Computer Science and Engineering 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.
![Computer Science and Engineering](https://undergraduate.eng.uci.edu/files/2024/01/Computer-Science-Engineering-Banner-7bd1c8d2e26f8857-edited-1024x577.png)
Major Requirement – CSE 90 -2 Units will ONLY be offered Spring quarters.
If you require authorization for an ICS, Comp Sci or IN4MTX course, please contact the School of ICS. Only ICS can authorize for ICS courses.
Degree Requirements
- Degree Requirements
- Prerequisite Flowchart
- Sample Program of Study
- Technical Electives and Basic Science Electives are Required–see below
Sample Program PDF
The sample template below is to help you create your own 4-year plan. Please note some courses may get full and when that happens you will have to adjust your schedule accordingly. You are welcome to speak to an advisor if this happens or if you have questions about moving classes around.
Graded Prerequisites
The following CSE major courses require a grade of C or better to proceed to the next course and future upper division requirements.
- EECS 31
- I&C SCI 31
- I&C SCI 32
- I&C SCI 33
- I&C SCI 45C
- I&C SCI 46
Please review the CSE catalogue for specific requirements.
Core Courses for your Final Year
Fall quarter of Senior year all students must be registered for the following core courses. Failure to do so will lead to requiring an additional year due to both courses only being offered once per year during the fall quarter.
- EECS 159A – requires COMPSCI 145 as a prerequisite.
Winter quarter of Senior year:
- EECS 159B – requires EECS 159A as a prerequisite.
This is in addition to Technical Elective, Basic sciences elective requirements, ENGR 190W and any other pending requirements. Please review your Degreeworks to ensure you are satisfying your requirements.
Technical Electives
Students must complete a minimum of two courses (3 or more units each) of
technical electives chosen from the following:
Computer Science: 100 – 189 (except COMPSCI 121) |
Electrical Engineering & Computer Science: 100 – 189, 199** |
Informatics: 100 – 139 |
ENGR 7A & 7B* |
Notes:
- *ENGR 7A & 7B must both be taken to count as a technical elective. ENGR 7A & 7B are
available only to first-year students in Fall & Winter quarters. - **Four (4) units of 199 coursework count as one technical elective. At most, an aggregate total of 6 units of EECS 199 may be used to satisfy degree requirements; EECS 199 is open to students with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
- EECS 118 and COMPSCI 171 may not both be taken for credit toward the degree.
- Basic Science Electives and Technical Electives are taken in addition to core degree requirements
- EECS 197 is not approved to count as a TE.
Basic Science Electives
Students must complete two basic science electives selected from any Cat II
General Education except for those courses that are Computer Science & Engineering,
Engineering, ICS, Economics, or Math related. This includes AP Physics courses!
Art History (ART HIS) | |
ART HIS 55 | Disneyland |
Biological Sciences (BIO SCI) | |
BIO SCI 1A | Life Sciences |
BIO SCI 6 | Tropical Biology: Race to Save the Tropics |
BIO SCI 8 | Evolution and the Modern World |
BIO SCI 9A | Nutrition Science |
BIO SCI 9B | Biology and Chemistry of Food and Cooking |
BIO SCI 9E | Horticulture Science |
BIO SCI 9J | Biology of Oriental Medicine |
BIO SCI 9K | Global Change Biology |
BIO SCI 12 | Molecular Basis of Human Disease |
BIO SCI 17 | Evolutionary Psychology |
BIO SCI 23 | Sustainable Landscaping: Design and Practices |
BIO SCI 35 | The Brain and Behavior |
BIO SCI 36 | Drugs and the Brain |
BIO SCI 37 | Brain Dysfunction and Repair |
BIO SCI 38 | Mind, Memory, Amnesia, and the Brain |
BIO SCI 41 | Aspects of Mood Disorder |
BIO SCI 44 | Stem Cells and Brain Repair |
BIO SCI 45 | AIDS Fundamentals |
BIO SCI 47 | Stress |
BIO SCI 48 | The Mind-Body Connection in the Neuroscience of Well-Being |
BIO SCI 55 | Introduction to Ecology |
BIO SCI 56 | Life Sciencing from Aristotle to Venter |
BIO SCI 70 | Introduction to Vaccines |
BIO SCI 75 | Human Development |
BIO SCI H90 | The Idiom and Practice of Science |
BIO SCI 93 | From DNA to Organisms |
BIO SCI 93L | DNA to Organisms – Introduction to Biology Research |
BIO SCI H93 | Honors From DNA to Organisms |
BIO SCI 94 | From Organisms to Ecosystems |
BIO SCI 94L | Organisms to Ecosystems – Introduction to Biology Research Analysis |
BIO SCI H94 | Honors From Organisms to Ecosystems |
BIO SCI N118 | Clinical Psychophysiology |
Biomedical Engineering (BME) | |
BME 3 | Engineering Innovations in Treating Diabetes |
Chemistry (CHEM) | |
CHEM 1A | General Chemistry |
CHEM 1B | General Chemistry |
CHEM 1C | General Chemistry |
CHEM H2A | Honors General Chemistry |
CHEM H2B | Honors General Chemistry |
CHEM H2C | Honors General Chemistry |
CHEM M2A | Majors General Chemistry Lecture |
CHEM M2B | Majors General Chemistry Lecture |
CHEM M2C | Majors General Chemistry Lecture |
CHEM M3C | Majors Quantitative Analytical Chemistry |
CHEM 12 | Chemistry Around Us |
CHEM 14 | Sense and Sensibility in Science |
CHEM H90 | The Idiom and Practice of Science |
Dance (DANCE) | |
DANCE 3 | Scientific Concepts of Health |
Earth System Science (EARTHSS) | |
EARTHSS 1 | Introduction to Earth System Science |
EARTHSS 3 | Oceanography |
EARTHSS 5 | The Atmosphere |
EARTHSS 7 | Physical Geology |
EARTHSS 15 | Introduction to Global Climate Change |
EARTHSS 17 | Hurricanes, Tsunamis, and Other Catastrophes |
EARTHSS 19 | Introduction to Modeling the Earth System |
EARTHSS 21 | On Thin Ice: Climate Change and the Cryosphere |
EARTHSS 23 | Air Pollution: From Urban Smog to Global Change |
EARTHSS 40A | Earth System Chemistry |
EARTHSS 40B | Earth System Biology |
EARTHSS 40C | Earth System Physics |
Engineering (ENGR) | |
ENGR 1A | General Chemistry for Engineers |
History (HISTORY) | |
HISTORY 60 | The Making of Modern Science |
Informatics (IN4MATX) | |
IN4MATX 12 | Barter to Bitcoin: Society, Technology and the Future of Money |
Logic and Philosophy of Science (LPS) | |
LPS 29 | Critical Reasoning |
LPS 31 | Introduction to Inductive Logic |
LPS 40 | The Nature of Scientific Inquiry |
LPS 60 | The Making of Modern Science |
LPS H81 | What is Space? |
LPS H91 | The Philosophy and Biology of Sex |
LPS H123 | What is Disease? |
Medical Humanities Initiative (MED HUM) | |
MED HUM 3 | Art and Medicine |
Nursing Science (NUR SCI) | |
NUR SCI 50 | Nutrition Across the Lifespan |
Philosophy (PHILOS) | |
PHILOS 3 | Technology and Society |
PHILOS 29 | Critical Reasoning |
PHILOS 31 | Introduction to Inductive Logic |
Pharmaceutical Sciences (PHRMSCI) | |
PHRMSCI H80 | Drugs and Society |
Physical Sciences (PHY SCI) | |
PHY SCI 9 | Introduction to Computation for Scientists and Engineers |
Physics and Astronomy (PHYSICS) | |
PHYSICS 7E | |
PHYSICS 12 | Science Fiction and Science Fact |
PHYSICS 14 | Energy and the Environment |
PHYSICS 15 | Physics of Music |
PHYSICS 18 | How Things Work |
PHYSICS 19 | Great Ideas of Physics |
PHYSICS 20A | Introduction to Astronomy |
PHYSICS 20B | Cosmology: Humanity’s Place in the Universe |
PHYSICS 20D | Space Science |
PHYSICS 20E | Life in the Universe |
PHYSICS 21 | Special Topics in Physics |
PHYSICS H80 | Impact of World War I on Science |
PHYSICS H90 | The Idiom and Practice of Science |
Psychology (PSYCH) | |
PSYCH 122P | Clinical Psychophysiology |
Public Health (PUBHLTH) | |
PUBHLTH 2 | Case Studies in Public Health Practice |
PUBHLTH 30 | Introduction to Urban Environmental Health |
PUBHLTH 60 | Environmental Quality and Health |
PUBHLTH 80 | AIDS Fundamentals |
PUBHLTH 90 | Natural Disasters |
Social Sciences (SOC SCI) | |
SOC SCI 11A | Barter to Bitcoin: Society, Technology and the Future of Money |
University Studies (UNI STU) | |
UNI STU H30A | Critical Analysis of Health Science Literature |
UNI STU H30B | Environmental Issues Affecting the Sustainability of Societies I |
UNI STU H30F | Cities: Focal Point for Sustainability Problems and Solutions II |
Senior Design Information
All majors listed above MUST take Senior Design (EECS 159A-B):
- Electrical Engineering ( EE)
- Computer Engineering (CpE)
- Computer Science & Engineering (CSE)
Spring of Junior Year, students should register for EECS 198 w/ Professor Dang (Senior “Pre-Design)
- To help you self-identify whether or not you should sign up for EECS 198 next quarter:
- TLDR version: Graduating next year, Class of 2025? Sign up for EECS 198 w/ Professor Dang in Spring’24
- Longer version:
- If you are signing up for senior design project (EECS 159A) F’24 (i.e. you should be graduating class of ’25), YES you should sign up (see #5).
- If you are already part of a larger project (Hyperxite, UAV Forge, Race Car, etc), YES you should still sign up (see #5).
- If you are not signing up for senior design project (EECS 159A) F’24 (i.e. you are not graduating class of ’25), NO you should not sign up.
- If you have a course conflict that is not avoidable, email qpdang@uci.edu to discuss it.
- EECS 198 is not mandatory this year. However, if you choose not to sign up, you are accepting that you may be putting yourself at a disadvantage on EECS-specific preparations, requirements, announcements, and workshops for senior design.
- If you have any further questions/concerns, email qpdang@uci.edu to discuss.
EECS 198 Expectations
- Project options, team forming, and preparation will be reviewed in EECS 198
- Create your own project
- Get a project from your faculty advisor
- Get a project from a corporate sponsor
- Participate in a larger inter-departmental project TBD (Race Car, UAV Forge, Hyperxite, etc) – you should still sign up for EECS 198 as there will be relevant information shared.
- Must be of adequate difficulty (2 quarters’ worth of work)
- Should combine both software and hardware
EECS 159A, EECS 159B Expectations
- Two quarters for design, prototyping, and verification/testing – Fall & Winter of Senior Year
- The Fall quarter (EECS 159A) is design, documentation, & early prototype focused. Funding for Fall early prototype is typically paid for out-of-course fees or out-of-pocket. Some additional funding may be available depending on project and/or advisor.
- The Winter quarter (EECS 159B) is build & refinement focused.
- UROP funding may not arrive until the Winter quarter and reimbursements are hard to get approved. Building during the Fall quarter relies on the student’s own funding or other outside funding. DO NOT make any purchases without prior approval from your lab faculty advisor.
- Team
- A team of up to 2-3 students is typical; 4 students are approved on a case-by-case basis depending on the project scope
- It is recommended that teams consist of multiple majors (i.e. a mix of EE, CpE, CSE)
- You will be able to sign up for EECS 159 Lecture and Discussion
Signing Up For Labs
A faculty advisor is needed. DO NOT contact faculty advisors until instructed to do so by your Senior Capstone Coordinators. This process will be reviewed and discussed in EECS 198.
- Funding
- Prepare UROP application in Spring & apply for funding when available (typically in Fall)
- Funding is typically disbursed in the Winter quarter
- It is strongly recommended / sometimes required to attend/present UROP symposium in Spring quarter if you apply for funding
- Some corporate projects will provide funding
- Prepare UROP application in Spring & apply for funding when available (typically in Fall)
Double Major with an ICS major
Review ICS double major restrictions.
If you have any questions regarding an ICS major, please contact the School of ICS.
Declaring an ICS minor as a CSE major – Restrictions
Distinctions Among Computing Degree Programs
Winter 2024 Faculty Advising Session for Juniors
- Zoom Recording Winter 2024
- EECS-ICS Junior Advising Session 2024 Slides
- Professor Ray Klefstad’s slides – Prep for a career in industry after graduation. (2022)
- UCI Grad Programs 2024 slides from Nikki Spratt, Associate Director of Recruitment & Admissions, has presented at the faculty advising session.
- We were fortunate to have Nikki Spratt, Associate Director of Recruitment & Admissions, present graduate programs information including M.Eng and MECPS information besides UCI Graduate Programs. Nikki has provided the following graduate program links and also information about the M.Eng Fall Capstone Showcase and Kickoff.
- Students are encouraged to go to the Division of Career Pathways at https://career.uci.edu/ and make use of their free resources to current students. When you click on Undergraduates, scroll down to Jobs and Internships. There you will find a treasure-trove of information including Handshake and practice interviews. On Handshake at the bottom right you will find excellent internship tips and information
Winter 2024 Notes/links for EECS Junior Advising Session
Review past projects, review faculty listing, come up w/ a project & find advisor.
Some past senior design projects for ideas:
- http://srproj.eecs.uci.edu/
- https://projects.eng.uci.edu/projects/department/eecs
- EECS Faculty info/web sites: http://engineering.uci.edu/dept/eecs/faculty-staff/faculty
- Recap of Winter’23 Design Review: https://engineering.uci.edu/news/2023/4/seventeen-senior- design-projects-win-dean-s-choice-awards
- Visit Winter’24 Design Review: https://engineering.uci.edu/events/2024/1/2024-annual-design-review
- Library resources (more below): https://guides.lib.uci.edu/engr_eecs
- Why are classes run the way they are?
- Program Educational Objectives (PEO’s)
- tldr: Our goal is to prepare you for industry, academia, and life-long learning
- Program Educational Objectives (PEO’s)
- CpE
- (1) be engaged in professional practice at or beyond the entry level or enrolled in high quality graduate programs building on a solid foundation in engineering, mathematics, the sciences, humanities and social sciences, and experimental practice as well as modern engineering methods;
- (2) be innovative in the design, research and implementation of systems and products with strong problem solving, communication, teamwork, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills;
- (3) proactively function with creativity, integrity and relevance in the ever changing global environment by applying their fundamental knowledge and experience to solve real-world problems with an understanding of societal, economic, environmental, and ethical issues.
- CSE
- (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.
- EE
- (1) be engaged in professional practice in academia, industry or government;
- (2) promote innovation in the design, research and implementation of products and services in the field of Electrical Engineering through strong communication, leadership and entrepreneurial skills;
- (3) be engaged in life-long learning in the field of Electrical Engineering.
- American Board of Engineering and Technology (now just ABET) Accreditation in relation to PEO’s
- Federation of 30 professional and technical societies
- Practicing professionals from industry and academia form the body of ABET
- Program Evaluators
- Board of Directors
- Accreditation commissions (4 total)
- Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission
- Computing Accreditation Commission
- Engineering Accreditation Commission
- Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission
- More info: http://abet.org/accreditation/ Who sets the curriculum? Who has a say?
- Faculty/Staff
- Industry
- Alumni
- Current Students
- Faculty/Staff
Spring 2023 Faculty Advising for EE/CpE/CSE Freshmen and Sophomores
Here are the available presentation materials from this session:
- EECS Advising Overview: https://tinyurl.com/eecsAdvisingS23Overview
- Coding Interview Tips: https://tinyurl.com/eecsAdvisingS23InterviewTips
Program Faculty Advisor
Prof. Quoc-Viet Dang
qpdang@uci.edu
Academic Counselors please an advisor based on your last name
Student Last Names Loan – Zhou
Andrea Varon
avaron@uci.edu
Student Last Names Agrawal – Liu
Cesar Barrios
c.barrios@uci.edu
Computer Science & Engineering is a major within the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) Department and the Department of Computer Science