Problem Solving & Software Development

Undergraduate | 2026

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Mode icon
Mode
Mode
Your studies will be on-campus, and may include some online delivery
On campus
area/catalogue icon
Area/Catalogue
COMP 2029
Course ID icon
Course ID
205780
Campus icon
Campus
Adelaide City Campus East
Level of study
Level of study
Undergraduate
Unit value icon
Unit value
6
Course owner
Course owner
School of Comp Sc & IT
Course level icon
Course level
2
Work Integrated Learning course
Work Integrated Learning course
No
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Inbound study abroad and exchange
Inbound study abroad and exchange
The fee you pay will depend on the number and type of courses you study.
Yes
Discipline group A
University-wide elective icon
University-wide elective course
Yes
Single course enrollment
Single course enrolment
Yes

Course overview

This course presents students with open-ended and complex programming problems that focus on developing their software design and implementation skills. The course will also introduce software engineering principles, and particularly approaches to software quality.

Course learning outcomes

  • Recognise the broad algorithmic category to which a problem belongs, e.g. brute-force, recursive, dynamic programming, divide-and-conquer
  • Formulate a short solution sketch to a programming problem
  • Demonstrate the ability to quickly assess the efficiency of a proposed solution with respect to expected input data
  • Build your own process of design, testing, experimentation and programming
  • Apply your own process to the timely production of solutions to a range of programming problems
  • Complete practice examples with reasonable frequency in a timely manner
  • Demonstrate the ability to reflect in detail on your own programming performance and software development processes in a frequent, timely and useful manner
  • Designing and/or selecting new practice exercises in to address gaps in performance highlighted by your reflections

Prerequisite(s)

  • must have completed 1 of COMP2017 Data Structures and Algorithms/COMP2036 Algorithm Design & Data Structures

Corequisite(s)

N/A

Antirequisite(s)

  • must not have completed COMPSCI2203 Problem Solving & Software Development at the University of Adelaide

Assumed knowledge

N/A

Textbook(s)

N/A

Inherent requirements

N/A

Other resources

N/A

Assessment

N/A

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The Student Contribution amount displayed below is for students commencing a new program from 2021 onwards. If you are continuing in a program you commenced prior to 1 January 2021, or are commencing an Honours degree relating to an undergraduate degree you commenced prior to 1 January 2021, you may be charged a different Student Contribution amount from the amount displayed below. Please check the Student Contribution bands for continuing students here. If you are an international student, or a domestic student studying in a full fee paying place, and are continuing study that you commenced in 2025 or earlier, your fees will be available here before enrolments open for 2026.