Instructor Information
- Instructor: Shaif Chowdhury, PhD
- Office Location: EC208
- Student Support Hours (F2F): TR 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM (ENGC 208)
- Office Phone: —
- Email: Shaif.Chowdhury@tamuk.edu
A student may request an appointment well in advance by email if posted hours are unsuitable.
Course Description & Prerequisites
Fundamental concepts of intelligent computer systems, knowledge representation, logical reasoning, search strategies, game theory, Bayesian networks, neural networks, reinforcement learning, natural language processing, and current research in AI area.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing in computer scienceTextbooks
Required
Stuart Russell and Peter Norvig, Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach, Prentice-Hall, 3rd Edition. ISBN-13: 978-0134610993, ISBN-10: 0134610997
Recommended
Ian Goodfellow, Yoshua Bengio, and Aaron Courville, Deep Learning, MIT Press, 2016 — deeplearningbook.org
This class will also draw material from lecture slides of Magdon-Ismail, resources and slides available at deeplearningbook.org, the book Dive into Deep Learning by Aston Zhang, Zachary C. Lipton, Mu Li, and Alexander J. Smola, as well as resources from Wikimedia.
Course Assignments & Assessment
Quizzes, homework, and a semester project. A midterm exam and a comprehensive final exam are included.
Grading Breakdown
- Midterm Exam: 15%
- Final Exam: 15%
- Project: 50%
- Homework + Quizzes: 20%
Final Exam: Friday, December 5, 8:00–10:30 AM.
Final Letter Grades
Course Schedule (by Week)
DISCLAIMER — Some aspects of the schedule may be subject to change and will be announced in class and on Blackboard.
| Week | Topics | Chapter |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction | 1 |
| 2 | Search | 3 |
| 3 | Logical Agents | 7 |
| 4 | Bayesian Networks | 14 |
| 5 | Introduction to Learning | 18 |
| 6 | Linear Models & Clustering | 18 |
| 7 | Deep Learning Introduction and Midterm Exam | 19 |
| 8 | Model Complexity | 18 |
| 9 | Reinforcement Learning | 19 |
| 10 | Natural Language Processing | 21 |
| 11 | Computer Vision | 22 |
| 12 | Representation Learning | 24 |
| 13 | AI Ethics | 26 |
| 14 | Final Project Presentations | — |
| 15 | Review & Final Project Presentations | — |
| 16 | Review & Final Exam | — |
Course & University Policies
Instructor’s Policies
Attendance
Attend regularly and participate in discussions and exercises. Notify the instructor in advance of planned absences for valid reasons.
Late/Missing Work/Extra Credit
Late assignments accepted up to one week after the posted due date, submitted in the specified manner.
Use of AI in the Classroom
AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) are not permitted for quizzes or in-class exams. Their use in projects and homework is allowed; students are responsible for verifying AI-assisted work and using it responsibly.
University Policies
- Six Drop Policy: Texas Senate Bill 1231 limits course drops; see Registrar for details. Drop Policy
- Students with Disabilities: ADA accommodations via Disability Resource Center, (361) 593-3024. Disability Resources
- Classroom Conduct Expectations: Maintain a productive environment; disruptive behavior may be referred to the Dean of Students. Student Handbook
- Academic Misconduct: Cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, bribery, threat, and related misconduct are prohibited; Turnitin may be used.
- Harassment/Discrimination: Report to Office of Compliance, (361) 593-4758, titleix@tamuk.edu or Dean of Students. Anonymous reporting: EthicsPoint
- Pregnant & Parenting Students: Contact Office of Compliance (TitleIX@tamuk.edu) or Student Health & Wellness (Jo.alaniz@tamuk.edu), 361-593-3991 / 361-593-2382.
University Support Services
Pathways Academic Assistance Center
- Tutoring & academic support (in-person/online); peer tutors and study skills
- Location: Jernigan Library 220 • Phone: 361-593-5223
- Email: paactutoring@tamuk.edu • Website
- Appointments • IG: tamuksuccess_squad
Writing Center
- Consultations at any stage of writing
- Location: Jernigan Library 217 • Phone: 361-593-2744
- Email: success@tamuk.edu • Website
Success Peer Mentoring
- Connections to campus/community; time management, motivation, study strategies
- Location: Jernigan Library 210 & 242 • Phone: 361-593-5800
- Email: success@tamuk.edu • Website