Additional Computing Science Curriculum Revisions: 2003/04

Qianping Gu, School of Computing Science

December 2, 2002

In addition to the revisions document in FAS UCC Papers 2002-6 and 2002-9, the following additional revisions are proposed.

1. Changes in Course Description: CMPT 275 and CMPT 475
2. Change in Upper Division Requirements for a Minor
3. Typographic Correction

1. Changes in Course Description: CMPT 275 and CMPT 475

Course	Current	Proposed
CMPT 275	An introduction to the various software engineering techniques used for both analysis/design and for software project management. The course centers on a team development project that involves requirements gathering and object-oriented analysis, examination of case use scenarios to drive user documentation and design phases, followed by implementation, testing, installation, support and maintenance issues. Throughout the course, software project planning, quality assurance, metrics, configuration management, and people management are examined.	Introduction to software engineering techniques used in analysis/design and in software project management. The course centers on a team project involving requirements gathering, object analysis and simple data normalization, use-case-driven user documentation and design, followed by implementation and testing. Additionally, there is an introduction to project planning, metrics, quality assurance, configuration management, and people issues.
CMPT 475	The team approach needed in the development of a software product will be examined in depth. Students will study team dynamics and team management, project estimation/planning/control, and the benefits of employing modern techniques at appropriate phases for a variety of software development lifecycles. The importance of configuration management, change management and control, release planning and of quality assurance throughout a project (reviews, inspections, testing strategies) will be brought out. A team project will allow students to try out these techniques.	Students will study in-depth the techniques, tools, and standards needed in the management of software development. Topics will include software process and quality standards, life cycle models, requirements specification issues, project estimation, planning and tracking, project management tools, team dynamics and management, configuration and change management techniques and tools, metrics, quality assurance and test techniques, professional and legal issues.

Rationale

Functionally, almost nothing has changed for CMPT 275 except the addition of the 'normalization' topic. An editorial error in the prior calendar corrects "case use" to become "use case". Normalization, no longer covered in CMPT 354 is needed before CMPT 370. Also, showing the progression of a design from unnormalized through 1NF, 2NF, and 3NF is an excellent way for students to learn data modeling, to learn that design is choosing between alternatives and to learn that a poor design has adverse ramifications (wasted space, update anomalies, etc.).

CMPT 475 was originally envisioned as a capstone team project course and has evolved away from that. And, students already get enough of that in Cmpt 275 and 370. The reference to a team project in the calendar description has been removed to emphasize this is a course that is mainly about software development process management. Cmpt 275 introduces both analysis and design, and also project/process management. Cmpt 370 follows up with in-depth analysis and design. Cmpt 475 should follow up with an in depth study of development process, management techniques, and software process management tools.

2. Change in Upper Division Requirements for a Minor

Current Proposed

Upper Division Requirements

For a minor, students must complete fifteen credit hours of upper division CMPT or MACM courses.

Upper Division Requirements

For a minor, students must complete fifteen credit hours of upper division CMPT or MACM courses, including at least nine credit hours of CMPT courses chosen from Table I - Computing Science Concentrations.

Current	Proposed
Upper Division Requirements For a minor, students must complete fifteen credit hours of upper division CMPT or MACM courses.	Upper Division Requirements For a minor, students must complete fifteen credit hours of upper division CMPT or MACM courses, including at least nine credit hours of CMPT courses chosen from Table I - Computing Science Concentrations.

Rationale

This requirement adds some structure to the Minor program, ensuring that students have at least nine credits within the core computing science concentrations.

3. Typographic Correction

Under the heading Management and Systems Science Program the 2002/3 calendar, the cross-reference to the Mathematical Physics Program should be corrected.

Current	Proposed
Management and Systems Science Program In co-operation with the Department of Mathematics, the Department of Economics and the Faculty of Business Administration, the school contributes to this program in management and systems science, leading to a BSc degree. See "Mathematical Physics Program" on page 201 for more details about the requirements.	Management and Systems Science Program In co-operation with the Department of Mathematics, the Department of Economics and the Faculty of Business Administration, the school contributes to this program in management and systems science, leading to a BSc degree. See "Management and Systems Science Program" on page ??? for more details about the requirements.