CS 6350 — Empirical Research Methods
4 semester hoursGraduateLectureusually offered: fall, springtypical days: MBostonTraditional
Presents an overview of methods for conducting empirical research within computer science. These methods help provide objective answers to questions about the usability, effectiveness, and acceptability of systems. The course covers the basics of the scientific method, building from a survey of objective measures to the fundamentals of hypothesis testing using relatively simple research designs, and on to more advanced research designs and statistical methods. The course also includes a significant amount of fieldwork, spanning the design, conduct, and presentation of small empirical studies.
Offering history
| Term | Sections | Enrolled | Capacity | Full | Open seats/section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2023 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 78% | 2.0 |
| Spring 2024 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 50% | 5.0 |
| Fall 2024 | 1 | 6 | 24 | 25% | 18.0 |
| Spring 2025 | 1 | 6 | 10 | 60% | 4.0 |
| Fall 2025 | 1 | 6 | 35 | 17% | 29.0 |
| Spring 2026 | 1 | 16 | 16 | 100% | 0.0 |
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 61% · T 39% · W 0% · Th 26% · F 39%
Common patterns: TF (39% of sections), M (35% of sections), MR (26% of sections) — in patterns, R means Thursday
Professors
Fall
- Abir Saha (63% of students) · reviews
- Varun Mishra (37% of students) · reviews
Spring
- Varun Mishra (78% of students) · reviews
- Abir Saha (22% of students) · reviews
Percentages are each professor's average share of the season's enrolled students in recent terms.
Unlocks
Courses that list CS 6350 in their prerequisites.
Links
Official catalog (CS course descriptions) · Student reviews on RateMyHusky · All CS courses · Plan it at numap.app