Syllabus

Course Syllabus and Policies¶

The course is currently planned to be entirely in person for lectures and recitations. Most office hours will be in person, but some may be held over Zoom as well. The course uses Canvas and Gradescope for homework submission, grading, discussions, questions, and supplementary documents; slides and handouts are posted here on the course website; GitHub is used to coordinate group work. We also use Slack for communication and group work: check your email during the first week of classes for the Slack sign up link.

Waitlist¶

We anticipate being able to add all students on the waitlist into the course.

Prerequisites¶

This class has a pre-requisite of 15-122 or 15-121. If you have not taken those classes, but you think you have similar experiences, please reach out to the instructors.

Communication¶

The primary form of communication within this course is through Slack. We will make announcements through a dedicated channel in Slack, and also provide channels for homework clarifications and team-based communication. As such, we highly recommend that students install Slack on their phones / desktop with notifications enabled.

The instructors and TAs will also hold weekly office hours to provide support with course materials and projects. You can find the office hours schedule updated weekly here on the course website.

You can contact the course instructors and TAs via both Slack and email. Your team will also have assigned TAs as your primary point of contact for additional support with assignment or recitation-related questions. When contacting instructors or your designated TAs, please email/message all instructors/both TAs at the same time.

Teamwork¶

Teamwork is an essential part of this course. Most projects are done in teams of 3-5 students. Teams will be assigned by the instructors and stay together for multiple projects. Most projects have a component that is graded for the entire group and a component that is graded individually.

Being able to address team issues in software projects is one of the core learning objectives of this class. Guidance on teamwork, reflection, and conflict resolution will be provided throughout the semester and are an essential component of the class. We expect significant efforts in attempting to address the team issues before asking instructors and teaching assistants to step in. However, we will always be available to provide advice on how to navigate these issues.

Textbook¶

Various readings throughout the semester are available online or through the library; we do not have a single textbook but rather assemble readings from different sources.

As optional supplementary reading consider the (freely available) Software Engineering at Google, Lessons Learned from Programming Over Time.

Devices in Lecture and Recitation¶

Research shows that using devices on non-class related activities harms both the device user's learning, and other students' learning as well. Therefore, in general, we do not allow the use of laptops during lecture. Ocasionally we will do activities that require a laptop, but we will make it clear when those are going to take place. We do allow tablets with stylus use if they are flat on the desk and are being used as "digial paper" notetaking. Note that recitation activities will often involve devices, so please do bring your laptop!

Assessment¶

Evaluation will be based on the following distribution: 40% projects (35% project work, 5% problem sets), 30% midterms (15% each), 20% participation (including lecture exercises, pre-lecture reading quizzes, and recitation exercises).

Problem Sets and Quizzes¶

To master the core concepts of software engineering, deliberate and hands-on practice is essential. This semester, 17-313 introduces take-home problem sets and in-class quizzes designed to work in tandem to reinforce course concepts. The problem sets consist of straightforward applications of the material taught in lectures, providing a low-stakes environment to test your understanding, build conceptual fluency, and spot gaps in your mental models early.

Because problem sets focus on direct conceptual application, Large Language Models (LLMs) will easily yield correct answers to these questions. However, outsourcing this work to AI completely bypasses the cognitive friction required to actually learn the material. We strongly encourage you to work through each problem set independently to gain the full benefit of deliberate practice. In-class quizzes will evaluate your individual mastery of the exact same material covered in the problem sets. These brief, closed-notes assessments directly mirror the concepts and problem structures you practice on your homework. Treat the problem sets as your primary training ground for these quizzes. Shortcuts on the take-home work will lead to immediate difficulty during closed-notes assessments, so working through the problems yourself, making mistakes early, and resolving questions in office hours is the best path to success.

Regrades¶

Regrade requests can be submitted via Gradescope. The regrade period is open for one week after grades have been released for a particular assignment. After the regrade window is closed, we will not revist grade assignments.

Final Grades¶

Final grades in this course strictly follow standard mathematical rounding (e.g., 89.5% rounds up to 90.0%, while 89.4% does not). If you believe there was a legitimate mathematical or recording error in your overall grade calculation, please reach out and we will gladly fix it. Beyond verified computational errors, final grades are strictly non-negotiable.

To maintain complete fairness across the entire class, we do not entertain post-semester grade appeals, offer individual extra credit, or grant makeup work to alter final outcomes. Requests to bump a grade by a point or two will be denied. Furthermore, late inquiries regarding past assessments—such as disputing early participation scores or requesting regrades long after an assignment's dedicated window has closed—will not be considered. All regrade requests must be submitted during the designated regrade period for each specific assignment during the term. We will not reopen past grades or adjust individual grade boundaries after the semester has ended.

Late Work and Absence Policy¶

Participation¶

Participation points in this class are earned through a series of pre-lecture reading assignments, lecture activities, and recitations. To accommodate for life's uncertainties (e.g. health issues, scheduling conflicts), you will automatically get full points for up to four missed participation activities to account for any absences. You do not need to email instructors individually for one-off absences of this sort.

There will be no make-ups for participation points, but you are strongly encouraged to come to office hours to learn or review the materials that you may have missed.

If you find yourself in a situation that calls for an extended absence, please have your academic advisor reach out to the instructors, and they will work to find a solution on a case by case basis.

Projects¶

Late work will receive feedback but no credit. Due to heavy emphasis on planning & teamwork in this course there are no late days; we expect that you anticipate unexpected events in your planning, and coordinate with your teammates when they arise. Exceptions to this policy will be made only in extraordinary circumstances, almost always involving a family or medical emergency, with your academic advisor or the Dean of Student Affairs requesting the exception on your behalf.

Time Management¶

This is a 12-unit course, and it is our intention to manage it so that you spend close to 12 hours a week on the course, on average. In general, 4 hours/week will be spent in lectures & recitation and 8 hours on readings and projects. Notice that most projects are done in groups, so please account for the overhead and decreased time flexibility that comes with group work. Throughout the semester, please feel free to give the course staff feedback on how much time the course is taking for you.

Writing¶

Describing tradeoffs among decisions and communication with less technical stakeholders are key aspects of this class. Most projects have a component that requires discussing issues in written form or reflecting about experiences. To practice writing skills, the Global Communications Center (GCC) offers one-on-one help for students, along with workshops. The instructors are also happy to provide additional guidance if requested.

Policy on use of Generative AI for Coding¶

You may use generative AI for any and all coding tasks in the course. However, as we discuss in class, we belive that there are significant implications for your own learning around your AI usage patterns. Our goal for you in this class is that you learn to use AI in a way that helps you become a better software engineer.

Policy on use of Generative AI for Writing¶

You may use generative AI technologies such as Gemini or Claude for assisting in code development. We Very Strongly Discourage using AI to Generate writing responses, but we encourage its use for editing your writing. In addition you are liable for factually inaccurate answers or unspecific rambling produced by AI tools, and we will assess significant penalties to low quality (AI Slop) responses. It is your responsibility to validate and verify AI-produced content before submitting it for class purposes.

Professionalism¶

Your classmates are your colleagues. This is particularly true in this course, where we aim to provide you with principles, practices, tools, and paradigms that will enable you to be an effective, real-world Software Engineer. We ask that you treat one another like the professionals you are and that you are preparing to be.

To that end, we will not tolerate harassment in this class. We define harassment as unwelcome or hostile behavior of an ad hominem nature, i.e., that focuses not on ideas but on people and identity. This includes offensive verbal or written comments in reference to gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, physical appearance, race, or religion; sexual images in public spaces; deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of class meetings, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

Harassment is against the law and we have no tolerance for it, and neither does the university. Even when behavior does not rise to the level of harassment (even if you think you're "just joking!"), it can still make people very uncomfortable, and harm their educational and professional career by forcing them to devote mental energy to something other than the material they are trying to learn or the professional successes they are trying to achieve. However, we expect that we do not need to threaten you to earn your respect on this matter: we simply ask that you treat one another like professionals, in the most positive sense.

This has two implications:

If you feel someone is violating these principles (for example, with a joke that could be interpreted as sexist, racist, or exclusionary), and you feel you have the standing to do so, speak up! Do not be a bystander to unprofessional behavior.
If you do not feel comfortable doing so, and/or if the behavior persists, send a private email to the course instructors or set up a meeting with us to discuss the matter. We will preserve your anonymity. We, the course staff, are committed to affording you the same respect we ask you to afford one another. If you feel that we are not doing so, we hope you will feel comfortable either telling us so directly, or approaching another one of the course staff with your concerns.

(Thank you to Shriram Krishnamurthi and Evan Peck for sharing their own policies, from which we drew inspiration for this one.)

Academic Honesty and Collaboration¶

The usual policies apply, especially the University Policy on Academic Integrity. Many of the projects will be done in groups. We expect that group members collaborate with one another, but that groups work independently from one another, not exchanging results with other groups. Within groups, we expect that you are honest about your contribution to the group's work. This implies not taking credit for others' work and not covering for team members that have not contributed to the team. Otherwise, our expectations regarding academic honesty and collaboration for group work are the same as for individual work.

Inclass participation activites explicitly require that you are in class to participate. If you are not present, but still submit a participation (e.g., if someone sends you a link), then that is treated as an academic integrity violation. Remote participation activites (such as the teamwork survey) are not covered by this.

If you have any question about how this policy applies in a particular situation, ask the instructors or TAs for clarification."

Note that the instructors respect honesty in these (and indeed most!) situations.

Accommodations¶

If you wish to request an accommodation due to a documented disability, please contact Disability Resources at 412-268-6121 or access@andrew.cmu.edu.

We don't record our lectures, because they are highly interactive and tricky to record, but we do post slides at the end of the day. Please go over them and feel free to attend any of the instructors' office hours to catch up on the material. Please see the late-work policy above for how healthcare-related absences are accounted for in participation points.

A Note on Self Care¶

Please take care of yourself. Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle this semester by eating well, exercising, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting enough sleep and taking some time to relax. This will help you achieve your goals and cope with stress. All of us benefit from support during times of struggle. You are not alone. There are many helpful resources available on campus and an important part of the college experience is learning how to ask for help. Asking for support sooner rather than later is often helpful.

If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress, difficult life events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, we strongly encourage you to seek support. Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) is here to help: call 412-268-2922 and visit their website at http://www.cmu.edu/counseling/. Consider reaching out to a friend, faculty or family member you trust for help getting connected to the support that can help.

Last Updated: August 21, 2026