This FAQ is intended to answer common logistical questions about optionally registering for CS8903 as a course for credit.
1. Do I have to Register for Credit?
No, you do not have to register for credit to participate in the interested group.
2. Does the course credit count towards graduation?
Yes. You are allowed to apply up to 3 credit hours of CS8903 towards your degree.
3. Why is the the Fall 1 credit, but the Spring 2 credits? I read the Spring was 3 credits?
There are multiple ways to participate. The intended path for students is
- Fall Interest Group: 1 credit hour
- Spring CLEF Competition: 2 credit hours
This would total 3 credit hours of CS 8903.
Students can optionally take the Spring CLEF Competition for 3 credit hours. Many students who participate do not take either the Fall or Spring for credit but still compete and publish their work in the CLEF proceedings.
4. Do I need to have a well-developed research statement to participate?
Not at all for the Fall Interest Group. One goal of the Fall Interest Group is to help students get started on their research journey via the CLEF competition.
5. Is there homework? Are there Midterm and Final Exams?
Yes there is homework and it is graded for completion. The homework is generally easy and LLM usage is allowed.
There are no exams but there is a Final Project.
6. Do I have to have a team for the Final Project?
No. If you wish, you may form a team of up to 3 students, but it is not required.
7. I'm very interested in research but I'm completely new to OMSCS. Can I still participate?
The interest group is generally meant to get students ready for the CLEF competition in the Spring semester. CLEF is primarily a machine learning competition. It is recommended that you have taken some of the foundational machine learning and deep learning courses here at Georgia Tech. Though it is not explicitly required. We accept students from many different backgrounds, including those with individual/work experience in ML.
8. What is the expected time commitment?
Officially, one should allocate up to a maximum of 50 hours of work throughout the semester. Which is roughly 3-4 hours per week.