Masters Projects and Special Topic Courses
		                 Spencer Rugaber
				 March 31, 2009

0. I am Spencer Rugaber.  I teach graduate-level courses in Software
   Engineering and Programming Languages.  Currently, I am teaching 6310,
   Software Architecture and Design.  In the fall, I will be teaching
   6390, Programming Language Design.  In the past, I have advised
   numerous undergraduate, masters and PhD projects.  I am currently
   advising three PhD students and two Masters students.

1. These are my personal views.  Other faculty may do things differently.

2. Common factors to Masters Projects and Special Topics courses

  - These courses are intended to be educational.  That is, the primary
    goals is not to build something, either for yourself or for the
    faculty member, but to learn something.  Sometimes building can
    support learning, but there is no guarantee.

  - You should expect to put in the same amount of work per credit as you
    would for a regular course.  For me, I expect a three-to-one ratio.
    That is, if you are asking for three credits, you should expect to
    do about nine hours of work per week.

  - Remember that summers are compressed at a 3:2 ratio.  If you want to
    earn four credits during the summer, you should expect to do 4*1.5*3 =
    18 hours of work per week.

  - You are more likely to find a faculty advisor if you can match
    interests with him/her.  In my case, I have a Projects webpage which
    lists my interests.  This is not to say that you can't role your own
    project; you just might have more difficulty finding an advisor.

  - You have to write a proposal.  The details differ between the two
    courses, but you should expect to refine the proposal as you talk
    to the advisor.  So don't wait for the last minute.

  - You have to fill out a form, which includes, besides the proposal
    and credit hours, evaluation criteria.

  - Regular meetings.  I meet once per week with each student for .5-1.
    hours.

  - I expect the student to make regular progress doing background
    reading.  This means reading one paper per week together with writing
    a summary that includes how the paper relates to the student's topic.

  - I expect a final report that includes reflections on what is learned.

  - It is the student's responsibility to supply the initiative.  I act
    as an advisor or guide.  This means that you have to be enthusiastic
    about the topic.


3. Masters Projects

  - A total of nine credits.  For me, I expect a 4/5 split or a 3/3/3
    split across terms.  I will not do all nine credits in one term or
    even a 6/3.

  - The proposal is more elaborate.  It should include a work plan that
    covers all terms.

  - The target is a publishable paper.


4. Special Topics

  - Can be for any number of credits.  I won't do more than five.

  - For one credit, I normally consider this an opportunity for a student
    to read up on a topic.  I expect the student to read one paper per
    week and produce a summary description.  At the end of the term,
    I expect a paper that integrates the reading.

  - Two credits means reading plus some ongoing synthesis, which could
    take the form of a proposal, a survey article, or a tool exploration.
    It could also mean working on the development of course material
    such as exercises or project description.

  - Three credits. This is the typical situation. Reading, programming,
    and paper writing.  The program is typically a proof of concept or
    an addition to an existing tool.

  - Four or five credits. Like three, but more ambitious.