Ryan Bensussan Harvey Instructor in Computer Science

COSC A499 Independent Study: Open Source Software

What is this course about?

Modern software development uses numerous tools and libraries that are built using an open source model. In this independent study, students will gain and demonstrate an understanding of open source development processes, tools, licenses, and communities. Emphasis is on practical aspects of open source development communities and how they relate to theoretical concepts from computer science and software engineering.

What do I need to know before I take this course?

The prerequisite for this course is Instructor Approval.

To be successful in this course, you should have practical experience building software, and in particular, should be comfortable working with data structures, designing classes, and writing software modules. You should also have an interest in understanding how open source projects and communities work, and in building open source software.

General Syllabus

The general syllabus describes the common elements of this course across sections and semester offerings.

To get a sense of the readings you’ll be required to do during this independent study, please review the list of texts and additional materials.