EECS 183: Elementary Programming Concepts

University of Michigan

EECS 183 is an introductory course to computer science and programming, covering the basics of computing as well as problem-solving and algorithmic thinking.

We're glad you are here!

To prepare for the semester, here are some things you can do:

Labs begin meeting the first day of classes, Monday 8/25. Lab attendance is graded.

If you are adding the course after September 1, make sure you follow the instructions on this page .

First Week (Aug. 25 - 29)

Week Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Aug. 25 - Aug. 29 Labs Begin Lecture 1: Welcome to 183 Lecture 2: Introduction to C++

Current Projects and Labs

Lab 1 - Coming soon!
Due evening of your lab at 11:59PM, with extension until 9/2
Project 1 - Coming soon!
Due 9/12 8PM

Resources for Class

Syllabus
Course Tools Registration
Getting Started with Visual Studio (PC)
Getting Started with XCode (Mac)

Fall 2025 Exams and Major Deadlines

Exam Dates

Exam 1: October 1, 8PM

For exam schedule conflicts, request Exam 1 alternate here

Exam 2: November 5, 8PM

For exam schedule conflicts, request Exam 2 alternate here

There is no final exam.

Project Deadlines

Project 1: September 12

Project 2: September 26

Project 3: October 17

Project 4: October 31

Final Project Core: November 21

Final Project Reach: December 8

Final Project Showcase: December 10

EECS 183 is an introductory course to computer science and programming, covering the basics of computing as well as problem-solving and algorithmic thinking.

EECS 183 is an introductory course in computer programming for computer science majors and non-majors alike. Topics include control flow, introductory data structures, algorithms using selection and iteration, basic object-oriented programming, testing and debugging. We primarily use C++ as a programming language. There are no prerequisites. EECS 183 assumes no prior programming experience.

By the end of this course, a successful student will be able to:

  • Read a specification and translate it to a computer program
  • Follow a process of writing one small part of a program at a time
  • Comfortably use Visual Studio or XCode to write and debug code
  • Write test cases that test the full range of code functionality
  • Design an algorithm to generate a given output
  • Write functions using both pass by reference and pass by value parameters
  • Use file streams and standard streams to read input and write output
  • Write a class and successfully access private and public member variables
  • Run test inputs to a program and compare them to test outputs to verify a program works correctly
  • Format a program according to a style guide