Pursuing Honors in Computer Science

Timeframe: Throughout your time at Colgate

What to do: Complete courses in computer science and other disciplines with excellence to satisfy the overall GPA and major GPA requirements for honors in computer science.

Timeframe: During your 2nd and/or 3rd year

What to do: Speak with your academic advisor or other computer science faculty about opportunities to engage in projects that advance the field of computer science or synthesize computer science concepts and technologies to benefit specific communities. Possible opportunities include summer research, 400-level computer science electives, and COSC 482: Independent Research.

Timeframe: Prior to your last semester at Colgate

What to do: Develop your ability to complete an independent project that advances the field of computer science or synthesizes computer science concepts and technologies to benefit specific communities by doing one of the following:

1. Conduct computer-science-related summer research with a Colgate faculty member or through a Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program at another institution;
2. Enroll in and satisfactorily complete COSC 482: Independent Research with a computer science faculty member;
3. Satisfactorily complete a student-directed project in a 400-level COSC course, and, after the course concludes, independently extend the project with guidance from a computer science faculty member;
4. Complete an internship that involves contributing to a project with potential value beyond the organization where you worked, and, after the internship concludes, independently extend the project with guidance from a computer science faculty member.

Timeframe: The summer or semester before you intend to enroll in COSC 492: Independent Research

What to do: Ask a computer science faculty member to serve as your project advisor. If you completed COSC 482 or did summer research at Colgate for your preliminary project, your honors adviser will likely be the same faculty member who advised that project.

Timeframe: During the last four weeks of the summer or semester before you intend to enroll in COSC 492: Independent Research

What to do: Present your proposed honors project to the computer science faculty. Ask your faculty advisor about the expected timing and format of the presentation and review the Honors Proposal Presentation Expectations below.

Timeframe: After presenting and receiving (provisional) approval of your project from the computer science faculty

What to do: Write a 2-3 page (single column, single spaced) proposal which encapsulates the content from your proposal presentation and, according to your faculty advisor, satisfactorily addresses any concerns raised by the computer science faculty in response to the presentation.

Timeframe: Before the conclusion of add/drop in your last or second-to-last semester at Colgate

What to do: Enroll in COSC 492: Honors Research by completing the registrar’s Independent Study Application. While enrolled in COSC 492, complete your proposed project with guidance from your faculty advisor.

Timeframe: During the last two weeks of COSC 492

What to do: Present your completed project to the computer science faculty. Ask your faculty advisor about the expected timing and format of the presentation, and review the Honors Presentation/Thesis Expectations below.

Timeframe: By the end of COSC 492

What to do: Submit to your faculty advisor a written thesis describing your project’s motivation, methodology, outcomes, and connections to previous work, along with any other artifacts produced as part of the project. Ask your faculty advisor about the expected thesis format and deadline, and review the Honors Presentation/Thesis Expectations.

For your project proposal to be approved by the computer science faculty, your proposal must include:

1. Clearly defined problem/contribution that will advance the field of computer science or provide public benefit;
2. Evidence you have sufficient background knowledge of the project space and can complete the proposed project;
3. Steps you will take that, if completed, will result in a successful project; and
4. Clearly defined possible outcomes with plans for addressing known and unforeseen challenges.

To meet the standard for honors, your presentation to the computer science faculty and written thesis must:

1. Focus on a problem/contribution that advances the field of computer science or provides public benefit;
2. Clearly articulate the motivation/contribution of the project;
3. Clearly describe and suitably justify the methodology;
4. Have a sound methodology;
5. Clearly and thoroughly describe/analyze the outcomes;
6. Clearly and thoroughly position the project in the context of prior work;
7. Clearly articulate limitations and/or future work.