When you join the Department of Information and Computer Science at the University of California, Irvine, you will become part of a program which encompasses broad educational and research programs in all areas of computing. The department is experiencing several major changes this fall--from new faculty to upgraded computer labs--reflecting UCI's heightened commitment to high-quality education and research in Information and Computer Science.
Buoyed by the state's burgeoning high-tech industry, ICS is expanding its research and educational programs. Eight professors have joined our acclaimed group of faculty this fall, bringing the total number of faculty to 37. ICS is currently recruiting four additional faculty, 50 new Ph.D. students (with full fellowships available), 40 new M.S. students (with industrial interships available), and 250 new undergraduates (with full scholarships available).
ICS is an independent campus unit reporting to the Executive Vice Chancellor. The department is involved in research and education in artificial intelligence, computer networks, computer science theory, computer systems design, databases, distributed systems, human-computer interaction, multimedia systems, and software/software engineering.
ICS faculty are involved in the forefront of research in the emerging areas of the computer science discipline such as embedded computing, knowledge-discovery in databases, component-based software development, bioinformatics and the effects of information in computer science, business and society. The faculty has effective interdisciplinary ties to colleagues in biology, cognitive science, engineering, management, medicine, and the social sciences. ICS at UC Irvine represents one of the fastest growing departments, building upon strengths in core and multidisciplinary areas of computer science.
ICS offers degree programs leading to the Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy in Information and Computer Science. ICS also offers many courses to UCI students regardless of major and awards a minor in Information and Computer Science to students of other majors. ICS has emerged as a major presence in the computing world, graduating over 3700 students, making an impact in California, the nation, and the world. ICS Ph.D. graduates are now on the faculty of many universities including University of Texas at Austin, University of Michigan, University of California at Berkeley, University of Washington, and the University of Illinois.
The University of California, Irvine (UCI) opened in 1965 with 116 faculty and 1,589 students. In the succeeding years, UCI has attained national and international distinction in its programs and faculty. The campus challenges its students both academically and personally and relies on the commitment, curiosity, imagination, and judgment of its faculty and students to assure its continued intellectual and cultural vitality.
Today, UCI has about 18,000 students and 1,400 faculty. The campus is planning to grow at approximately 5% per year, presenting many new opportunities for prospective faculty and students.
Two Nobel Prizes in 1995 for founding faculty F. Sherwood Rowland in Chemistry and Frederick Reines in Physics, helped to secure UCI's position among the leading American research universities. Membership in the American Association of Universities (AAU), a group of 60 of the most distinguished research institutions, is another indication of UCI's stature in the academic community. UC Irvine is the nation's eighth best public university, up from number nine last year, according to U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking of America's leading public and private universities.
UCI's research programs have a positive impact on both undergraduate and graduate education. Research is critical to graduate education because of the research-oriented nature of doctoral study. At the undergraduate level, students have access to a faculty made up of researchers at the forefront of their fields and also have opportunities to participate directly in faculty research projects.
Mortgage and housing assistance are available including newly built homes located on campus and within short walking distance from the department. The University has a career partners program designed to assist recruiting two career couples.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to excellence through diversity.
The Ph.D. degree in Information and Computer Science has a concentration in one of the following six areas:
Additionally, an area of specialization other than one of these concentrations may be chosen with the approval of the graduate advisor. This is particularly useful in the emerging fields of medical informatics or bioinformatics and information access.
There are many opportunities available for financial support for Ph.D. students, including 20 fellowships with full tuition and a monthly stipend supported by the U.S. Department of Education's Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program, several chancellors fellowships, teaching assistantships, and research assistant positions. For application information to the Ph.D. program, please visit our Ph.D. web pages.
Note: The deadline for applications is January 15.
The objective of the terminal M.S. degree is to prepare students for a variety of advanced careers in the computing industry such as software development, information technology consulting, application specific integrated circuit design, network design and configuration, embedded systems design, algorithms development, data mining, etc. The current ICS graduate curriculum and M.S. degree requirements include advanced courses in these areas that enhance the career options of students that graduate with an M.S. degree.
M.S. concentrations are available in the same areas as the Ph.D. concentrations. In addition, there is a general M.S. degree with flexible requirements, and two focused degrees in embedded systems and knowledge discovery in databases. For additional details about the M.S. program in ICS, please visit our M.S. web pages.
Note: The deadline for applications is January 15.The M.S. degree shares many courses with the Ph.D. program. M.S. students who apply to the Ph.D. program may apply these courses to the educational requirements of the Ph.D. degree.
The B.S. in Information and Computer Science is a broader, more flexible program than is available at most universities. Because ICS is not part of another discipline such as Engineering, Business, Mathematics or Library Science, it does not focus on a single aspect of computing.
Students may select from six undergraduate specializations in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Systems Design, Implementation and Analysis of Algorithms, Information Systems, Networks and Distributed Systems, or Software Systems or combine the degree with a minor in a related field such as digital art, mathematics, or management.
An undergraduate honors program allows accelerated students to be challenged by the faculty in small classes and individual study projects.
Because UCI is a research university, it offers a distinctive type of undergraduate education in which students can become involved with advanced subjects before texts are available on the subject. In a rapidly evolving field such as information and computer science, this is particularly important. ICS students can gain experience with topics such as machine-independent program representations and profile-based optimization of programs, ATM networks, information technology and public policy, embedded systems, intelligent agents, computational geometry, knowledge discovery in databases, and hardware software co-design. This advanced component of the UCI education is valuable whether you choose to continue your education in graduate school or pursue a high technology career.
The unique features of the ICS program have attracted students with the highest high school GPA and highest total SAT scores at UCI to this major. ICS students are well rounded: the average verbal SAT score of an ICS student is equivalent to that of English majors and the average math SAT scores is equal to that of Mathematics majors.
The ICS faculty are dedicated to education as well as research and have authored more than 30 books on a wide range of topics in information and computer science.
Additional details are available on the Frequently asked questions of B.S. Applicants web page.
If you wish to apply using the NEW ON-LINE APPLICATION, connect to The University of California Pathways System. The deadline is Novemeber 30.
A research park on the campus provides an ideal location for high-tech companies interested in interacting with the university. Employees from companies in teh research park may walk to campus to attend seminars and UCI students can easily walk to companies for internships.
Information about several matching funds programs to encourage corporations to sponsor research projects in ICS is available on the ICS Corporate and Community Relations web page.
University of California, Irvine
UCI is located in Irvine, California, a safe community ideally situated in the heart of Southern California, and nestled neatly alongside the Orange County communities of Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. Located three miles from the Pacific Ocean and forty miles south of Los Angeles, Irvine is a city that emphasizes an exceptional quality of life, superior work opportunities, a myriad of entertainment and recreational options and, of course, great weather, with average temperatures of 60 degrees in January and 80 degrees in August. Irvine is less than 90 minutes away from recreational areas in the mountains and the desert.Irvine is consistently ranked among the safest cities in the U.S. and has an exceptional public school system. University High School is ranked among the top 20 high schools in the country, and the Irvine Unified School District consistently ranks among the top three in the nation in terms of student performance and overall curriculum.
Surrounding the campus are high-technology companies that participate in an active affiliates program. Biotechnology, electronics, computer components, and service are the predominant employers. Dozens of corporate headquarters and Fortune 500 companies are housed in Irvine. Both the campus and the area offer exciting professional and cultural opportunities.