Senior Research Project

CS 490 is where you stop solving problems someone else has already solved and start defining your own — you pick a research question in computer science, work one-on-one with a faculty supervisor, and treat the semester like a miniature thesis. The work is mostly self-directed: a literature survey to map what's already known, then sustained investigation broken up by an interim report, a final report, and a presentation defending what you found. It's the bridge between coursework and graduate-style research, so it matters most if you're considering an MS/PhD or want a serious technical artifact to point at when applying for jobs.