Specialty Courses (Independent Studies)

CPSC 349, CPSC 448, and CPSC 449 are distinctly different from the rest of our undergraduate courses in the sense that they do not have the usual lectures and secondary activities. Students work independently under the supervision of a faculty member. The honours thesis course, CPSC 449, is only open to Honours students in Computer Science. Both Honours students and Major students with strong academic standing may be permitted to enroll in CPSC 448.

CPSC 448 - Directed Studies in Computer Science

CPSC 448 allows students to explore areas of Computer Science not otherwise found in the undergraduate curriculum. The course can be either a one-term course (3 credits) or a two-term (6 credits) course, depending on the type of the study and the project involved.Students make a proposal to a faculty member to investigate a topic that goes beyond that which is covered in existing upper-year courses. If the faculty member agrees to supervise the student, then the student and faculty member must agree on the scope of the project, and on how achievement is to be evaluated. The ideal 448 candidate is an academically strong student who has a keen interest in investigating a particular topic. CPSC 448 is not intended as a way to make up for failed courses. Students wishing to be enrolled in CPSC 448 must:

• Have an overall average of at least 72%
• Have completed a sufficient number of CPSC courses, including courses directly related to the area of research
• Obtain an application form from the CPSC department, and get preliminary approval (regarding GPA and academic background) from an advisor by submitting an Advising webform
• Then, find a faculty member willing to supervise you
• In conjunction with the faculty member, develop a brief proposal (one or more pages) about the proposed area of study and the project
• Submit the completed application and proposal to the Department Office for approval.  You can use the same webform as before (just e-mail your advisor to let them know that you've updated the form).  Attach any necessary forms to the webform.  Include the year and exact section that you are requesting.

CPSC 349 - Honours Research Seminar

CPSC 349 provides honours students with the opportunity to participate in a series of research seminars, to help them choose a topic and a supervisor for their honours thesis (CPSC 449). Students registered in CPSC 349 are exposed to the active research areas in the Department through a weekly research seminar. Once they are oriented to the research areas in the Department, they must decide on a particular project. By the end of CPSC 349, students are expected to have identified a research area and potential supervisors. By September of the session where they are taking CPSC 449, students are expected to have a project and supervisor identified. The proposal is due by the end of September.

To complete CPSC 349, students need to:

• Attend the seminars
• Submit a brief (2 to 3 pages) review or critique for one of the talks

CPSC 449 - Honours Thesis

CPSC 449 is the undergraduate thesis course in Computer Science. Like the 449 courses in other departments in the Faculty of Science, the principal objective is to engage the student in research. Students registered in CPSC 449 conduct research and complete a BSc thesis under the supervision of a faculty member.

CPSC 449 is a good choice for students committed to, or considering, a research career. Research work is distinct from course work. An undergraduate thesis provides useful background and experience to allow students to make informed decisions about what to do after their BSc, namely whether or not to go to grad school for a Masters or PhD.

Students wishing to be enrolled in CPSC 449 must:

• Obtain credit for CPSC 349
• Obtain an application form from the Department Office
• Develop a brief proposal (one or more pages) about the proposed area of study and the project
• Find a faculty member willing to supervise them; and
• Submit the completed application and proposal to the Department Office for approval by the Department.  Do so by:
  • Submitting an Advising webform
  • Attaching any necessary documents to the webform
  • Including the year and exact section that you are requesting

Note: Upon approval, registration will be done by the Computer Science department.

In case of disagreement between this document and the UBC Calendar, the Calendar takes precedence. It remains the responsibility of the student to select a program that meets all Department and Faculty requirements for graduation.