CS 5180 — Reinforcement Learning and Sequential Decision Making
4 semester hoursGraduateLectureusually offered: fall, springBostonPortland, MaineSeattle, WASilicon Valley, CALive CastTraditional
Introduces reinforcement learning and the underlying computational frameworks and the Markov decision process framework. Covers a variety of reinforcement learning algorithms, including model-based, model-free, value function, policy gradient, actor-critic, and Monte Carlo methods. Examines commonly used representations including deep learning representations and approaches to partially observable problems. Students are expected to have a working knowledge of probability and linear algebra, to complete programming assignments, and to complete a course project that applies some form of reinforcement learning to a problem of interest.
Offering history
| Term | Sections | Enrolled | Capacity | Full | Open seats/section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2023 | 1 | 86 | 90 | 96% | 4.0 |
| Spring 2024 | 1 | 64 | 70 | 91% | 6.0 |
| Fall 2024 | 1 | 62 | 70 | 89% | 8.0 |
| Spring 2025 | 1 | 88 | 97 | 91% | 9.0 |
| Fall 2025 | 1 | 17 | 32 | 53% | 15.0 |
| Spring 2026 | 4 | 187 | 206 | 91% | 4.8 |
Snapshots from scheduled scrapes — not live seat availability. "Full" can exceed 100% when sections over-enroll.
Meeting times
Share of recent sections by weekday: M 49% · T 48% · W 13% · Th 31% · F 35%
Common patterns: TF (35% of sections), MR (28% of sections), T (13% of sections), MW (13% of sections), M (9% of sections), R (3% of sections) — in patterns, R means Thursday
Professors
Fall
- Robert Platt (52% of students) · reviews
- Christopher Amato (38% of students) · reviews
- Jonathan Mwaura (10% of students) · reviews
Spring
- Benjamin Hescott (26% of students) · reviews
- Christopher Amato (23% of students) · reviews
- Robert Platt (20% of students) · reviews
- Lok Sang Wong (19% of students) · reviews
Percentages are each professor's average share of the season's enrolled students in recent terms.
Unlocks
Courses that list CS 5180 in their prerequisites.
Links
Official catalog (CS course descriptions) · Student reviews on RateMyHusky · All CS courses · Plan it at numap.app