Every year the department will designate 2-4 methods courses in the fall semester to be associated with a junior research workshop. AB juniors must enroll in one of the designiated classes as well as the associated junior research workshop. The junior research workshop counts as independent work for fall semester.
Students in junior research workshops will meet separately from their associated methods class and will learn material that augments those classes with the aim of helping students prepare an independent work project proposal by the end of the fall term.
Junior research workshops teach students — in the context of technical knowledge imparted by the methods course — how to come up with and evaluate research ideas, and then formalize the idea in the form of a proposal and a concrete work plan. The final product for the junior research workshop will be a well-researched and polished proposal for an independent work project. You are not required to pursue your proposal topic in the spring if your interests have changed.
Fall 2024
In Fall 2024, the Junior Research Workshops will be:
COS 324: Introduction to Machine Learning
- Instructors: Jia Deng, Adji Dieng, Sebastian Caldas
Day/Time: Mondays at 11 am - 12:20 pm
COS 316: Principles of Computer System Design
- Instructor: Wyatt Lloyd
- Day/time: Wednesdays at 11 am - 12:20 pm
You may not enroll in another course that takes place during the time slot of your JRW.
How to enroll
To enroll in a fall junior research workshop, AB students should enroll in one of the approved methods courses during course enrollment in the spring semester of sophomore year. Then fill out the JRW enrollment form, which will be shared by email in the spring semester. JRWs have no cap on capacity.
Junior research workshops are distinct from other independent work seminars and are only open to junior AB students.
Frequently asked questions
- What if I wish to drop the methods course halfway through the Fall term? How does this affect participation in the JRW?
The JRW grade is independent of performance in the methods course. Students needing to drop the methods course are strongly advised to keep attending lectures and reviewing course material because it may be useful for following the JRW discussions and in formulating their IW proposal. Even if you drop your methods course, you must continue to participate in the JRW. This work is mandatory to receive a grade for COS 981.
- Can I do something else for Fall IW in junior year?
No. For AB juniors, IW is required, and the JRW is the only approved way to fulfill this requirement.
- How will Independent Work advising work in Spring?
The IW portal will open in the fall for Spring IW sign ups. You will have the option to choose from ranking an IW seminar or signing up to work one-on-one with an adviser. You should pick IW advisers with expertise or interest in the topic of your proposed project and express your preferences during the matching process. If you're interested in an IW seminar, you will rank your preferences in the IW portal and be assigned to a seminar before the start of the semester. If you 're interested in working one-on-one with a faculty adviser, it is your responsibility to find an adviser before the deadline. See the IW Calendar and Requirements page for more information.
Your JRW instructor(s) will be available for 1-1 meetings in December and January during their office hours. They will give feedback on your proposal draft and also pointers to available IW advisers and IW seminars for Spring. It is fine to send Spring advisers email in December or January to verify their interest in your topic. As mentioned above, if your interests change by Spring, you are allowed to find a new topic and project.
- When can I expect additional details regarding each JRW?
Students enrolled in each JRW will receive details about the schedule during the summer.
- How will my grade be recorded for my fall JRW?
At the end of the fall term, the Registrar will place COS 981 on your course listing in Tigerhub. This is where your grade will be placed for the JRW. The grade for your selected methods course will be separate from the JRW.
- If I enroll in a methods course this spring and want to make a change in the fall, can this be done?
Yes, you will just need to complete the change by Sept. 13 and provide an updated JRW Enrollment Form indicating the change to the course.
- If I have previously taken COS 316, or 324 am I required to still enroll in one of the methods courses this fall?
No, if you previously took one of the methods courses and want to enroll in that JRW, just fill out the JRW Enrollment Form with the course information.
- What if I am enrolled in two or more of the methods courses in the fall, which JRW should I take?
The decision is yours, please provide this information in the JRW enrollment form.
- I want to take another course that occurs at the same time/day as my JRW. Can I enroll in this other course?
No. You may not enroll in another course that has a scheduling conflict with your JRW. Your JRW will not show up on your TigerHub schedule, so you must make sure to keep that time slot open.
Any additional questions can be sent to the junior research workshop administrator at cosjrw@princeton.edu.