Course Syllabus

This course allows students to participate in a supervised work program where they apply USF coursework knowledge in a practical setting. Work is supervised by a USF faculty member and a corporate sponsor.

Instructor

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Apply computer science knowledge and programming skills in a practical setting.

Assessment of these outcomes will be done via a final report and supervisor feedback.

Course Prerequisites

Students must be in good academic standing. Positions must be programming-oriented (e.g. not systems administration) and approved ahead of time by the graduate director.

Course Requirements

Students must not exceed 20 hours per week during the academic school year, and 40 hours per week during the summer. Students must complete a minimum of 300 hours between the first day of classes and the last day of final exams for that semester. See the Practicum FAQ for more details.

Grade Breakdown

To earn a passing grade in this class, students must complete all required assignments. Failing to complete any of the required assignments in a timely manner will result in an "F" (failing) letter grade. These assignments include:

• Students must submit a scanned copy of the offer letter. See the Practicum FAQ for offer letter requirements.

• Students must provide Supervisor Contact Information. This must be the person responsible for overseeing the student's progress over the semester.

• Students must complete a 2 to 4 page Final Report detailing their accomplishments over the semester. The report will remain confidential, and will only be shared with the course instructor and supervisor.

We also require information from the supervisors of each student. The supervisor must provide the following information:

• The supervisor will be asked to confirm the student's employment and offer letter details at the start of the semester.

• The supervisor will be asked to provide feedback of the student's performance at the end of the semester.

If all requirements are met, the final letter grade will be based on supervisor feedback and the final report. Only students with exceptional feedback and well-written reports will receive an "A" letter grade in this class.

Important The final grade will be withheld until the above information is received from the supervisor. It is the responsibility of each student to make sure the supervisor is aware of these requirements.

Letter Grades

Letter grades will be assigned according to the following scale:

For example, you will receive a C letter grade if your grade is greater than or equal to 70% and less than 77%. You will receive an "F" (failing) letter grade if your score falls below 70%. Please note this scale is subject to change.

Note Graduate students may not receive a "D" letter grade. See the Graduate Student Regulations for more information about letter grades and how they are translated into GPA.

Late Policy

All deadlines and exam dates are firm. The final grade will be deducted 10% if assignments are not submitted in a timely manner.

Exceptions to this policy are made only in the case of verifiable medical or family emergency. Extensions and makeup exams must be arranged PRIOR to the original deadline unless in case of extreme emergency (such as an emergency room visit).

Academic Honesty

All students are expected to know and adhere to the Academic Honor Code of the University of San Francisco. The pledge all students must adhere to is:

I pledge to demonstrate the core values of the University of San Francisco by upholding the standards of honesty and integrity, excellence in my academic work, and respect for others in my educational experiences, including supporting USF's mission.

http://www.usfca.edu/academic-integrity/honor-code/

The standards of "honesty and integrity" includes statements on cheating, plagiarism, and fraud. This covers the use of unauthorized materials, participating in unauthorized collaboration, copying without attribution work from the web or elsewhere, and in any way representing the work of others as one's own. Go to http://www.usfca.edu/academic-integrity/honor-code/ for more details.

Flagrant or repeat violations of the honor code will result in an F in the course, a report to the University Academic Integrity Committee, and a report to the Dean. At the discretion of the instructor, a less severe penalty may be imposed for minor or first offenses. This is at the sole discretion of the instructor and any violation may result in an F in the course.