The undergraduate program in Computer Science and Engineering is administered by faculty from two academic units: the Department of Computer Science (CS) in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, and the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) in The Henry Samueli School of Engineering. Successful completion of the program leads to a B.S. in Computer Science and Engineering.
Program Educational Objectives: Graduates of the program will: (1) establish a productive Computer Science and Engineering career in industry, government, or academia; (2) engage in professional practice of computer systems engineering and software systems engineering; (3) promote the development of innovative systems and solutions using hardware and software integration; (4) promote design, research, and implementation of products and services in the field of Computer Science and Engineering through strong communication, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills.
(Program educational objectives are those aspects of computer science and engineering that help shape the curriculum; achievement of these objectives is a shared responsibility between the student and UCI.)
This program is designed to provide students with the fundamentals of computer science, both hardware and software, and the application of engineering concepts, techniques, and methods to both computer systems engineering and software system design. The program gives students access to multidisciplinary problems in engineering with a focus on total systems engineering. Students learn the computer science principles that are critical to development of software, hardware, and networking of computer systems. From that background, engineering concepts and methods are added to give students exposure to circuit design, network design, and digital signal processing. Elements of engineering practice include systems view, manufacturing and economic issues, and multidisciplinary engineering applications.
Career Paths. Most likely careers will involve building the computer-based infrastructure—computers, networks, embedded devices, as well as operating systems, compilers, and networking software. The focus is on cooperation between hardware and software to yield the highest performance. Examples of such problem areas would be in traffic management, flight control, earthquake monitoring, automotive control, and smart homes.
Students interested in changing their major to Computer Science and Engineering should contact the Student Affairs Office in the Bren School of ICS or The Henry Samueli School of Engineering for information about change-of-major requirements. Information is also available at UCI Change of Major Criteria website.
CSE 90. Systems Engineering and Technical Communications . 2 Units.
Introduces systems engineering concepts, including specifications and requirements, hardware and software design, integration, testing, and documentation. Emphasizes organization and writing of reports and effective presentations.
Restriction: Computer Science Engineering Majors have first consideration for enrollment.
CSE 112. Electronic Devices and Circuits. 4 Units.
A first course in the design of Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) systems. Introduction to CMOS technology; MOS transistors and CMOS circuits. Analysis and synthesis of CMOS gates. Layout design techniques for building blocks and systems. Introduction to CAD tools.
Prerequisite: PHYS 7D and (CSE 70A or EECS 70A)
Restriction: Computer Science Engineering Majors have first consideration for enrollment.
CSE 199. Individual Study. 1-4 Units.
Supervised independent reading, research, or design for undergraduate Engineering majors. Students taking individual study for design credit are to submit a written paper to the instructor and to the Undergraduate Student Affairs Office in the School of Engineering.
(Design units: 1-4)
Repeatability: May be taken for credit for 8 units.
High School Students: Students must have completed four years of mathematics through pre-calculus or math analysis and are advised to have completed one year each of chemistry and physics. One semester of programming coursework is also advised. That preparation, along with honors courses and advanced placement courses, is fundamental to success in the program.
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering recommends that freshmen applicants in Engineering majors take the SAT Subject Test, Math Level 2.
Transfer Students. Students are encouraged to complete as many of the lower-division degree requirements as possible prior to transfer, including one year of approved calculus; one year of calculus-based physics with laboratories (mechanics, electricity and magnetism); one year of transferable computer science courses 1 involving concepts such as those found in Java, Python, C++, or other object-oriented, high-level programming language, and one additional approved transferable course for the major (an approved math, science, or CSE course).
Additional computer science courses beyond the two required are strongly recommended, particularly those that align with the major of interest. Java and C++ are used in the curriculum; therefore, transfer students should plan to learn these languages by studying on their own or by completing related programming courses prior to their first quarter at UCI.
Students who enroll at UCI in need of completing lower-division coursework may find that it will take longer than two years to complete their degrees. For further information, contact the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences at 949-824-5156 or The Henry Samueli School of Engineering at 949-824-4334.