Michtom School of Computer Science

Computer Science Orientation and Action Items
Computer Science Department Staff
Graduate School of Arts And Sciences (GSAS)
Other Important Websites
The MS3 Course Requirements
The MS4 Course Requirements
BS/BA/MS Requirements
Special Notes for All Students
The CPT and OPT process
Academic Integrity
Course Schedule Fall 2022
Academic Calendar 
Computer Science Faculty
Frequently Asked Questions
Brandeis University Campus Map

• Read this Orientation Handbook for the Department of Computer Science.
• Walk through the checklist and the Accepted Student page (https://www.brandeis.edu/gsas/admissions/accepted-students.html) for incoming graduate students organized by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
• Please fill out this Google Form so we can assign you an advisor: https://forms.gle/JxyDf2Nk8hf7ujTp7
• Attend the Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) orientation and the Graduate Student Affair (GSA) orientation. Date and time TBA.
• Attend the Computer Science Orientation which takes place on Tuesday, August 23rd from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in Rapaporte Treasure Hall.
• International Students: Attend the mandatory International Student Orientation hosted by the ISSO Office (TBA).
• The Graduate Student Affairs office hosts social and educational events throughout the year, so follow them at: https://www.brandeis.edu/graduate-affairs/index.html.
• Do you have your housing all set? Check out the link to the Key Housing Resources: http://www.brandeis.edu/gradstudent/housing/index.html

Mailing Address:
Brandeis University
Computer Science Department, MS 018
415 South Street
Waltham, MA 02453 USA

Mail:
Brandeis related mail will be sent to you at this address and placed in your mailbox in the Dept. Office for you to pick up anytime.

Building Access
Students have access to Volen and Vertica Lounge and after hours, using their Brandeis ID.

Staff
Michael Golitsyn (Department Administrator)
https://calendly.com/golitsyn
golitsyn@brandeis.edu
VVolen Room 262
781-736-2701

Anne Gudaitis (Program Coordinator)
https://calendly.com/gudaitis
gudaitis@brandeis.edu
Volen Room 261
781-736-2723

Chris Allison, Chief Systems Administration
https://www.cs.brandeis.edu/~guru/
chris@cs.brandeis.edu
Volen Room 125
781-736-2717

In addition to COSI advising faculty and the COSI Department Office, the GSAS, Registrar's and ISSO (for international students) offices are your best resources for navigating the program.

Workday Student

• • (Course Enrollment, academic progress, etc.

• LATTE
  • LATTE, our Learning and Teaching Technology Environment, is a Moodle-based learning platform that enables Brandeis faculty members and students to engage in online education.
• Brandeis Bulletin
  • (Requirements, learning goals and special notes related to the computer science program of study)
• Department of Student Rights and Community Standards
  • Policies and Procedures to adhere to as a student at Brandeis
• Campus Updates on COVID-19
  • COVID Color Policy Levels

Admitted students with an undergraduate degree in Computer Science must satisfactorily complete:

• An approved schedule of nine 4-credit COSI courses numbered 100 or greater. 
• Students who have not successfully completed an Operating Systems course in their undergraduate studies, must include COSI 131a in their nine electives. Of those nine electives, you may take COSI 210, Independent study, which can be repeated at most once for credit.
• You are also free to take a cross-listed course, 100-level or higher, and/or enroll in an approved course at one of our consortium schools.

You are free to take any COSI course interests you. Taking at least one course in each of the following three major areas is recommended but not required:

• Systems
• AI and Interdisciplinary
• Theory 

Admitted students with an undergraduate degree in a field other than Computer Science must satisfactorily complete an approved schedule of twelve courses which includes:

• The following 3 core courses that provide a fundamental background in Computer Science: COSI 12b, COSI 21a, COSI 29a. 
• An additional 9 elective courses numbered 100 or greater one of which must be COSI 131, Operating Systems. Of those 9 courses, you may take COSI 210, Independent study, which can be repeated at most once for credit.
• You are also free to take a cross-listed course, 100-level or higher, and/or enroll in an approved course at one of our consortium schools.
• At most two core courses can be taken per semester.

Sample Course Schedule

In the first semester, a student that has tested out of 10a, will take 12b, 29a and an elective of their choice that does not have a prerequisite; this will then clear the way for a student to have more options in the second semester. Electives for the fall are: COSI 102a Software Entrepreneurship and 164a Introduction to 3-D Animation; a graduate student can also take a cross-listed course.

Placement Test 

Placement in your first Computer Science course is determined through the COSI Placement Exam. If you pass the exam, your first class will be 12b, Advanced Programming Techniques. If not, you will need to enroll in 10a, Introduction to Problem Solving in Python. This will not count as one of your twelve required courses. We will post a link to the exam as soon as it opens again in mid-August and it should be completed before classes begin on Thursday, August 25th.

Academic Status and Progress in the MS4 Program

Students must maintain a B+ or better in the following foundation courses: 12b, 21a, and 29a. Students who have an average of less than a B+ for the subset of these courses, will be subject to probation and will have to retake the course.

Policy for enrolling in 12b as the first course

In order to determine an MS student’s first course (either 10a or 12b), they must first pass the online Placement Exam that will be offered in August. This link will be provided over the summer.

Workday Student 

Workday will not allow graduate students to register for classes under 100-level, so we will be working with the registrar to enroll our MS4 students in 10a, 12b, 21a and 29a. (see FAQ section, question #7).

Requirements For BS/MS and BA/MS

This degree program is available only to Brandeis undergraduate students who have completed all requirements for the undergraduate BA or BS degree. Students propose a course of study for the fifth year that typically consists of six graduate-level courses, which may include an independent study and is approved by their advisor.

Master's Project

Students who have finished all their course and residency requirements, may enroll in the Master's Project for an additional semester at a reduced tuition. This would allow a student to do the equivalent of a research paper or independent study to fill in a student's background.

Academic Status and Progress in both programs

Students must maintain a B- or better in any 100-level elective in order to get course credit. See "Academic Status" on previous page for MS4 foundation courses which requires a B+ average.

Residency Requirement

There is a 3-semester minimum residency requirement for full-time students though the program may also be completed on a part-time basis. BS/MS students have a one year minimum residency requirement. Summer school does not count towards the residency requirement. 

Enrollment: Workday Student 

Workday will not allow graduate students to register for classes under 100-level, so we will be working with the registrar to enroll our MS4 students in 10a, 12b, 21a and 29a. (see FAQ section, question #7).

If you are an international student planning on doing an internship in the summer in the US, you need to apply for a CPT as soon as you accept an internship offer. International master’s students need to complete two academic semesters in residence on an F1 Visa status to be eligible to gain CPT authorization and will enroll in CS 293G, which counts for one academic credit. Most students enroll in this class during the summer in between their first and second year, once they have found an internship. 

Here are the steps to follow once you have secured the internship:

• Go to the ISSO website to find the overall instructions for applying for CPT and follow the instructions on this checklist: https://www.brandeis.edu/isso/documents/current/employment/curricular-practical-training/application-checklist.pdf. 
• Send a copy of your offer letter to Professor Iraklis Tsekourakis, the Director of Graduate Studies, so he can approve the internship. 
• Once that is approved, and during open enrollment, you will register for COSI 293g under Professor Tsekourakis.
• When those steps are complete the ISSO office will finalize your application.
• All students are responsible for submitting a Post-Internship Reflection Report. 

For further details on procedure please contact ISSO Office at isso@brandeis.edu. 

As stated in the Rights and Responsibilities handbook:

"Every member of the University community is expected to maintain the highest standards of academic honesty. A student shall not receive credit for work that is not the product of the student's own effort."

"The university that carries the name of the justice who stood for the rights of individuals must be distinguished by academic excellence, by truth pursued wherever it may lead and by awareness of the power and responsibilities that come with knowledge." — Brandeis University Mission Statement

The following is an example of academic honesty policy for a programming class. There may be small variations between classes, but this is a good example of what is acceptable. It is your responsibility to make sure you know the academic honesty policy at the beginning of the semester and abide by it throughout the semester. The ramifications of academic dishonesty are severe and can result in failing a class or worse. Cases of academic dishonesty are routinely referred to the Dean's office.

As a student of this course, you are agreeing to the following rules:

• You may not work as a partner with another student on a programming assignment.
• You may not get code from online sources.
• You may not show another student your solution to an assignment, nor look at his/her solution, for any reason.
• You may not have another person "walk you through" an assignment, describe in detail how to solve it, or sit with you as you write it. You also may not provide such help to another student. This includes current or former students, tutors, friends, TAs, web site forums, or anyone else.
• You may not post your homework solution code online or ask others for online help. This includes: Public message boards, forums, file sharing sites and services, or any other online system.
• You must not share your solution and ideas with others. 
• You must also ensure that your work is not copied by others, such as
  • Making sure to log out of shared computers;
  • Not leaving printouts of your code in public places;
  • Not emailing your code to other students or posting it on the web;

We enforce this policy by running similarity detection software over all submitted student programs.

Under our policy, the student who gives inappropriate help is as guilty as the one who receives it. 

Instead of providing such help to someone who does not understand an assignment, point him or her to other class resources such as lecture examples, the textbook, or emailing a TA or instructor. 

Programming assignments must be completed individually (unless specified otherwise by the instructor.)

All code you submit must be your own work. You may discuss general ideas of how to approach an assignment, but never specific details about the code to write. Any help you receive from or provide to classmates should be limited and should never involve details of how to code a solution.

This Fall, all of our classes will be offered in person. 

2) Will I have a meeting with my advisor before I choose my classes? Will it be clear what classes I need to take?

Yes. After orientation, it should be very clear what classes you need to take; you will make an appointment with your advisor within the first week of classes to go over your curriculum. You will also find answers to your questions in this document, the COSI Master’s Student Handbook.

3) How many classes do students normally take?

We have designed the program so that a student should be able to comfortably take 3 classes per semester. However, there are those students who wish to take 4, and though we do not recommend it, those with strong computer science backgrounds may be comfortable doing this. Regardless, you must meet your residency requirement. 

4) If I have taken a class equivalent to one that is required in the MS4 program, what do I do?

If you have taken a class equivalent to one in your program at Brandeis, you must present the syllabus to the Professor teaching that class to see if it covered the same material. If that is approved, for the first course that is waived, you must replace that with another elective. MS4 students can transfer in a course as long as it has not been used toward fulfilling requirements for another master’s degree.

5) I am in the MS4 program (for non-majors) and I learned programming on my own. What is the first COSI course I should take? Placement in your first Computer Science course is determined through the COSI Placement Exam. If you pass the exam, your first class will be 12b, Advanced Programming Techniques. If not, you will need to enroll in 10a, Introduction to Problem Solving in Python. We will post a link to the exam as soon as it is available and it should be completed before classes begin on Thursday, August 25. Continue to check this link for updates: https://www.brandeis.edu/computer-science/placement.html. 

Note that COSI 10a will not count toward your credit requirements.

6) How long do I have to decide before I commit to a class?

If you wish to ”shop” a class during the registration period because you’re not sure about what elective to take, you are required to attend the first lecture of any class you are interested in. If the class is full, add yourself to the waitlist and you will be automatically contacted when it opens up. Here is the video tutorial on how to do this in Workday. You will have plenty of time to drop the class if you chose to do so. This Fall, the “add” deadline is Monday, September 8, and the “drop” deadline is Friday, November 11. See detailed academic calendar: https://www.brandeis.edu/registrar/calendar/fall-2022.html.

7) How do I register for courses?

Workday Student is the system for course enrollment which you will use to view and manage personal information, register for classes, add or drop classes, view class schedule and grades, view financial aid, and more. This system is new and currently does not allow graduate students to register for undergraduate courses (those with course numbers less than 100). If you are in the MS4 program, please wait to register for courses until after the COSI Orientation. We will work with the registrar to enroll you for the courses you need after you have an opportunity to take the placement test.

8) If I’m an international student, can I do an internship in the summer? International master’s students need to complete two academic semesters in residence on an F1 Visa status to be eligible to gain CPT authorization and will enroll in CS 293G, which counts for one academic credit. Usually students enroll in this class during the summer in between their first and second year, once they have found an internship. For further details on procedure please compsci@brandeis.edu, and the ISSO Office at isso@brandeis.edu. 

9) Are there Teaching Assistant (TA) positions I can apply for to supplement my income?

The number of TA positions available varies per semester. Once you have taken the class and the faculty member is confident that you know the material well, you can apply for an open TA position. Normally a new student will wait until their second semester or second year to be eligible for this kind of job, but it would depend on the student’s experience. Sometimes an instructor will ask you; feel free to approach them about the position.

10) Are there other jobs on campus that I could apply for?

Yes. You may go to Student Financial Services and apply for any job you are qualified for on-campus. However, you cannot apply before you arrive. The website is: https://www.brandeis.edu/student-financial-services/employment/jobs/index.html. The Department Coordinator will be generating your timesheets which you will be debriefed about once you are hired.

11) Does the department help me find an internship during my studies and/or a permanent job after graduation? 

The Computer Science department provides multiple opportunities for students to establish relationships with stakeholders and industries in the field via our annual computer science career fair, 'meet and greets' with outside companies, as well as tech talks throughout the year. But, it is up to the student to get the internship.

12) What is a passing grade?

MS students must receive a B- or better on all their 100-level or above classes. In addition, the MS4’s must average a B+ on the required undergraduate courses: 12b, 21a, and 29a. See pages 8 - 9 for further explanation on this MS4 requirement.

13) Can I do an Independent Study?

It is possible to do an independent study. An independent study can either be a faculty-supervised research project or ask them if they will supervise you. If you want to do an independent study approach a faculty member who knows you and ask them about doing it. Masters students are limited to two independent studies during the program.

14) Is there a Residency Requirement 

There is a 3 semester residency requirement for full-time students, though the program may also be completed on a part-time basis. Neither summer school nor JBS counts towards the residency requirement.