TECH 5300 - Fundamentals of Modern Software

Fall. 2 credits. S/U grades only (no audit).

Prerequisite: TECH 5310. Enrollment limited to: Johnson and Law Cornell Tech students. Offered in New York City at Cornell Tech.

J. Grimmelmann.

This is a crash course in how software works and what it can do. It covers the basics of programming, databases, and web applications. There is a strong emphasis on learning by doing and the course includes weekly programming assignments in Python.

Students who complete the course will be able to write simple programs to automate routine tasks. They will have enough familiarity with the modern software stack to quickly absorb new technical information. Even more importantly, they will be able to talk to technologists intelligently and understand the kinds of constraints that shape technical decisions.

The course is intended for students with no prior training in programming. It covers the essentials of program implementation and debugging. Students who have significant programming experience may not take this course. Talk to the instructor ASAP if you are uncertain whether this applies to you.