comp150
COMP 150 - Introduction to Computing
Loyola University Chicago — Spring 2026
This course has concluded. Materials are kept here for reference.
Note on dates: Many of the slide decks below have “Spring 2025” printed on their title slides. That date is incorrect — this course ran in Spring 2026. The files are otherwise unmodified.
A programming course for beginners, covering the basics of designing, writing, and running programs in Python. No prior programming experience required.
Syllabus
Course syllabus (v2.0)
Logistics
| Schedule | M/W/F, 2:45–3:35 PM |
| Location | Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Room 124 |
| Office hours | By appointment, M/W 10:30–11:30 AM via Calendly |
| Contact | mcornelius@luc.edu |
Lectures and Labs
| Week | Session | Topic | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Lecture 01 | Introduction | slides |
| 01 | Lecture 02 | Basics of Computer Organization | slides |
| 01 | Lab 01 | Basics of Computer Organization | slides |
| 02 | Lecture 03 | Basics of Computer Organization | slides |
| 02 | Lab 02 | Basics of Computer Organization | slides · handout |
| 03 | Lecture 04 | Basics of Computer Organization | slides |
| 03 | Lecture 05 | Basics of Computer Organization | slides |
| 03 | Lab 03 | Basics of Computer Organization | slides · handout |
| 04 | Lecture 06 | Basics of Computer Organization | slides |
| 04 | Lecture 07 | Basics of Computer Organization | slides |
| 04 | Lab 04 | Basics of Computer Organization | slides |
| 05 | Lecture 08 | Basics of Computer Organization | slides |
| 05 | Lecture 08 (alt) | Machine Learning and AI | slides |
| 06 | Midterm Review | Midterm I review | slides |
| 09 | Midterm Solutions | Midterm I walkthrough | slides |
| 09 | Lecture 14 | Data in Python | slides |
| 09 | Lab 05 | Beginner Pandas | slides |
| 10 | Lecture 14 | Pandas and Plotting in Python | slides |
| 10 | Lab 06 | Pandas and Plotly | slides |
| 10 | Lectures 15–16 | Cyber Attacks | slides |
| 11 | Lab 06 | Pandas and Plotly | slides |
| 11 | Lab 07 | Plotting Review | slides |
| 12 | Lecture 17 | Functions | slides |
| 12 | Lecture 18 / Lab 08 | Functions | slides |
| 13 | Lecture 19 | Midterm II Review | slides |
| 14 | Lecture 20 | Project Introduction | slides |
| 14 | Lecture 21 | Project Day 2 | slides |
| 15 | Lecture 22 | Review | slides |
| 15 | Midterm III Review | Study material | slides |
Exams
| Exam | Materials |
|---|---|
| Midterm I | midterm_comp150.pdf |
| Midterm I — solutions | solutions |
| Midterm II | COMP150_MTII.pdf |
| Final | COMP150_Final.pdf |
Semester Project
| Document | File |
|---|---|
| Paper rubric | rubric_paper_comp150.pdf |
| Fillable paper rubric | rubric_fillable_comp150.pdf |
Resources
- Python — the language used throughout the course
- pandas — data handling, used from week 09 onward
- Plotly — plotting library used in the labs
Questions about this course? Email me.