Q. I have not taken any (undergraduate) course in AI or Machine Learning before. Can I take CS 6780?
A. Other than the pre-reqs mentioned in the course info (basic programming, knowledge of probability and linear algebra), this course does not assumes prior knowledge of machine learning. However, if you're an undergraduate student, then please contact the instructor.
Q. How much programming do I need to know? What language should I use?
A. Each of the four course assignments would have a question that would require programming. The question will provide the data, and would expect graphs and numbers in the answers. You're free to choose whatever language you're comfortable with. For example, Matlab or C/C++ or Java would be sufficient.
The course project also might require significant programming or data analysis skills, unless you do a theoretical one. For this, you can pick any language that you're comfortable with.
Q. I am not from Engineering/CS major. Should I take CS 6780?
A. Machine learning has broad applications, ones that go beyond engineering. You're encouraged to take the course. If you're unsure, please contact the instructor.
Q. What kind of questions would the homeworks have?
A. Most of the questions will involve maths (statistics, linear algebra); and would require you to have insights into the machine learning algorithms. About 1-2 questions in each homework would involve programming where you would have to analyze the data.