There have been many requests from graduate students for a waiver from CSE 355. Most requests are because the student has been admitted with CSE355 specified as a deficiency course. Completing a follow-on course from CSE 355, such as CSE 550 or CSE 555, does not fulfill the deficiency requirement for CSE355. You must either have CSE355 waived if appropriate, or complete CSE355 for credit.

As course coordinator, I am the only person empowered to determine eligibility for such waivers, so please follow the instructions below carefully.

If you have taken an equivalent course at another institution, you will need

1. the syllabus from the course indicating the text used and the sections covered;
2. a transcript showing your grade in the course; and
3. some evidence that the work undertaken has been evaluated and graded (copies of tests, exams, and homeworks would be useful).

If you have not taken the course elsewhere, do not have these materials, or I cannot determine from the materials provided that the course is equivalent to CSE 355, then you are strongly advised to take CSE355 for credit even if you have studied the material independently.

(In Fall 2009 there was exactly one opportunity to write a test to demonstrate that you do know the material. The test was on Friday August 21 from 4:00 until 6:00, and covered the relevant sections of Sipser's book. It was a closed book examination. Seven students completed the examination. Two of the seven earned a grade that was sufficient to justify a waiver. There is no guarantee that such a written examination will be offered each semester.)