Semester Project

Building a Real-World Application for Impact

Project Overview

The semester project is your opportunity to apply the architectural patterns, development practices, and deployment strategies learned throughout the course to build a real-world application. You will work in teams of 3-4 members to conceptualize, design, build, and deploy a functional web application.

Project Focus

Your project should address a genuine problem or opportunity through one of these lenses:

Startup Idea: A product concept you could potentially launch
External Stakeholder: An application for a real organization, club, or community
Social Impact: A solution addressing a meaningful social or environmental challenge

Project Timeline

gantt
    title Project Milestones
    dateFormat  YYYY-MM-DD
    section Planning
    Team Formation           :2026-01-13, 3d
    Proposal Development     :2026-01-16, 14d
    section Execution
    Core Development         :2026-01-30, 25d
    Midterm Presentation     :milestone, 2026-02-24, 1d
    Advanced Features        :2026-02-27, 35d
    section Completion
    Final Polish             :2026-04-14, 14d
    Final Presentation       :milestone, 2026-04-28, 1d

Deliverables

Deliverable	Weight
Project Proposal	15%
Midterm Update	20%
Final Presentation	25%
Total Project Weight	60%

Team Requirements

Team Composition

Size: 3-4 members per team
Roles: Each member should take ownership of specific areas (frontend, backend, data, DevOps)
Collaboration: All members must contribute code and participate in architectural decisions

Team Formation Process

Form teams during Week 1 (by January 16)
Register your team on the LMS
Create your team’s GitHub organization or repository
Set up your project management tool

Project Management Requirements

Required: Integrated Project Management

Your project must use a structured project management approach with visible progress tracking.

Option 1: GitHub Projects (Recommended)

Use GitHub’s built-in project management features:

GitHub Projects: Kanban boards integrated with your repository
Issues: Track features, bugs, and tasks
Milestones: Group issues into sprints or phases
Pull Requests: Link PRs to issues for traceability

Setup Requirements:

Repository Structure:
├── .github/
│   ├── ISSUE_TEMPLATE/
│   │   ├── feature.md
│   │   ├── bug.md
│   │   └── task.md
│   └── PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
├── docs/
│   └── architecture/
├── src/
└── README.md

For the group repo below ONE person from each group should accept assignment and then create team name. It should cover both your group number and something descriptive. For example “1A: Transfer Students”.

Accept Github Assignment

Option 2: External Tools (Jira, Linear, Notion)

If you prefer external tools, they must be:

Publicly viewable or instructor access granted
Linked from your repository README
Actively maintained with regular updates
Integrated with GitHub (e.g., Jira-GitHub integration)

Technical Requirements

Architecture Requirements

Your application must demonstrate understanding of course concepts:

Layered Architecture: Clear separation of concerns (presentation, business logic, data)
API Design: RESTful or GraphQL API with proper documentation
Data Persistence: Appropriate database choice with justified trade-offs
Authentication: Secure user authentication and authorization
Containerization: Docker-based development and deployment

Technology Stack

Required: - Frontend: React, Vue, Angular, or equivalent modern framework - Backend: Node.js/Express, Python/FastAPI, or equivalent - Database: MongoDB, PostgreSQL, or justified alternative - Containerization: Docker and Docker Compose - Version Control: Git with GitHub

Encouraged: - CI/CD: GitHub Actions or equivalent - Cloud Deployment: Any cloud provider - Agentic AI: Integration of AI-powered features

Grading Philosophy

Projects are evaluated on:

Architectural Decisions (30%): Sound design choices with clear rationale
Implementation Quality (25%): Clean, maintainable, well-tested code
Project Management (20%): Effective use of tools, clear progress tracking
Presentation & Communication (15%): Clear explanation of decisions and trade-offs
Innovation & Ambition (10%): Scope appropriate to team size, creative solutions

A Note on Scope

A well-executed simple project will score higher than a poorly-executed ambitious one. Focus on demonstrating mastery of patterns and practices over feature quantity.

Resources

Getting Help

Office Hours: Tuesday 9-11 AM, Pitt 2206
Webex: Use the project tag for questions
TA Sessions: Check LMS for schedule
Team Meetings: Schedule time with the instructor for project guidance