As part of the 2026 ACM Southeast Conference (ACMSE 2026), we are excited to host an Undergraduate Programming Competition. This contest provides undergraduate students with an opportunity to demonstrate their programming skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities in a collaborative and competitive environment.
Participation is free of charge and open exclusively to undergraduate students. Students may compete individually or in teams of up to three members. Teams may include students from the same or different institutions. The contest will be conducted virtually and will take place as a one-day event.
The project topic will be released on April 22, 2026, at 09:00 AM (Central Time), and participants will have 24 hours to design and implement their solutions. The submission deadline is April 23, 2026, at 09:00 AM (Central Time). Winners will be announced during the conference banquet.
- Students may participate individually or in teams of up to three members
- No restrictions on the number of teams per institution, but a student cannot be part of multiple teams
- Teams may be formed by members from one or multiple institutions
- Team members must be currently enrolled as undergraduate students
Participants will submit their projects through a GitHub repository link provided to registered teams. Submissions should include:
- Source code
- A brief project description
- Instructions for running the project
- Any required documentation
Detailed submission instructions will be sent to all registered teams.
Projects will be evaluated by a panel of judges based on:
- Innovation and creativity
- Technical quality and implementation
- Correctness and functionality
- Code organization and documentation
Teams must register by filling out a form where the information of all the members must be provided (full name, email address, phone number, and institution). Use the following link. Once registered, teams will be asked to provide proof that every member is an active undergraduate student (e.g., scanned version of registration/enrollment for Spring 2026). Teams will also receive additional instructions, including the GitHub repository link for submitting their projects and detailed submission guidelines.
Outstanding submissions will be recognized during the conference banquet. Projects will be evaluated by a panel of judges based on innovation, technical quality, functionality, and code organization. The following prizes will be awarded:
- First Place: A certificate for each team member and $400.00 for the team
- Second Place: A certificate for each team member and $200.00 for the team
- Third Place: A certificate for each team member
For questions about the programming competition, please contact the Programming Contest Chair (Long Ma) by email.
