CSE 495/496 Senior Honors Research Projects I and II

Michael A. Bender
Office: New Computer Science Building Room 245

Identify a faculty adviser. Your faculty adviser does not have to be a member of the Computer Science Department, but your project must be related to computer science.
In collaboration with your research adviser, come up with a research topic.
Write a 1-2 page research proposal . Your proposal should state (1) the problem to be solved, (2) your anticipated results, and (3) the initial steps that you expect to take. You should also identify (4) parts of the project that are low risk and you anticipate no difficulty in finishing and (5) your stretch goals, that is, the higher-risk higher-payoff parts of the project. Please follow the link for the required proposal sections.
Please do not skimp on the proposal writing. In my experience, great proposals lead to great projects. Get all the help you need from your faculty advisor to perfect your proposal.
For CSE 495, please fill out the CSE 495 Course Request Form. For CSE 496, please fill out the CSE 496 Course Request Form.
Then you'll be given permission to enroll in CSE 495/496.

Some time during the Spring semester, I will set up dates for project presentations. (So be on the lookout for a Doodle poll.) Usually these presentations will take place during a few day in final-exam week.
If you are taking CSE 496 in the Spring this will be a final presentation. If you are taking CSE 495 in the Spring, this will be a progress report, which should include your results so far plus anticipated results.
I will likely also set a date where I give a tutorial on how to give a technical talk. You should attend this tutorial and use what you learn in planning your project presentation.
Here are a few details about your presentations.

Your project adviser will have additional requirements (e.g., project report) and these will depend on the specifics of the project.
Your project adviser may ask you to make a talk at the end of the fall semester. Please ask your adviser if he/she wants one.

Your grade is based on the quality of your project and your presentation. Your adviser and I will interact to assign a grade.
Your GPA needs to be good enough for you to graduate with Honors in Computer Science and have the Honors designation on your diploma. See the CS Honors requirements.
You can still enroll in this class, even if your GPA doesn't meet the honors requirements.

Ask professors from your favorite classes.
Knock on doors of professors working in areas that you're excited about. See if they have projects.
Ask me and more senior students for recommendations of processors to work with.
See this document, which has blurbs from professors looking to advise CS Honors students.

An ability to perform independent research
An ability to explore a topic of interest in depth not otherwise possible in the undergraduate curriculum.