There will be no exam(s). Lectures will be in the form of brainstorming sessions after brushing up the fundamentals of Computer Architecture. CS773 will be divided into red (attackers), green (mitigators), and blue (performance seekers) teams. Bonus +5 points for the best review/presentation/project. Excellent project(s) will lead to an "AA" grade irrespective of reviews and presentations.
Paper Presentations Paper Reviews Project (performance or security related topics)

Five paper presentations (group of five members, one leader per presentation):
5 X 5, total 25 points
Five paper reviews (group of five members, one leader per review to debate/defend):
5 X 5, total 25 points
Project (group of five members):
50 points, one checkpoint per month after the first month,
five points for proposal presentation, 10 points for checkpoint-1, 10 points for checkpoint-2, 10 points for final presentation, 15 points for final report

Just Say NO to this course if
1. You love writing exams.
2. You are not a team player.
3. You love reading text books.
4. You do not like open discussions on technical topics.
5. You do not like coding.
6. You do not like open-ended projects and discussions.
7. You do not like failure;some of the projects will be on failing successfully.
8. You love your comfort-zone.
9. You are planning to take the course just because your friend/buddy also is planning to take it.
10. Finally, you love free grades.