Syllabus | CSCI 499 Senior Project Defense
Department: Computer Science
Course Name: Senior Project Defense
Course Number: CSCI 499
Credit Hours: 1
Approved Major Credit: BS in Computer Science, BS in Cybersecurity, and BA in Applied Computing
LAC Requirement: None
Prerequisites: CSCI 498
Corequisite: CSCI 490
Course Description
Senior Project Defense is the third and final course in a three-part project-based capstone series for the Computer Science degree program. The student will complete the remaining construction of a significant project in the field of Computer Science, complete a final project report, and defend the project publicly before the CSCI faculty and guests.
ABET Student Learning Outcomes
The following student outcomes are to be supported by this coursework:
An ability to design, implement, and evaluate a computer-based system, process, component, or program to meet desired needs.
An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
Recognize professional responsibilities and make informed judgments in computing practice based on legal and ethical principles.
Course Materials
Additional Materials for Learning
- Computer with basic audio/video output equipment
- Internet access
- A GitHub Account
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course, the student is expected to have completed his/her project, the final report, and present this work to the faculty. The advisor will assist the student when necessary and approve the final project defense. The student is also required to complete the Student Exit Interview Questionnaire.
Objectives and Tasks
The student will complete work according to the schedule refined in CSCI 498. Schedule changes may be applied if agreed upon by both the advisor and the student. The student is also responsible for giving regular progress reports to the advisor and attending all senior project meetings as announced by the CSCI faculty.
Final Documentation Requirements
The final report must be a new, comprehensive, and complete document that reflects the final state of the senior project. Students must not simply reuse or make minor extensions to materials developed during the proposal phase (CSCI 497). All sections (including background, requirements, design, implementation, and test plans) must be thoroughly updated and expanded to detail the actual construction and evaluation of the system. The final report must be posted within the student's senior portfolio website (created in CSCI 496) as a fifth project (above the other projects).
Important Deadlines
To allow sufficient time for faculty review and feedback, the complete final report must be submitted to the project advisor at least two weeks before the scheduled final presentation. Late submissions will adversely affect the final grade and may result in the postponement of the defense to the next semester.
Students must also complete a dry run of the presentation with their advisor before the final presentation or they will not be permitted to present. The student is responsible for scheduling the dry run with their advisor.
The exit questionnaire must be completed before grades are reported or the student will receive a failing grade for the course.
Defense Documentation Structure
The final defense documentation shall include the following chapters:
- At the beginning, include the project title and date followed by the student's name, major, degree, project advisor.
- Statement of Purpose (with the Problem Statement)
- Research & Background
- Project Language(s), Software, and Hardware
- Project Requirements
- Project Implementation Description & Explanation
This section details the design and features of the project in paragraph form with references to the following:- screenshots with numbered captions (e.g., Fig 1. The loading screen.)
- a link to the source code repository
- Test Plan
- Test Results
- Challenges Overcome
- Future Enhancements
- Defense Presentation Slides
Grading
| Objective | Grade Weight |
|---|---|
| Final Report | 60% |
| Project Presentation | 40% |
| Exit Questionnaire | Required for Grade |
Attendance
The student is expected to schedule a meeting with the project advisor within the first full week of the class. During this initial meeting, the attendance policies will be discussed and meeting times will be scheduled between the student and advisor.
Course, Department, and University Policies
Academic Integrity and the Honor Code
All students are expected to adhere to Charleston Southern University's Academic Integrity Policy and the Computer Science Departmental Guidelines. For example, all work must be original and must not be copied from another student. Failure to follow this guideline will be considered a violation of the code and will be treated accordingly. Students are encouraged to ask their instructor(s) for clarification regarding their academic integrity.
AI Policy for CSCI 499
Level 2. Permitting or prohibiting AI use on an assignment-by-assignment basis in CSCI 499.
The use of generative AI is prohibited for all work on your senior project unless expressly granted by your project advisor. Such permission may be rare and highly dependent on the project and deliverables. To comprehend the various concepts presented in the course material takes considerable effort and practice. Accordingly, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is generally prohibited in this course but will be permitted for select deliverables.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools are prohibited from use in any step in the process of creating the test plan (idea generation, outlining, writing, etc.).
If AI is used in any capacity for a deliverable, AI requires proper attribution. Given that there is no person to whom the work can be attributed, students should attribute directly quoted text to the creator of the AI tool used (e.g., cite OpenAI when directly quoting ChatGPT). This attribution must be used for both in-text citations and in the reference section.
When using material generated from an AI model in submitted assignments, transparency is key, and these instances must be properly referenced. Use the APA or IEEE style guide for citation.
AI Citation example
Scenario: Your project implementation, a financial investment app, uses ChatGPT agents to simulate stock trades.
Acknowledge the Tool For example:
This project implementation used OpenAI’s ChatGPT agents to assist with prototyping investment recommendation logic, generating code snippets, and testing potential trading scenarios.
Document the Scope of Use
Be clear about how you used it and where its contributions end. For example:- Uses ChatGPT agents to simulate stock trades
- Not used to make real financial decisions or give live trading advice.
Include a Proper Reference
In your project's references section, add something like:- APA style
OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (GPT-5) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/ - IEEE style
[1] OpenAI, ChatGPT (GPT-5). [Online]. Available: https://chat.openai.com/
- APA style
Course Evaluations
To pursue our mission of Academic Excellence in a Christian Environment, we must receive feedback from students. The student-feedback survey is online and will be available to students in the second half of the semester. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the short evaluation survey, which is anonymous. Your professor will let you know when the survey is available. The survey will be available through your MyCSU account. We greatly value your opinion!
Student Representatives
These are students who are designated by letter to represent the University in official business (e.g., athletic, music, and similar events). If officially scheduled absences cause these students to miss tests, assignments, or similar academic activities, university policy allows these to be made up without penalty. Student Representatives may opt to either make-up tests before departure or supplant missed tests with the final exam grade. Final exams must always be taken before departure to avoid an Incomplete for the course. Scheduled assignments remain subject to the lateness policy and must be turned in before departure to avoid lateness penalties. Student Representatives are responsible for informing the instructor of official absences and to make all appropriate arrangements.
Internet Etiquette
Charleston Southern University (CSU) holds students, faculty, and staff to the highest standards of conduct and expects all to demonstrate courteous behaviors and practices in online communications. This policy includes guidelines and recommendations for online communications. Being respectful, thoughtful, meaningful, and ethical are fundamental to good netiquette.
CSU's basic netiquette rules are:
- Course communications are for internal use only and considered confidential. Do not forward or quote discussion posts, emails, or other course communications to outside parties.
- Never share personal login usernames, IDs or passwords.
- Do not type in all capital letters. It is perceived online as shouting.
- Use proper capitalization, grammar, spelling, and punctuation conventions for professional communications.
- Avoid texting jargon or abbreviations without explanation.
- Incorrect: "CSU is a wonderful university."
- Correct: "Charleston Southern University (CSU) is a wonderful university."
- Be mindful of sending emails. Ensure that content is relevant and pay attention to Reply versus Reply All.
- BucMail is the only email allowed for course communications. Other platforms (Yahoo, Gmail, etc.) are prohibited.
- In video conferencing, mute your microphone when not speaking.
- Differing views are natural and welcome in discussion boards. Be respectful in your comments-even if you disagree or dislike someone's position on a topic.
- Respect the time and availability of students, faculty, and staff. Emails should be addressed within 24 hours of receipt. Keep in mind that traditional faculty work hours are 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. EST.
Accessibility Services
Any student who may need accommodations should review the requirements/procedures on the Accessibility Services website. Once approved to receive accommodations, the student must contact the instructor.
Title IX: Confidentiality and Responsible Employee Statement
Charleston Southern University is committed to maintaining a safe learning environment for everyone. In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the university prohibits any form of sexual harassment, including quid pro quo harassment, hostile environments, sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, and stalking. This policy applies to all students, employees, and visitors.
Additionally, Title IX prohibits discrimination against students based on pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from these conditions. Pregnant or parenting students may receive accommodations to ensure their full participation in educational programs. These adjustments can be arranged through the university’s Title IX Coordinator or their designee.
Under Charleston Southern University’s Title IX Policy, all faculty members, including teaching assistants, are required to report any disclosures of sex or gender-based discrimination or violence to the Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX Coordinator will provide support and resources while maintaining privacy. If you or someone you know needs assistance, please contact the Title IX Coordinator: Shannon Morrison or the deputy Title IX Coordinator Justin Brown. Email: titleix@csuniv.edu
Please visit the CSU Title IX webpage for more information on Title IX procedures, anonymous reporting, or available support. You may complete an incident report using the form on the title-ix website.
See all course, department, and university policies located in Blackboard and the CSU Student Handbook.