CS 47B

Author: Josh Hug, Stella Kaval

CS 47B is a self-paced course where you will complete a subset of the CS 61B curriculum. Assignments are released at the same time as the 61B content schedule.

CS 47B Coursework

  • Lab 1 (Setting up your computer / IntelliJ)
  • Lab 2 (Debugging)
  • Lab 3 (Testing)
  • Lab 6 (BSTMap)
  • Lab 8 (HashMap)
  • Homework 1 (Being a Good Classmate)
  • Homework 3 (Theory-based homework)
  • Homework 4 (Theory-based homework)
  • Project 2 (Ngordnet)
  • Project 3 (Designing a large system from scratch - Build Your Own World)

To submit assignements, students in CS47B follow the same workflow as students in CS61B, which is taught in Lab 1. Students will submit their assignments to a Gradescope titled CS61B. Although this Gradescope contains lots of assignments, students are not required to do additional assignments to the ones listed above. For more information about submitting assignments with a partner, refer to the Collaboration section below.

Grades

Your score will be based entirely on your performance on these homeworks, labs, and projects. There will be no exams. Optional assignments and 61B assignments not listed above are not graded, but you might find them cool. CS 47B is not graded on a curve, and grade bins are released below. Points for each assignment will follow 61B:

  • Labs: 5 points each
  • Homeworks: 15 points each
  • Project 2 and 3: 125 points each

For CS 47B students, there are 320 total points, including 5 labs, 3 homeworks, and 2 projects. The grade bins are:

A+ A A- B+ B C
315 285 250 163 134 90

Deadlines and Extensions

The deadlines and extensions policy for CS 47B aligns with the self-paced nature of the course.

  • Deadlines: Each assignment’s deadline follows the due dates set by 61B, which can be found on the main page.
  • Extensions: No partial credit is given for late submissions. However, you can apply for extensions via Beacon’s Extensions tab. Extensions up to 2 weeks will be automatically granted. If you would like an extension beyond 2 weeks of the assignment deadline, you may submit a request through Beacon or email cs47b@berkeley.edu your request.

All assignments must be submitted by the end of the semester, May 12 (5/12). Additionally, Project 3 has a hard deadline of May 5 (5/5) due to scheduling project presentations. Checkoffs for Project 3 can either be completed during 61B sections or alternate times during RRR week/finals week. If a student or their group needs a checkoff during RRR week/finals week due to an extenuating circumstance, they should email cs47b@berkeley.edu to schedule a time.

Resources

As a CS 47B student, you are not required or expected to attend any CS 61B course meetings. However, you are welcome and encouraged to come to any CS 61B events to help you succeed in the course, including lectures, labs, office hours, and discussion sections.

There is one exception: To get credit for Project 3, you will have to do a checkoff with a TA during week 15.

Collaboration

All work for CS 47B will be solo except for projects, where you will have the option to pair up with another 47B student. You’re allowed to talk to others, but your work should be your own. See Policies on Collaboration and Academic Misconduct.

For Projects 2 and 3, 47B student project partners are optional but strongly recommended. Working with a partner can enhance your learning experience by providing different perspectives and enabling collaborative problem-solving.

  • Finding partners: Closer to project dates, CS47B staff will post a thread on the Ed discussion board for CS47B students to find other CS4B Student partners. CS61B students pairing with CS47B students is not allowed.
  • Submitting with a group: To submit an assignment with a partner, there are two steps involved. First, the group will need to complete a partnership form. (Project 2 Partnership Form, Project 3 Partnership Form) Secondly, one student from the partnership will submit to Gradescope.

Communication

Most communication, including announcements and updates, for 47B will be through the 47B course email, cs47b@berkeley.edu.

The course also has a “47B” topic on 61B’s Ed forum (linked in the nav bar). If you have questions about the course, feel free to ask them there! Making public posts also allows other 47B students to view and answer them.

Getting Help

If you need help with labs, homeworks, or projects, please come to lab or office hours. The schedule is located at the bottom of the website’s main page. All sections are open to 47B students!

Getting Started

  • Review the 47B course page and the 61B course policies (“General Background Information”, “Resources”, “Collaboration and Academic Misconduct” sections).
  • Check your email for a bCourses invitation to 61B. This will give you access to our course forum Ed and Gradescope. Reach out to cs47b@berkeley.edu if you run into issues or have not received an invite.
  • Start setting up your computer with the instructions in Lab 1. By the end of this lab, you should have your Github repository, Beacon account, and development environment.
  • Fill out the Spring 2025 CS 47B introductory survey.
  • Get started on coursework. Everything is linked from the course website. All CS 47B students should start with Lab 1 “Setting Up Your Computer” and work your way down the labs column until you’ve completed Lab 3. HWs and projects will be released later in the semester.