COURSE TITLE/SECTION: COSC 4397, Sel Top-Computer Science, 27197

TIME: Tu/Th 1:00pm-2:30pm LOCATION: SEC 104

FACULTY: Panruo Wu OFFICE HOURS: 2-3pm, Friday

E-mail: pwu7 @uh.edu Phone: (713) 743-7615 FAX: (713) 743-

3589

I. Course: COSC 4397, Sel Top-Computer Science,

A. Catalog Description: Selected topics in major areas of computer science
not covered in detail in any of the courses in the regular computer science
program.
B. Prerequisites: COSC 2436 with a C- or better, COSC 2425 with a C- or
better, and MATH 2318 with a C- or better. COSC UGRD Majors Only.

II. Course Objectives:

• Understand common GPU architecture
• Master GPU programming techniques using CUDA and other
programming language/toolkit such as OpenCL and WebGPU
• Principles and methods of parallel computations on General Purpose GPU
• Gain insights and hands-on experience of common parallel
kernels/primitives/patterns and performance analysis, benchmarking, and
engineering.
• Gain skill and experience in applying the above in applications domains by
case studies in scientific computing and AI/ML

III. Course Content: This course will cover:

• Heterogeneous data parallel computing

• Multidimensional grids and data
• Compute architecture and scheduling
• Memory architecture and data locality
• CUDA programming and Performance Optimization
• Common parallel patterns such as: convolution, stencil, histogram, reduction,
scan
 • Case studies: Sorting, Linear algebra, Graph traversal, Deep Neural
Networks
• Advanced parallel programming: distributed memory parallel computers
• Other General Purpose GPU programming toolkits: OpenCL,
WebGPU/WGSL, shader language.

IV. Tentative Schedule:

Dates Topic
Weeks 1-6 Fundamental concepts: GPU Architecture, C/CUDA
programming, Memory Hierarchy/cache/data locality, NVIDIA
GPU performance considerations
Weeks 7-15 Parallel Patterns: Sorting, Linear algebra, Graph traversal,
Deep Neural Networks
Case studies: Deep Learning, Matrix Computations

V. Course Structure:
This course is face-to-face.
• Canvas is used for the courseware.
• Discussion forum: TBD

VI. Textbooks:
Reference books (not required)
• Programming Massively Parallel Processors, A Hands-on Approach, 4th Ed
• Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective, 3/E

VII. Course Requirements

A. Written/Homework Assignments with outline of how this is managed.

All homeworks are programming projects. The handin should consists of a
typed report, source code, and instructions to build & run the code.

B. Exams:

There are no exams.

VII. Evaluation and Grading:

60% Homework
 30% Final Project
10% Participation

NOTE: The Interim Grade Policy WILL NOT be applicable for the Spring 2025
semester.

Policy on grades of I (Incomplete): The grade of "I" (Incomplete) is a conditional

and temporary grade given when a student, for reasons beyond his or her control,
has not completed a relatively small portion of all requirements. Sufficiently serious,
documented situations include illness, death in the family, etc.

VIII. Consultation

My office is located in room 564 in Building PGH. My mailbox is located in the room
#564 in PGH building.

IX. Important Notes:

1. Homework policy:
a. No late homework will be accepted, unless documented excuses is provided
for legitimate reasons, such as medical emergencies or unexpected
accidents. Traveling/vacations do not count as legitimate excuses. Even
accepted, late submissions will receive 20% penalty.
b. You are responsible for the content and delivery of your submission on
Canvas. Email submissions will be ignored unless otherwise noted.
c. The lowest homework will be dropped in calculating the final letter grade.
2. If a student misses mid-term exam for significant personal reasons, he or she
may make up for the lost points in an optional comprehensive exam, to be
taken at the end of the course. This is the only option allowed in this class.
Significant personal reasons include medical emergencies or other unexpected
accidents. Trips/vacations planned during the semester do not constitute a valid
reason, since your presence is required for the entire duration of the semester.
3. 3-Day Policy: every student has 3 days starting from the time in which the
graded assignment/exam papers have been distributed and/or posted in order to
object to the score of that assignment or exam. The objection shall be submitted
to the TA and the instructor.
4. TAs should be contacted first for questions regarding lectures content or
assignments. TAs can be contacted through MS Teams, email, or during the
office hours. The instructor may be contacted for other issues (i.e.
administrative), or if TAs were unable to answer a question.
 5. Resources for Online Learning

The University of Houston is committed to student success, and provides

information to optimize the online learning experience through our Power-On
website. Please visit this website for a comprehensive set of resources, tools, and
tips including: obtaining access to the internet, AccessUH, and Blackboard;
requesting a laptop through the Laptop Loaner Program; using your smartphone as
a webcam; and downloading Microsoft Office 365 at no cost. For questions or
assistance contact [email protected].

6. UH Email

Email communications related to this course will be sent to your Exchange email
account which each University of Houston student receives. The Exchange mail
server can be accessed via Outlook, which provides a single location for organizing
and managing day-to-day information, from email and calendars to contacts and
task lists. Exchange email accounts can be accessed by logging into Office 365 with
your Cougarnet credentials or through Access UH. Additional assistance can be
found at the Get Help page.

X. Tutoring
Students can take advantage of tutoring through the following:

Ø LAUNCH - www.uh.edu/ussc/launch
At LAUNCH, students can:

• Drop in for individual Peer Tutoring on over 100 different courses—no

appointment necessary! LAUNCH is located in Cougar Village 1, room N109.
http://www.uh.edu/ussc/launch/index.php.

• Attend a Success Workshop: http://www.uh.edu/ussc/launch/index.php.

• Set up an individual appointment with an Academic Counselor: 713-743-

5411
Ø Scholar Enrichment Program (SEP) provides online/remote tutoring services using
Microsoft Teams - https://uh.edu/nsm/scholar-enrichment/tutoring/

Ø Tutoring in the CS department

If you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms that are not clearly related to a pre-
existing medical condition, do not come to class. Please see Student Protocols for
what to do if you experience symptoms and Potential Exposure to Coronavirus for
what to do if you have potentially been exposed to COVID-19. Consult the
(select: Undergraduate Excused Absence Policy or Graduate Excused Absence
Policy) for information regarding excused absences due to medical reasons.

COVID-19 Information
Students are encouraged to visit the University’s COVID-19 website for
important information including diagnosis and symptom protocols, on-campus
testing, and vaccine information. Please check the website throughout the
semester for updates.

Vaccinations
Data suggests that vaccination remains the best intervention for reliable
protection against COVID-19. Students are asked to familiarize themselves with
pertinent vaccine information and to consult with their health care provider.
The University strongly encourages all students, faculty and staff to be
vaccinated.

Reasonable Academic Adjustments/Auxiliary Aids

The University of Houston complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, pertaining to the
provision of reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary aids for disabled
students. In accordance with Section 504 and ADA guidelines, UH strives to
provide reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary aids to students who
request and require them. If you believe that you have a disability requiring an
academic adjustments/auxiliary aid, please contact the Justin Dart Jr. Student
Accessibility Center (formerly the Justin Dart, Jr. Center for Students with
DisABILITIES).

Excused Absence Policy

Regular class attendance, participation, and engagement in coursework are
important contributors to student success. Absences may be excused as
provided in the University of Houston Undergraduate Excused Absence
Policy and Graduate Excused Absence Policy for reasons including: medical
illness of student or close relative, death of a close family member, legal or
government proceeding that a student is obligated to attend, recognized
professional and educational activities where the student is presenting, and
University-sponsored activity or athletic competition. Under these policies,
students with excused absences will be provided with an opportunity to make
up any quiz, exam or other work that contributes to the course grade or a
satisfactory alternative. Please read the full policy for details regarding reasons
for excused absences, the approval process, and extended absences. Additional
 policies address absences related to military service, religious holy
days, pregnancy and related conditions, and disability.

Recording of Class
Students may not record all or part of class, livestream all or part of class, or
make/distribute screen captures, without advanced written consent of the
instructor. If you have or think you may have a disability such that you need to
record class-related activities, please contact the Justin Dart, Jr. Student
Accessibility Center. If you have an accommodation to record class-related
activities, those recordings may not be shared with any other student, whether
in this course or not, or with any other person or on any other platform. Classes
may be recorded by the instructor. Students may use instructor’s recordings for
their own studying and notetaking. Instructor’s recordings are not authorized to
be shared with anyone without the prior written approval of the instructor.
Failure to comply with requirements regarding recordings will result in a
disciplinary referral to the Dean of Students Office and may result in
disciplinary action.

Syllabus Changes
Due to the changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, please note that the
instructor may need to make modifications to the course syllabus and may do
so at any time. Notice of such changes will be announced as quickly as possible
through (specify how students will be notified of changes).

Recommended Language

Resources for Online Learning

The University of Houston is committed to student success, and provides
information to optimize the online learning experience through our Power-
On website. Please visit this website for a comprehensive set of resources,
tools, and tips including: obtaining access to the internet, AccessUH, and
Blackboard; requesting a laptop through the Laptop Loaner Program; using your
smartphone as a webcam; and downloading Microsoft Office 365 at no cost. For
questions or assistance contact [email protected].

UH Email
Please check and use your Cougarnet email for communications related to this
course. To access this email, login to your Microsoft 365 account with your
Cougarnet credentials.
Webcams
Access to a webcam is required for students participating remotely in this
course. Webcams must be turned on (state when webcams are required to be
on and the academic basis for requiring them to be on). (Example: Webcams
must be turned on during exams to ensure the academic integrity of exam
administration.)

Academic Honesty Policy

High ethical standards are critical to the integrity of any institution, and bear
directly on the ultimate value of conferred degrees. All UH community
members are expected to contribute to an atmosphere of the highest possible
ethical standards. Maintaining such an atmosphere requires that any instances
of academic dishonesty be recognized and addressed. The UH Academic
Honesty Policy is designed to handle those instances with fairness to all parties
involved: the students, the instructors, and the University itself. All students
and faculty of the University of Houston are responsible for being familiar with
this policy.

Title IX/Sexual Misconduct

Per the UHS Sexual Misconduct Policy, your instructor is a “responsible
employee” for reporting purposes under Title IX regulations and state law and
must report incidents of sexual misconduct (sexual harassment, non-consensual
sexual contact, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, sexual intimidation,
intimate partner violence, or stalking) about which they become aware to the
Title IX office. Please know there are places on campus where you can make a
report in confidence. You can find more information about resources on the
Title IX website at https://uh.edu/equal-opportunity/title-ix-sexual-
misconduct/resources/.

Security Escorts and Cougar Ride

UHPD continually works with the University community to make the campus a
safe place to learn, work, and live. Our Security escort service is designed for
the community members who have safety concerns and would like to have a
Security Officer walk with them, for their safety, as they make their way across
campus. Based on availability either a UHPD Security Officer or Police Officer
will escort students, faculty, and staff to locations beginning and ending on
campus. If you feel that you need a Security Officer to walk with you for your
safety please call 713-743-3333. Arrangements may be made for special needs.
 Parking and Transportation Services also offers a late-night, on-demand shuttle
service called Cougar Ride that provides rides to and from all on-campus
shuttle stops, as well as the MD Anderson Library, Cougar Village/Moody Towers
and the UH Technology Bridge. Rides can be requested through the UH Go app.
Days and hours of operation can be found at https://uh.edu/af-university-
services/parking/cougar-ride/.

Helpful Information

Coogs Care: https://uh.edu/dsa/coogscare/

Student Health Center: https://www.uh.edu/healthcenter/