Senior Thesis

Princeton University
Computer Science Dept.

Computer Science COS SRT
Senior Research Thesis

AB Candidates Only; BSE candidates can do a thesis by permission.

Sanjeev Arora

BSE Candidates, please see COS 498.

Spring 1998

Second semester of two-semester sequence of courses during which AB candidates continue their research and write their senior thesis. AB candidates are automatically registered for independent research every semester of their last two years. B.S.E. candidates who wish to do independent work in the spring semester must register explicitly for COS 398 or COS 498
B.S.E. candidates interested in doing a senior thesis must obtain permission in fall (see the FAQ below).

Answers to frequently asked questions about independent work.

Schedule

March 13: Send email to Prof. Arora before this date suggesting the name of a professor who would be a suitable second reader for your thesis. (If your thesis advisor is from another department, then your second reader has to be from within the CS department.) If you are unable to come up with a second reader, then describe your thesis topic in your email so that Prof. Arora can match you up with a second reader.
April 10: Before this date, meet with your second reader at least once. Also, give a draft of your thesis to both your advisor and your second reader by that date.
May 4: Deadline for submitting the final copy of the thesis to your advisor and to the second reader. Two unbound final copies should also be submitted to the undergraduate secretary. One copy will be sent to the University Library archives to be microfilmed and will not be returned; the other copy will be kept by the department.
May 13-14
Make a 15-minute presentation on results of your project and answer 5 minutes of questions. Note that this is your Senior Comprehensive Exam.
SIGN UP FOR A SLOT OUTSIDE ROOM 307. TRY TO PICK A SLOT WHEN YOUR ADVISOR and 2nd READER CAN ATTEND. You should sign up for a 1-hour slot in the following times: (1) Wed., May 13, 1-5. (2) Thurs., May 14, 1-3. For each hour, I will decide randomly upon the order in which the four students will present.
Try to include the following in your presentation.

a 2-3 line "sound-bite" on what your project is

Details on your project

Prior research in this area and its relevance to your project (if any)

What you have already achieved.

What you had hoped to achieve at the start of the semester but didn't pan out.
Be prepared for 5 minutes of questions after your talk. You are encouraged to use transparencies in your talk. Note however that you cannot realistically expect to have time for more than about 7 transparencies in a 15 minute talk.
To print transparencies on printers in the department see here for instructions. If you prepare transparencies with a PC or a MAC, you will need to save them as postscript files and then print the postscript files on the dept. printers. Alternatively, you can print on paper as usual and then photocopy onto a transparency. Ms. Tina Hill can tell you which photocopier to use and how (most copiers in the department cannot photocopy onto transparencies).

People/Links

Instructor: Sanjeev Arora, Room 307 CS Bldg. arora@cs.princeton.edu
CS undergrad secretary: Ms. T. Hill, Room 410 CS Bldg. tmhill@cs.princeton.edu.

Back to Course Schedule

Princeton University Computer Science Dept.