines for curriculum modifications and adaptations for students with documented disabilities. If applicable, students may obtain adaptation recommendations from the Ross Center for Disability Services. The student must present these recommendations and discuss them with the instructor within a reasonable period, preferably by the end of Add/Drop period.