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Syllabus

Course Overview

Course Description

This course provides a first introduction to artificial intelligence (AI). It covers the definition of AI, the history of AI, the main approaches to AI, and example applications of AI and machine learning (ML). Concepts will be grounded in a range of real-world application projects in AI. Students will also be introduced to ethical issues around AI.

Prerequisites

COGS 18 or CSE 11 or CSE 6R or CSE 8A or CSE 8B or DSC 20. This course is intended for students with no prior AI or ML experience.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

How to Succeed in This Class

This course is designed to be approachable while still engaging with core AI concepts and ideas. We provide extensive support through office hours and Piazza. Use these resources and you will be well positioned to succeed.

Course Information

Instructor: Trevor Bonjour (he/him), tbonjour@ucsd.edu

Please see Course Staff to learn more about the instructional team.

Lectures

Lectures are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2PM - 3:20PM, at CENTR 105

Lectures will be held in-person at the regularly-scheduled time and place. Attendance is highly encouraged, but NOT required. Lectures are designed to include in-class activities, discussion, and collaborative work, and students who attend in person will get the most out of these experiences. Lecture notes and other materials will be posted, and lectures will be podcasted and posted online for remote viewing.

Please note, we have requested that podcasting be enabled for the lectures, but we cannot guarantee that it will always work. You will be able to find the lecture recordings at podcast.ucsd.edu.

Discussions

Discussion sections will be held on Mondays, 12:00–12:50 PM in CENTR 212, except during the first week of the quarter and on university holidays. Each discussion will be led by a TA and is designed to support your learning, with a focus on programming, assignments, and working through examples related to the course material. Attendance is encouraged but not required.

Office Hours

Office hours are a drop-in (in person or remote) Question & Answer opportunity to talk with the tutors, TAs, and instructor about concepts and specific questions from class and homework. We offer multiple sessions each week. Please check the office-hours page for the schedule.

Textbook and Materials

You will not need to purchase any materials for this course. All required materials will be provided through the course website. These may include notes, examples, Python notebooks, short readings, references, and occasional videos.

The course does not closely follow a particular text. Nevertheless, the following texts (though not required) may be useful as general references. All of these are freely available.

Assessments

This course includes a mix of in-class activities, reflection surveys, homework assignments, two in-person tests and one group project.

Participation

There are two components for participation in the course: in-class activities and weekly reflection surveys. Participation is designed to support engagement and learning. All participation is graded for completion, not correctness.

In-class Participation

In-class participation credit may be earned through a variety of in-class activities, which can include worksheets, polling questions, discussion prompts, brief coding or analysis tasks.

Students who are unable to attend a class session may earn participation credit by completing the in-class activity outside of class by 11:59 PM on the Sunday following the lecture. Please note, this deadline is the same for all lectures in a given week, regardless of whether the lecture was on Tuesday or Thursday.

Completion means submitting a reasonable attempt that addresses the prompts for the activity. While participation can be completed outside of class, many activities are designed for live interaction and are most valuable when done in person.

Reflection Surveys

Students are required to complete:

Weekly reflection surveys are due by Sunday at 11:59 PM and are an important part of the course. These reflections help you track your learning, and they help the instructional team understand what is working and what needs adjustment.

Homework Assignments

There will be several homework assignments throughout the quarter. These assignments may include written and programming components and are designed to help you explore, build, and reason about AI systems using concepts from the course. Assignments may involve implementing, modifying, or evaluating models, as well as analyzing results.

Assignment instructions will specify the submission format, deadlines, any grace periods, the regrade policy, and allowed resources.

Final Project

There will be an open-ended group project that serves as the final for the class. Students will work in teams to explore an AI problem or application using ideas from the course. The project is due during the official final exam window. More details, milestones, and evaluation criteria will be released later in the quarter.

Tests

There will be two 45-minute, in-person, self-scheduled tests.

Make-up Tests

If needed, you may schedule make-up tests for Test 1, Test 2, or both in Week 10. Each make-up test corresponds to one of the original tests. For each test, if your make-up test score is higher than your original score, it will replace that score. If your make-up score is lower, your original score will be kept. Taking make-up tests is optional.

Under this policy, a poor performance on an earlier test can be erased by stronger performance on the corresponding make-up test, without risk of lowering your grade.

Example: If you scored 60% on Test 1 and 90% on Test 2, and later earn 85% on the Test 1 make-up and 88% on the Test 2 make-up, your final test scores would be 85% (Test 1) and 90% (Test 2).

Scheduling the Tests

Tests for this course will be administered by the Triton Testing Center (TTC) in the Computer-Based Testing Facility in AP&M B349 and B432. The TTC’s rules concerning testing are the rules for this course.

You must schedule your tests in advance, and it is recommended that you do so as soon as possible. Scheduling for all tests opens on the first day of instruction.

To make sure you have access to the test questions, you need to be enrolled in PrairieLearn course instance. Please use the prairielearn enrollment link.

To schedule the test, first make sure you self-enroll on prairietest. Please use the prairietest enrollment link. Once you have self-enrolled in prairietest, follow the registration instructions at TTC-AP&M to schedule your test.

Students with OSD approved Accommodations

If you will be utilizing accommodations for your test, you will take it at the TTC’s Pepper Canyon Hall location. You must schedule your test at least three days in advance through the RegisterBlast system. RegisterBlast scheduling is to be done ONLY by students with OSD-approved accommodations. Tests scheduled via RegisterBlast without accommodations will be cancelled.

You can also find information about scheduling your test on TTC’s website. Here is more information about testing policies and procedures and FAQs. You may also email tritontesting@ucsd.edu for assistance.

Grading

We will use the following grade breakdown:

AssessmentPercentage
Homework Assignments35%
Test 115%
Test 215%
In-Class Participation10%
Reflections5%
Final Project20%

Grading Scale

The standard grading scale below is the starting point for the course. After all scores are in, final letter-grade cutoffs may be adjusted slightly downward if appropriate, but cutoffs will never be raised. For example, the A cutoff will never exceed 94%.

Letter GradeRange
A≥ 94%
A-≥ 90% < 94%
B+≥ 87% < 90%
B≥ 84% < 87%
B-≥ 80% < 84%
C+≥ 77% < 80%
C≥ 74% < 77%
C-≥ 70% < 74%
D≥ 61% < 70%
F< 61%

Pass/Not Pass for Undergraduate Students: We will follow the university grading system of C- or higher for P/NP grades.

Incomplete Grade: Sometimes, circumstances beyond a student’s control prevent them from completing a class even once they have completed the majority of the coursework at a passing level. UCSD has a process in place for you to request an Incomplete (I) if this happens to you. Here is the campus policy about the Incomplete grade and some information about it.

Course Policies

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

We aim to create an environment in which all students can succeed in this course. We need and want to hear from you if additional accommodations would improve your experience in the course.

If you have a disability, please contact the Office for Students with Disability (OSD), which is located in University Center 202 behind Center Hall, to discuss appropriate accommodations right away. They also provide the OSD Student Portal. We will work to provide you with the accommodations you need, but you must first provide a current Authorization for Accommodation (AFA) letter issued by the OSD. You are required to present the AFA letters to the Faculty and to the OSD Liaison in the department in advance so that accommodations may be arranged. We ask that you work to organize the AFA and to let us know about it as early in the quarter as possible so that we can best support your needs. For more information, see Disability Resources at UCSD.

Academic Integrity

In this course we expect students to adhere to the UC San Diego Integrity of Scholarship Policy. This means that you will complete your work honestly, and with integrity, and support an environment of integrity within the class.

Some examples of specific ways this policy applies to CSE 25 include:

Use of Gen AI Tools

You may use AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Copilot, etc.) for learning support, debugging, or exploring ideas, but not to replace your own thinking. Any submitted work should reflect your understanding, and you should be able to explain it if asked. Submitting AI-generated work without meaningful modification, attribution, or understanding is not permitted.

Missed Test Policy

Tests must be taken during their designated testing windows in Week 4 and Week 8. Week 10 make-up tests are the only built-in make-up option. Outside of these testing windows, no additional make-ups will be offered. If you have a serious illness or an emergency, please contact the instructor as soon as possible.

Outside Tutoring

Individuals are not permitted to approach students to offer services of any kind in exchange for pay, including tutoring services. This is considered a solicitation for business and is strictly prohibited by University policy.

Class material and intellectual property

Our lectures and course materials, including videos, assignments, and similar materials, are protected by U.S. copyright law and by University policy. We are the exclusive owner of the copyright in those materials we create. We acknowledge the cumulative contributions to this course material of previous instructors, TAs, and tutors, as well as contributions to the class structure from colleagues in CSE and at UCSD.

You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own use. You may also share those materials with another student who is enrolled in or auditing this course. You may not reproduce, distribute or display (post/upload) lecture notes or recordings or course materials in any other way — whether or not a fee is charged — without our express prior written consent. You also may not allow others to do so. If you do so, you may be subject to student conduct proceedings under the UC San Diego Student Code of Conduct.

Similarly, you own the copyright in your original work. If I am interested in posting your answers or papers on the course web site, I will ask for your written permission.

Late Adds

I follow the CSE department guidance on Late Adds, namely that “all students are expected to attend class for the first two weeks and complete assignments if they are on the waitlist for a course. Attending class and completing course assignments does not guarantee enrollment. If students choose to miss class or not turn in assignments while on the waitlist, the student will receive a “0” on all missed assignments, if they secure a seat in the course off the waitlist.”

Exceptions and Flexibility

The policies in this syllabus are meant to be clear and fair, but we recognize that life does not always follow a perfect schedule. In general, our policies serve three purposes:

These policies are designed to handle most of the everyday disruptions of a quarter so you do not need to request one-off exceptions for routine issues.

When to reach out

Some situations go beyond these built-in allowances. Please contact the instructor as soon as possible if you experience a serious illness, hospitalization, family emergency, accident, or other significant event that prevents you from meeting course requirements. We will work with you to find an appropriate solution.

Resources for Students

Mental Health Services

For students seeking services for mental health issues (including, but not limited to: stress, sleep issues, depression, anxiety, academic distress, relationship issues, etc.), Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) provides free, confidential psychological counseling and crisis services for all registered UC San Diego students. CAPS also provides a variety of groups, workshops and drop-in forums.

To contact CAPS, call (858) 534-3755. All students are screened with a brief telephone assessment. For more information, visit the Counseling and Psychological Services website.

Getting Help

We expect that all students will need help at some point during the quarter. Many resources are available including TA and instructor office hours, as well as the Piazza discussion board. We also encourage you to form study groups.

The IDEA Engineering Student Center, located just off the lobby of Jacobs Hall, is a hub for student engagement, academic enrichment, personal/professional development, leadership, community involvement, and a respectful learning environment for all. The Center offers a variety of programs, listed on the IDEA Center Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ucsdidea (you are welcome to Like this page!) and the Center website at http://idea.ucsd.edu/. The IDEA Center programs support both undergraduate students and graduate students.” The Teaching and Learning Commons continues to offer their full suite of student success programs, including learning strategies coaching.

Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to fostering a learning environment for this course that supports a diversity of thoughts, perspectives, and experiences, and respects your identities (including race, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sex, class, sexuality, religion, ability, age, educational background, etc.). Our goal is to create a diverse and inclusive learning environment where all students feel comfortable and can thrive.

Our instructional staff will make a concerted effort to be welcoming and inclusive to the wide diversity of students in this course. If there is a way we can make you feel more included please let one of the course staff know, either in person, via email/discussion board, or even in a note under the door. Our learning about diverse perspectives and identities is an ongoing process, and we welcome your perspectives and input.

We also expect that you, as a student in this course, will honor and respect your classmates, abiding by the UCSD Principles of Community (https://ucsd.edu/about/principles.html), along with the guidelines for online interaction posted on the site. Please understand that others’ backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences may be different than your own, and help us to build an environment where everyone is respected and feels comfortable.

If you experience any sort of harassment or discrimination, please contact the instructor as soon as possible. If you prefer to speak with someone outside of the course, please contact the Office of Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination: https://ophd.ucsd.edu/.

Basic Needs/Food Insecurities

If you are experiencing any basic needs insecurities (food, housing, financial resources), there are resources available on campus to help, including The Hub and the Triton Food Pantry. Please visit http://thehub.ucsd.edu/ for more information.

FAQs

Is this class curved?

Sort of. We start with the standard grading scale (A ≥ 94%, A- ≥ 90%, etc.). After all scores are in, final cutoffs may be adjusted slightly downward if appropriate, but cutoffs will never be raised, so the A threshold will never exceed 94%.

Can I take the tests remotely or schedule my test in another week?

Tests are in person at the Triton Testing Center. The self-scheduled tests already provide flexibility. Anything beyond this would require significant extra work for staff and is not allowed. Instead, the optional make-up tests in Week 10 serves as a built-in backup: if you miss or underperform on an earlier test, the make-up can replace your lower score.

What if I’m mildly sick and can’t submit homework on time?

Minor illnesses are common. The optional make-up tests, and make-up participations, grace periods are designed to absorb routine disruptions without individual exceptions. For serious illness or an extended medical issue, contact the instructor and provide documentation so we can coordinate accommodations.

I’m close to the next grade up. Can you round my final grade or give extra credit work?

No. Grades are determined by the published policies for everyone. Offering extra work or rounding for individuals would be unfair and would create grading overload for the staff. We also can’t offer special opportunities (such as extra work) to raise an individual grade. To be fair, any extra assignment would need to be offered to everyone, and even a percentage of takers would create more grading than the staff can handle at the end of the quarter. Instead, second chances are built into the course through the make-up test and other policies, which give all students the same opportunity to demonstrate mastery.

CSE 25 - Intro to AI
Assignments
CSE 25 - Intro to AI
Office Hours