This course builds upon the fundamental programming concepts from CSC 221: Introduction to Programming and CSC 222: Object-Oriented Programming. It provides an introduction to fundamental data structures used in solving problems, including the programming and mathematical concepts required to implement and analyze data structures. Specific data structures include lists, sets, maps, and linked structures. Supporting concepts include logic, proof techniques, and basic graph theory.

The specific goals of this course are:

• To understand fundamental data structures (lists, stacks, queues, sets, maps, and linked structures) and be able to implement software solutions to problems using these data structures.
• To achieve a working knowledge of various mathematical structures essential for the field of computer science, including graphs, trees, and networks.
• To develop analytical techniques for evaluating the efficiency of data structures and programs, including counting, asymptotics, and recurrence relations.
• To be able to design and implement a program to model a real-world system, selecting and implementing appropriate data structures.

Students are expected to attend classes in person and adhere to all Creighton community standards, including behaving in a respectful manner and contributing to a positive learning environment. Disruptive or disrespectful behavior may result in removal from class. Laptops are allowed and many students have found the ability to work along with the instructor very helpful.

If you must miss a class because of an emergency, you are expected to notify the instructor as soon as possible. If you are sick, contact the Student Health Education and Compliance Office (402-280-2735) immediately and follow their recommendations. Be aware that all class materials posted on Blueline, including quizzes, tests and discussions, are considered to be copyrighted and are intended to be used only by students enrolled in the class, for the purposes of fulfilling the course objectives. Recording lectures without permission or sharing any of these materials with others outside of the course will be considered "misuse of academic resources," as defined in the Creighton University Student Handbook.

Students will complete 6-8 assignments throughout the semester. Most assignments will involve the design and implementation of Java programs that appropriately utilize data structures. Assignments may also contain written components, for example, justifying data structure choices or analyzing program behavior. Late assignments will be accepted up to 7 days after their due date, with a maximum score of 75%. Beyond 7 days, late submissions will not be accepted. There will be 8-10 module quizzes quizzes, one 75-minute midterm exam, and a cumulative final exam.

There is no specific attendance policy for the course, although it is expected that absences will leave the student unprepared for tests and assignments. Quizzes and tests will not be rescheduled except in extreme circumstances. However, the lowest quiz grade will be dropped. The final grade for the course will be based on the following weightings:

8-10 module quizzes	05 %
6-8 programming assignments	45 %
75-minute midterm exam	20 %
100-minute final exam	30 %

At the minimum, departmental grading cutoffs for the final average will apply. That is, 92-100% guarantees an A, 87-91% a B+, 82-86% a B, 77-81% a C+, 71-76% a C, and 60-70% a D. Depending on class performance, some shifting of grades (in an upward direction only) may occur as final letter grades are assigned.

It is expected that all students check their Creighton email accounts regularly. Official announcements, such as assignment revisions or class cancellations, will be distributed through Creighton email.

Creighton's policy on cheating and plagiarism is spelled out in the the Student Handbook, with college procedures available online. In addition to this, the following guidelines hold pertaining to programs. Unless the assignment explicitly states otherwise, programs are to be completed by each student independently, with no outside assistance in program design or implementation (which includes AI tools). You may converse with other students about general course material or simple debugging (e.g., "Do you know what this error message means?"), but any questions regarding homework assignments should be directed at the instructor only.

Violations of this policy will be dealt with severely, with possible outcomes including negative scores on the assignment and failure in the course. In the case of programming assignments, you are encouraged to start early so that there is time to seek help from the instructor as the need arises.