Special Topics

Special Topics courses cover some of our most innovative and promising research directions.  They are often prototypes of new courses that we are developing.

Special Topics courses offer variable course content, so each semester's offerings are unique.

Summer 2024

We aren't offering any courses in Summer 2024.

Fall 2024

CSE 199 UB Seminar (Seminar)
Section: B
Instructor: Kenneth A. Joseph
Description: CSE UB Seminar 199
Instruction Mode: In person
Class #: 15814
Dates: 08/26/2024 - 12/09/2024
Days, Time: MW, 4:00PM-4:50PM
Location: Davis 101, North Campus
Credit Hours: 3.00
Enrollment: 1/167 (Active)
Info: CSE 199 course catalog page
CSE 199 CSE UB Seminar 199 (Seminar)
Section: D
Instructor: Kenneth A. Joseph
Description: CSE UB Seminar 199
Instruction Mode: In person
Class #: 16115
Dates: 08/26/2024 - 12/09/2024
Days, Time: MW, 4:00PM-4:50PM
Location: Nsc 201, North Campus
Credit Hours: 3.00
Enrollment: 0/168 (Active)
Info: CSE 199 course catalog page
CSE 199 CSE UB Seminar 199 (Seminar)
Section: E
Instructor: Kenneth A. Joseph
Description: CSE UB Seminar 199
Instruction Mode: In person
Class #: 16375
Dates: 08/26/2024 - 12/09/2024
Days, Time: MW, 4:00PM-4:50PM
Location: Knox 104, North Campus
Credit Hours: 3.00
Enrollment: 0/168 (Active)
Info: CSE 199 course catalog page
CSE 199 CSE UB Seminar 199 (Seminar)
Section: F
Instructor: Kenneth A. Joseph
Description: CSE UB Seminar 199
Instruction Mode: In person
Class #: 16374
Dates: 08/26/2024 - 12/09/2024
Days, Time: MW, 4:00PM-4:50PM
Location: Cooke 121, North Campus
Credit Hours: 3.00
Enrollment: 0/168 (Active)
Info: CSE 199 course catalog page
CSE 410 Advanced Data Structures and Indexes (proposed as CSE 350) (Lecture)
Section: 350
Instructor: Zhuoyue Zhao
Description: This course expands on CSE 250 by introducing techniques for data organization in real-world data management and data systems that account for the memory hierarchy and the need for concurrent access. Topics include relational data model and SQL, I/O Complexity, Serialization/Data Layout, On-Disk Tree and/or Hash based structures, Secondary Indexes, and advanced topics including but not limited to Write-optimized data structures (e.g., LSM Indexes and Beta-Epsilon Trees), Caching, Concurrent Data Structures, and Versioned Data Structures. The advanced topics may vary across different sections.
Notes: This course satisfies the prerequisite for CSE 462 of Spring 2025 in lieu of CSE 460.
Prereqs: CSE 220, CSE 250
URL: https://cse.buffalo.edu/~zzhao35/teaching/cse350_fall24/
Instruction Mode: In person
Class #: 22919
Dates: 08/26/2024 - 12/09/2024
Days, Time: TR, 2:00PM-3:20PM
Location: Talbrt 106, North Campus
Credit Hours: 1.00-3.00
Enrollment: 6/28 (Active)
Info: CSE 410 course catalog page
CSE 410 Computer Security (Lecture)
Section: 465
Instructor: Hongxin Hu
Description: This course is intended to give an in-depth understanding of computer system security. Security encompasses hacker challenges, malicious break-ins, and insider threats. Topics include Basic Encryption and Decryption - Rivest-Shamir-Adelman (RSA) Encryption, El Gamal and Digital Signature Algorithms, Hash Algorithms, Kerberos; Program Security - Viruses, Trojan Horse, Malicious Code, Covert Channels; Design of Trusted OS; Network Security - Firewalls, Tripwires; Intrusion Detection - Audit Trail-Based Schemes, Concurrent Intrusion Detection.
Instruction Mode: In person
Class #: 22975
Dates: 08/26/2024 - 12/09/2024
Days, Time: TR, 9:30AM-10:50AM
Location: Knox 104, North Campus
Credit Hours: 1.00-3.00
Enrollment: 1/25 (0/30 seats reserved: force registration only) (Active)
Info: CSE 410 course catalog page
CSE 410 Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Systems (Lecture)
Section: BINA
Instructor: Bina Ramamurthy
Description: This course is intended for students interested in learning about blockchain, cryptocurrency, and decentralized finance systems. The course will cover the essentials of blockchain and cryptocurrency and explore the area of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) systems in detail. The course content is divided into three parts: (i) blockchain essentials, (ii) digital assets, and (iii) DEX protocols and platforms, including applications of web3 and DeFi to modernize business systems. The topics covered in the first part of the course include decentralized identity, wallet technology, peer-to-peer transactions, blocks, chain of blocks, smart contracts, web3, and decentralized applications (DApp). These concepts will be illustrated using the Ethereum blockchain. The second part of the course covers digital assets and includes a discussion of cryptocurrencies, tokens and tokenization, fungible, non-fungible, and multi-token, and their applications. The concepts will be reinforced using Ethereum's ERC tokens and real-world assets (RWA) tokens. The course's third part deals with decentralized exchange (DEX) protocols and platforms, newer models for liquidity, market and market making, and perpetual derivatives. The course will also discuss approaches for introducing web3 and DeFi concepts into existing businesses and systems. Students will work on hands-on projects on Ethereum testnets and simulated environments to reinforce the concepts discussed. On completion of the course, a student will be able to analyze a problem and develop and implement an end-to-end DeFi system to solve a real-world problem.
Notes: CSE250 Data Structures, equivalent, or permission of the instructor. You should have a good foundation in problem-solving, data structures and algorithms, and design representation. Prior knowledge of blockchain is not required.
Prereqs: CSE250 Data Structures and Algorithms;
Instruction Mode: In person
Class #: 23020
Dates: 08/26/2024 - 12/09/2024
Days, Time: W, 5:00PM-7:50PM
Location: Talbrt 111, North Campus
Credit Hours: 1.00-3.00
Enrollment: 6/15 (Active)
Info: CSE 410 course catalog page
CSE 410 3D Game Development in Unreal (Lecture)
Section: PAUL
Instructor: Paul Dickson
Description: This course covers the methods and technologies used to implement modern video games. Students will be introduced to the Unreal game engine and concepts central to developing video games. After the introduction, students will spend the rest of the semester working on a team-project game of the students' choosing. The course provides first-hand experience of building games and the process of refactoring and testing needed in order to complete a video game prototype.
Prereqs: CSE220
Instruction Mode: In person
Class #: 20725
Dates: 08/26/2024 - 12/09/2024
Days, Time: MWF, 9:00AM-9:50AM
Location: Norton 218, North Campus
Credit Hours: 1.00-3.00
Enrollment: 60/60 (Active)
Info: CSE 410 course catalog page
CSE 410 Software Security (Lecture)
Section: ZHAO
Instructor: Staff
Description: This course is designed to provide students with good understanding of the theories, principles, techniques and tools used for software and system hacking and hardening. Students will study, in-depth, binary reverse engineering, vulnerability classes, vulnerability analysis, exploit and shellcode development, defensive solutions, etc. to understand how to crack and protect native software. In particular, this class covers offensive techniques including stack-based buffer overflow, heap security, format string vulnerability, return-oriented programming, etc. This class also covers defensive techniques including canary, shadow stack, address space layout randomization, control-flow integrity, etc. A key part of studying security is putting skills to the test in practice. Hacking challenges known as Capture The Flag (CTF) competitions are a great way to do this. In this class the progress of students are evaluated by lab assignment and in-class Capture-The-Flag (CTF) competitions.
Prereqs: CSE 220
Instruction Mode: In person
Class #: 23017
Dates: 08/26/2024 - 12/09/2024
Days, Time: M, 5:00PM-7:50PM
Location: Nsc 220, North Campus
Credit Hours: 1.00-3.00
Enrollment: 24/30 (0/30 seats reserved: force registration only) (Active)
Info: CSE 410 course catalog page