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Python Programming

MDS5111, Spring 2026

Course Materials

The course materials can be found in HERE

Online communication channels

  1. This website: a collection of useful resources, links, announcements, and course materials, etc.
  2. Blackboard: The main channel for posting announcements, releasing and submitting projects/assignments.

Logistics

Instructor: Tongxin Li litongxin@cuhk.edu.cn

Course Schedule: Wed 6:00PM-8:50PM

Venue: Teaching Complex A 402

Office Hours: Wed 8:50PM

Course Information

Table of contents

  1. MDS5111, Spring 2026
    1. Course Materials
    2. Online communication channels
    3. Logistics
    4. Course Description
  2. Learning Outcomes
    1. Grading Scheme
    2. Policy for assignments, projects, and exams
      1. Projects
      2. Exams
      3. Academic Integrity
    3. Regrade requests
    4. Suggestions
    5. General Course Policies:
    6. Attendance requirement

Course Description

This course is designed to learn data science using Python. The course covers topics including, Python setup and familiarization with the environment, writing basic programs in Python, Python development support data structures and libraries including Numpy, exploratory data analysis using libraries such as Pandas, predictive model design including regression analysis, decision tree and other prediction models, visualizations using Matplotlib, and implementation project to practice the concepts learned during the course.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

  1. Be able to write, compile and execute Python programs, including making use of Python’s object-oriented methodology
  2. Be able to make use of some basic data structures and libraries to do some basic data analysis, as well as to conduct predictive model design
  3. Be able to use Matplotlib to achieve basic data visualizations
  4. Be able to comprehensively think and apply appropriate tools to solve some real data analysis problems

Grading Scheme

  • Mini-projects: 2 * 15%
  • Mid-term exam: 30%
  • Final exam: 40%

Policy for assignments, projects, and exams

Projects

  • There will be 2 mini-projects (assignments) in total. Your solutions should be submitted as a single PDF file to Blackboard by the specified deadlines in Beijing Time (or a particularly specified time) on the due date, or earlier. More details and instructions about the homework submission will be provided.
  • Late homework policy: The mark for an assessment item submitted after the designated time on the due date, without an approved extension of time, will be reduced by 10% of the possible maximum mark for that assessment item for each day or part day that the assessment item is late. Note: this applies equally to week and weekend days.
  • Collaboration is not allowed for all problems on your homework sheet. The Honor Code is taken very seriously in this course and we have no tolerance for behavior that falls outside our boundaries for acceptable conduct. Please do your part in maintaining a community where academic work is done with a high standard of integrity.

Exams

  • Exams will be in-person. The specific time and form will be announced later.

  • Absences: Make-up exams will only be allowed under extraordinary and unavoidable circumstances. Appropriate documentation verifying the absence may be required; in cases of illness, you will be asked to have official documentation from a physician-reviewed and verified by the Dean of the school. Make-up exam arrangements will be made based on a case-by-case basis.

Academic Integrity

  • Plagiarism will be dealt with severity. See “Academic Integrity” below for more details.

  • Grading clarifications (in projects as well as exams) should be resolved within a week from the date when the graded submission is returned. No clarification applications will be considered after a week. Bring your clarification requirements to the TA’s office hour.

Regrade requests

Credit for work will be recorded only as reported by the TA in Blackboard. It is your responsibility to make sure that your work has been properly recorded in Blackboard.

If you need to request a regrade for a project, please adhere to the following policy:

  • If there was a clerical or math mistake in calculating or recording your grade, please go to office hours of the TA who graded it so that it can be fixed.
  • If you lost points for something you did correctly, e.g. the grader said “-2 points for not doing X” and you actually did do that (or something similar), please speak with the TA who graded it during their office hours. It is preferable to discuss these things in-person than over email. However, if you can’t attend the grader’s office hours, then email them to try to arrange another time to meet.
  • Likewise, if you lost points for something and do not understand the grader’s comments, please speak with the TA who graded it during their office hours if possible.
  • For any other issues, please contact the instructor. This may be things like “I didn’t realize we had to do X,” “I misunderstood this part of the project,” etc. This isn’t to say that you’ll necessarily get points back for your misunderstanding, but issues such as these should be discussed with the instructor.

Regrade requests must be made within one week of the score being posted in blackboard. Only regrades related to administrative mistakes (e.g., miscalculating the score or entering it incorrectly) made after the one-week period are likely to be considered.

Suggestions

  • Email TAs for homework-related questions (can either cc or not cc the instructor).

  • Email the instructor for other questions.

  • Check Blackboard and this website; e.g., once every 2-3 days.

  • Feel free to ask questions. No question is stupid!

  • You can email the instructor for most questions regarding course contents or logistics, but the instructor may or may not be able to respond in time (though the instructor often replies within 24 hours). It is recommended to ask questions on Piazza, or email the TAs (you may consider cc’ing the instructor). If it is urgent or you really want to hear from the instructor, you can add “[MDS1001 Urgent]” or “[MDS1001 Need Response]” to the title, so that the instructor will pay attention to the email. · You are encouraged to discuss lecture materials and practice problems with each other; but not the homework problems.

General Course Policies:

Academic Integrity: Academic dishonesty may result in a failing grade (i.e. F). Every student is expected to review and abide by the Academic Integrity Policy of CUHK-Shenzhen. Ignorance will not be allowed as an excuse for any academic dishonesty. Do not hesitate to ask me if you are ever in doubt about what constitutes plagiarism, cheating, or any other breach of academic integrity.

Attendance requirement

You are expected to attend the course in-person. Important course announcements will be made in Blackboard and this website or via email; you are responsible for being aware of these announcements.