DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATICS

5019 Donald Bren Hall; (949) 824-2901
André van der Hoek, Department Chair

Faculty / Undergraduate Program / Graduate Program / Courses

Informatics is the interdisciplinary study of the design, application, use, and impact of information technology. It goes beyond technical design, to focus on the relationship between information system design and use in real-world settings. These investigations lead to new forms of system architecture, new approaches to system design and development, new means of information system implementation and deployment, and new models of interaction between technology and social, cultural, and organizational settings.

Undergraduate Major in Informatics

Students in the Informatics major study software architecture; software development, design, and analysis; ubiquitous computing; information retrieval and management; human-computer interaction; computer-supported cooperative work; and other topics that address the relationship between information technology design and use in social and organizational settings. The Informatics major addresses the broad set of issues surrounding design, ranging from initial requirements gathering to software design and measuring the impact of alternative solutions—all from a multidisciplinary perspective that includes computer science, information science, organizational science, social science, and cognitive science.

Courses offer extensive treatment of the conceptual underpinnings of the discipline and provide in-depth practical experiences, often performed on real-world examples and involving outside organizations. Students completing the major will be exceptionally well suited for advanced careers in information technology or for further study at the graduate level. Specific careers include, but are not limited to, system, software, and information analyst; system, software, and information designer; project manager; and interface and interaction designer. Career settings include new start-ups, multinational corporations, small software houses, consulting, and game companies.

Informatics majors complete one of three specializations: software engineering, human-computer interaction, or organizations and information technology. More information is available online at http://www.ics.uci.edu/informatics/ugrad.

ADMISSIONS

Freshmen Applicants: See pages 33-36.

Transfer Applicants:

Students transferring into the major must satisfy the following requirements:

1.   Completion of one college-level mathematics course; courses equivalent to ICS 6B (Boolean Algebra and Logic), Statistics 7 (Basic Statistics) or Statistics 67 (Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Computer Science), and Philosophy 29 (Critical Reasoning) are preferred as these courses facilitate scheduling after transfer to UCI.

2.   Completion of one year of transferable computer science courses* with at least one course involving concepts such as those found in Java, Scheme, C++, or other object-oriented or high-level programming language.

*NOTE: Additional computer science courses beyond the two required are strongly recommended, particularly those that align with the major(s) of interest. Java is used extensively in the curriculum; therefore, transfer students should plan to learn it by studying on their own or by completing a Java-related programming course prior to their first quarter at UCI.

Additional courses beyond those required for admission must be taken to fulfill the lower-division degree requirements, as many are prerequisites for upper-division courses. For some transfer students, this may mean that it will take longer than two years to complete their degree.

More information is available at http://www.ics.uci.edu/informatics/ugrad or at the ICS Student Affairs Office; telephone (949) 824-5156; e-mail: ucounsel@uci.edu.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE B.S. DEGREE IN INFORMATICS

University Requirements: See pages 54-61.

Major Requirements

Lower-division:

A.   Introductory courses: Informatics 41, 42, 43, 44.

B.   ICS 23 or Informatics 45.

C.   ICS 6B, Statistics 7 or Statistics 67, and Philosophy 29.

Upper-division:

A.   Informatics Core Requirements: Informatics 113, 121, 131, 151, 161, 191A-B-C.

B.   One of the following specializations:

   Software Engineering: Informatics 101, 102, 111, 115, 117, 122, 123, 133, Computer Science 122A, and one additional    course chosen from Informatics 100-199, Computer Science 100-189, EECS118, Management 107, Management 159.

   Human-Computer Interaction: Informatics 132; three courses chosen from Informatics 133, 141, 143, 153, 162, 171; two project courses chosen from Informatics 125, 134, 148, 163; four additional courses chosen from Informatics 100-190 or Public Health 166.

   Organizations and Information Technology: (a) Informatics 141, 162, 163, Management 5, Management 102; (b) four additional courses chosen from: Management 107, 159, 162, 170, 173, 175, and 178; Psychology and Social Behavior 9, 104S, 176S, and 180S; Sociology 41, 135, 141, 143, and 145; Informatics 100-199; (c) two additional courses chosen from Informatics 100-199 or Computer Science 100-199. NOTE: Informatics majors in the OIT specialization may not pursue a minor in Management.

Major and minor restrictions: See pages 342-343.

Sample Program of Study — Informatics: Software Engineering

Sample Program of Study — Informatics: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

Sample Program of Study — Informatics: Organizations and Information Technology (OIT)

Minor in Digital Information Systems

Students outside the Bren School of ICS may pursue a minor in Digital Information Systems (DIS). The minor is designed for students who want to learn about information systems, computation, and digital communication without preparing to be computer programmers. Students completing the DIS minor will be able to understand the role of digital information systems in society, and will learn about the technological underpinnings of these systems and constraints on their design and use.

Requirements for the Minor: Two of ICS 3, ICS 4, ICS 5, ICS 7, ICS 8, ICS 11, ICS 22, ICS H22, Informatics 42; one of ICS 10, ICS 21, ICS H21, Informatics 41; four of ICS 105, Informatics 131, Informatics 143, Informatics 161, Informatics 162, Informatics 165, Informatics 171, ICS 139.

NOTE: Bren School of ICS majors may not minor in Digital Information Systems. Courses used to complete the minor in Digital Information Systems may not also count toward the requirements for the Information and Computer Science minor or the Informatics minor.

Minor in Informatics

The minor provides a focused study of Informatics to supplement a student's major program of study and prepares students for a profession, career, or academic pursuit in which information and software design is an integral part but is not the primary focus. The minor allows students sufficient flexibility to pursue courses that complement their major field or address specific interests. The minor particularly centers on understanding the relationships among computers and people, and how these relationships must be addressed in information and software design.

Requirements for the Minor: Informatics 41, 42, 43, 44, 131, and 161; and at least two additional upper-division courses in Informatics.

Before enrolling in any course for the Informatics minor, students should ensure that they meet its prerequisites. See the course prerequisites listed in the Catalogue or on the Informatics Web site at http://www.ics.uci.edu/informatics/ugrad.

NOTE: A maximum of two courses can be taken Pass/Not Pass to satisfy the minor in Informatics. Students majoring in Information and Computer Science, Computer Science, or Computer Science and Engineering cannot minor in Informatics. Students who are considering a major in Informatics must complete the Informatics courses with a letter grade.

Graduate Concentrations

For graduate concentrations in Informatics, see page 348.

Courses in Informatics

(Schedule of Classes designation: In4matx)

Non-majors may also take lower-division Informatics courses to fulfill General Education requirements if they have met the prerequisites.

LOWER-DIVISION

41 Informatics Core Course I (6). Fundamental concepts of computer software design and construction. Data, algorithms, functions, and abstractions. Overview of computer systems: data representation, architectural components, operating systems, networks. Introduction to information systems: parties involved, architectural alternatives, usability, organizational and social concerns. May not be taken for credit after ICS 22/CSE22. (II or V)

42 Informatics Core Course II (6). Alternative data structure implementations; analysis of time and space efficiency. Object-oriented programming concepts and techniques: classes, objects, inheritance, interfaces. Formal languages and automata. Problem modeling and design tradeoffs. Prerequisite: Informatics 41 with a grade of C or better. Only one course from Informatics 42, ICS 22/CSE22, or ICS H22 may be taken for credit. (II or V)

43 Informatics Core Course III (4). Concepts, methods, and current practice of software engineering. Large-scale software production, software life cycle models, principles and techniques for each stage of development. Laboratory project applying these concepts. Only one course from Informatics 43, ICS 52, and ICS 105 may be taken for credit.

44 Seminar in Informatics Research Topics (2). Introduction to current research topics in Informatics. Various faculty members present current research and relate it to the course content of the Informatics degree program. Pass/Not Pass only.

45 Patterns of Software Construction (4). Building software applications; reusing and integrating components; designing for reuse. Effective use of libraries and APIs, file and network I/O, creation of user interfaces. Prerequisite: Informatics 42 or ICS 22/CSE22 or ICS H22 with a grade of C or better. (V)

UPPER-DIVISION

101 Concepts in Programming Languages I (4). In-depth study of several contemporary programming languages stressing variety in data structures, operations, notation, and control. Examination of different programming paradigms, such as logic programming, functional programming and object-oriented programming; implementation strategies, programming environments, and programming style. Prerequisites: Informatics 42 or ICS 51 or CSE31/EECS31 with a grade of C or better, and Informatics 45 or ICS23/CSE23 with a grade of C or better. Same as CS 141/CSE141.

102 Concepts of Programming Languages II (4). In-depth study of major programming paradigms: imperative, functional, declarative, object-oriented, and aspect-oriented. Understanding the role of programming languages in software development and the suitability of languages in context. Domain-specific languages. Designing new languages for better software development support. Prerequisite: Informatics 101/CS 141/CSE141 with a grade of C or better.

111 Software Tools and Methods (4). Concepts and techniques of constructing software in a systematic fashion, including detailed design techniques, specifications, programming methods, quality-inducing procedures, development tools, team techniques, testing, estimation, and performance improvement. Laboratory work involves exercises to illustrate important concepts, methods, and tools. Prerequisite: Informatics 43 or ICS 52 or CSE90 with a grade of C or better. Same as CSE121.

113 Requirements Analysis and Engineering (4). Aims to equip students to develop techniques of software-intensive systems through successful requirements analysis techniques and requirements engineering. Students learn systematic process of developing requirements through cooperative problem analysis, representation, and validation. Prerequisite: Informatics 43 or ICS 52 with a grade of C or better. Recommended: Philosophy 29.

115 Software Testing, Analysis, and Quality Assurance (4). Aims to prepare students to develop high-quality software through successful verification and validation techniques. Fundamental principles of software testing, how to test software, and how to ensure the thoroughness of testing to gain confidence in the correctness of the software. Prerequisites: ICS 6B with a grade of C or better, and either Informatics 43 or ICS 52 with a grade of C or better. Recommended: Philosophy 29.

117 Project in Software System Design (4). Specification, design, construction, testing, and documentation of a complete software system. Special emphasis on the need for and use of teamwork, careful planning, and other techniques for working with large systems. Prerequisites: Informatics 43 or ICS 52, and upper-division standing.

121 Software Design I (4). Introduction to application design: designing the overall functionality of a software application. Topics include general design theory, software design theory, and software architecture. Includes practice in designing and case studies of existing designs. Prerequisite: Informatics 113 with a grade of C or better.

122 Software Design II (4). Introduction to implementation design: designing the internals of a software application. Topics include design aesthetics, design implementation, design recovery, design patterns, and component reuse. Includes practice in designing and case studies of existing designs. Prerequisites: Informatics 121 or Informatics 101/CS 141/CSE141.

123 Software Architectures (4). Prepares students to engineer well-structured software systems. Students learn a wide range of software architectural styles, architectural platforms that provide standard services to applications, and formal architecture description languages. Prerequisites: Informatics 122 or the following: Informatics 101/CS 141/CSE141 and Informatics 113.

124 Internet Applications Engineering (4). Concepts in Internet applications engineering with emphasis on the Web. Peer-to-Peer and Interoperabilty. Topics include HTTP and REST, Remote Procedure/Method Calls, Web Services, data representations, content distribution networks, identity management, relevant W3C/IETF standards, and relevant new large-scale computing styles. Prerequisites: CS 132 or consent of instructor, and upper-division standing. Same as CS 137.

125 Computer Game Development (4). Introduction to the principles of interactive two- and three-dimensional computer game development. Concepts in computer graphics, algorithms, software engineering, art and graphics, music and sound, story analysis, and artificial intelligence are presented and are the basis for student work. Prerequisite: either CS 112, CS 171, Informatics 121, Studio Art 135, or consent of instructor. Same as CS 113.

131 Human Computer Interaction (4). Presents basic principles of human-computer interaction (HCI). Introduces students to user interface design techniques, design guidelines, and usability testing. Students gain the ability to design and evaluate user interfaces and become familiar with some of the outstanding research problems in HCI. Prerequisite: one course (with a grade of C or better) selected from Informatics 41, ICS 10, ICS 21/CSE21, ICS H21, Engineering ENGR10, EECS10, MAE10, or equivalent.

132 Project in Human-Computer Interaction Requirements and Evaluation (4). Students undertake significant projects in the elicitation and specification of HCI requirements and the thorough evaluation of user interfaces. Prerequisite: Informatics 131.

133 User Interaction Software (4). Introduction to human-computer interaction programming. Emphasis on current tools, standards, methodologies for implementing effective interaction designs. Widget toolkits, Web interface programming, geo-spatial and map interfaces, mobile phone interfaces. Strategies for evaluation of user interfaces. Prerequisite: Informatics 45 or ICS 23/CSE23.

134 Project in User Interaction Software (4). Students complete an end-to-end user interface programming project based on an iterative design paradigm. Topics may include requirements brainstorming, paper prototyping, iterative development, cognitive walk-through, quantitative evaluation, and acceptance testing. Prerequisites: Informatics 131 and 133.

141 Information Retrieval (4). An introduction to information retrieval including indexing, retrieval, classifying, and clustering text and multimedia documents. Prerequisites: ICS 23/CSE23/ICS H23 or Informatics 43; Statistics 7 or 67. Same as CS 121.

143 Information Visualization (4). Introduction to interactive visual interfaces for large datasets, and to principles of human visual perception and human computer interaction that inform their design. Various applications for data analysis and monitoring are discussed. Prerequisite: Informatics 131 or Informatics 43 or ICS 52.

148 Project in Ubiquitous Computing (4). Introduction to ubiquitous computing research methods, tools, and techniques. Prototyping, design, and evaluation of physical computing applications, smart environments, embedded systems, and future computing scenarios. Includes hands-on in-class laboratory exercises. Prerequisite: Informatics 45 or ICS 23/CSE23.

151 Project Management (4). Introduces theoretical and practical aspects of project management. Topics include organizational theory, group behavior, project management skills, case studies, personal and group productivity tools, management of distributed work, stakeholders, consultants, and knowledge management. Students do a project exercise. Prerequisites: Informatics 43 or ICS 52 with a grade of C or better and upper-division standing.

153 Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (4). Introduces concepts and principles of collaborative systems. Topics may include shared workspaces, group interaction, workflow, architectures, interaction between social and technical features of group work, and examples of collaborative systems used in real-world settings. Students develop a simple collaborative application. Prerequisites: Informatics 43 or ICS 52 with a grade of C or better; or Informatics 161.

161 Social Analysis of Computerization (4). Introduction of computerization as a social process. Examines the social opportunities and problems raised by new information technologies, and the consequences of different ways of organizing. Topics include computerization and work life, privacy, virtual communities, productivity paradox, systems risks. Prerequisite: one course (with a grade of C or better) selected from Informatics 41, ICS 10, ICS21/CSE21, ENGR10, EECS10, MAE10, or equivalent; satisfactory completion of the lower-division writing requirement.

162 Organizational Information Systems (4). Introduction to role of information systems in organizations, components and structure of organizational information systems, and techniques used in information systems analysis, design, and implementation. Prerequisites: Informatics 161 and satisfactory completion of the lower-division writing requirement.

163 Project in the Social and Organizational Impacts of Computing (4). Students undertake projects intended to gather and analyze data from situations in which computers are used, organize and conduct experiments intended to test hypotheses about impacts, and explore the application of concepts learned in previous courses. Prerequisite: Informatics 162 .

165 Technology and Literacy (4). Examines relationships of new digital media to literacy in home and school environments. Topics include blogs, wikis, fan fiction, social network sites, online research, video games, instant messaging, e-mail, digital imagery, and multimedia production in connection with learning and literacy. Same as Education 139.

171 Introduction to Medical Informatics (4). Broad overview of medical informatics for students with varied backgrounds. Electronic medical records, online resources, mobile technologies, patient safety and computational design. Legal, ethical, and public policy issues. Health systems management. Evaluation and fieldwork for health systems. Prerequisite: one course (with a grade of C or better) selected from Informatics 41, ICS 10, ICS21/CSE21, ENGR10, EECS10, MAE10, or equivalent.

190 Special Topics in Informatics (4). May be repeated for credit if title or topic varies. Prerequisites vary.

191A-B-C Senior Design Project (4-4-4). Group supervised project in which students analyze, specify, design, construct, evaluate, and adapt a significant information processing system. Topics include team management, professional ethics, and systems analysis. Prerequisites for 191A: Informatics 121, 131, 151; either Informatics 161 as a prerequisite or Informatics 123 as a corequisite; and upper-division standing; for 191B: Informatics 191A; for 191C: Informatics 191B. In-progress grading for 191B only.

H198 Honors Research (4). Directed independent research in Informatics for honors students. Prerequisites: satisfactory completion of the lower-division writing requirement; participation in the Bren School of ICS Honors Program or the Campuswide Honors Program.

199 Individual Study (2 to 5)

GRADUATE

200A-B Informatics Graduate Core (4-4). Integrated survey of core topics and techniques in Informatics and exemplary applications thereof. Primary focus on human-computer interaction, software engineering, and research methods for Informatics. Lecture and readings in classical and contemporary research. Prerequisite: graduate standing in the School of ICS.

201 Research Methodology for Informatics (4). Introduction to strategies and idioms of research in Informatics. Includes examination of issues in scientific inquiry, qualitative and quantitative methods, and research design. Both classic texts and contemporary research literature are read and analyzed.

203 Qualitative Research Methods in Information Systems (4). Introduction to qualitative research methods used to study computerization and information systems, such as open-ended interviewing, participant observation, and ethnography. Studies of the methods in practice through examination of research literature. Prerequisite: Informatics 251 or 261.

205 Quantitative Research Methods in Information Systems (4). Quantitative research methods used to study computerization and information systems. Design of instruments, sampling, sample sizes, and data analysis. Validity and reliability. Longitudinal versus cross-sectional designs. Analysis of secondary data. Studies of the methods through examination of research literature. Prerequisites: basic knowledge of elementary statistics; Informatics 251 or 261.

208S Seminar in Informatics Research (2). Current research and research trends in any of the areas of Informatics. Speakers from UCI and elsewhere. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.

209S Seminar in Informatics (3). Current research and research trends in Informatics. Forum for presentation and criticism by students of research work in progress. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.

211 Software Engineering (4). Study of the concepts, methods, and tools for the analysis, design, construction, and measurement of complex software-intensive systems. Underlying principles emphasized. State-of-the-art software engineering and promising research areas covered, including project management.

212 Analysis of Programming Languages (4). Concepts in modern programming languages, their interaction, and the relationship between programming languages and methods for large-scale, extensible software development. Empirical analysis of programming language usage.

213 Formal Specification and Modeling (4). Examination of formal specification and modeling techniques, including algebraic, scenario-based, model-based, state-based, temporal and other logics, along with their related uses in software development.

215 Software Analysis and Testing (4). Studies techniques for developing confidence in software from traditional testing schemes to integrated, multitechnique analytic approaches. Considers strengths and weaknesses and explores opportunities for synergistic technique application. Emphasis is on approaches integrated into the software process.

217 Software Processes (4). Explores vehicles for modeling, coding, and analyzing software processes. Considers integration of software process programming approaches with traditional management issues. Explores the use of software process execution as a vehicle for effective integration of tools into environments.

219 Software Environments (4). Study of the requirements, concepts, and architectures of comprehensive, integrated, software development and maintenance environments. Major topics include process support, object management, communication, interoperability, measurement, analysis, and user interfaces in the environment context.

221 Software Architecture (4). Study of the concepts, representation techniques, development methods, and tools for architecture-centric software engineering. Topics include domain-specific software architectures, architectural styles, architecture description languages, software connectors, and dynamism in architectures.

223 Applied Software Design Techniques (4). Study of concepts, representations, techniques, and case studies in structuring software systems, with an emphasis on design considerations. Topics include static and dynamic system structure, data models, abstractions, naming, protocols and application programmer interfaces.

231 User Interface Design and Evaluation (4). Introduction to the design and evaluation of user interfaces, with an emphasis on methodology. Cognitive principles, design life cycle, on-line and off-line prototyping techniques. Toolkits and architectures for interactive systems. Evaluation techniques, including heuristic and laboratory methods.

232 Research in Human-Computer Interaction (4). Introduction to contemporary topics in human-computer interaction, including methods, technologies, design, and evaluation. Emerging application domains and their challenges to traditional research methods. Advanced architectures and technologies. Critical issues. Some familiarity with HCI principles expected.

233 Knowledge-Based User Interfaces (4). Concepts related to the development of interactive software systems with a focus on knowledge-based tools and human-centered design. Topics span the fields of human-computer interaction, software engineering, and knowledge representation. Prerequisite: CS 171 or equivalent.

235 Advanced User Interface Architecture (4). Architectural concerns in advanced interactive systems. The design of current and emerging platforms for novel interactive systems. Paradigms such as constraint-based programming, multimodal interaction, and perceptual user interfaces for individual, distributed, and ubiquitous applications.

241 Introduction to Ubiquitous Computing (4). The "disappearing computer" paradigm. Differences to the desktop computing model: applications, interaction in augmented environments, security, alternate media, small operating systems, sensors, and embedded systems design. Evaluation by project work and class participation. Same as CS 248A.

242 Ubiquitous Computing and Interaction (4). Principles and design techniques for ubiquitous computing applications. Conceptual basis for tangible and embodied interaction. Interaction in virtual and augmented environments. Design methods and techniques. Design case studies. Examination by project work. Prerequisites: Informatics 231 and 241. Same as CS 248B.

244 Introduction to Embedded and Ubiquitous Systems (4). Embedded and ubiquitous system technologies including processors, DSP, memory, and software. System interfacing basics; communication strategies; sensors and actuators, mobile and wireless technology. Using pre-designed hardware and software components. Design case studies in wireless, multimedia, and/or networking domains. Prerequisites: B.S. degree in computer science; or ICS 51, CS 152; Mathematics 3A or 6G or ICS 6D; CS 161. Same as CS 244.

251 Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (4). The role of information systems in supporting work in groups and organizations. Examines various technologies designed to support communication, information sharing, and coordination. Focuses on behavioral and social aspects of designing and using group support technologies.

261 Social Analysis of Computing (4). The social and economic impacts of computing and information technologies on groups, organizations, and society. Topics include computerization and changes in the character of work, social control and privacy, electronic communities, and risks of safety-critical systems to people.

263 Computerization, Work, and Organizations (4). Selected topics in the influence of computerization and information systems in transforming work and organizations. Theories of organization and organizational change. Processes by which diverse information technologies influence changes in work and organizations over short and long time periods. Prerequisite: Informatics 251 or 261.

265 Theories of Computerization and Information Systems (4). Social and economic conceptions of information technology. Macrosocial and economic conditions that foster changes in information technologies. Social construction of information and computer technology in professional worlds. Theories of information technology and large-scale social change. Prerequisite: Informatics 251 or 261.

267 Computing and Cyberspace (4). Selected topics in Internet-level computerization and systems, including electronic communities, distributed information services, electronic commerce, and digital libraries. Surveys systems and architectures. Theories of social interaction, computer-mediated communication, and social-technical system design. Examines social studies of cyberspace use and impacts. Prerequisite: Informatics 251 or 261.

269 Computer Law (4). The American legal system and its provisions affecting computer systems, computer networks, and information processing. Intellectual property, contracts, privacy, liability for malfunction, computer crime, constitutional issues, transborder data flow, computer-based evidence, and litigation. Prerequisite: graduate standing or consent of instructor.

290 Research Seminar (2). Forum for presentation and criticism by students of research work in progress. Presentation of problem areas and related work. Specific goals and progress of research. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.

291S Literature Survey in Software Engineering (2). Reading and analysis of relevant literature in Software Engineering under the direction of a faculty member. May be repeated for credit as topics vary.

295 Special Topics in Informatics (4). May be repeated for credit as topics vary.

298 Thesis Supervision (2 to 12). Individual research or investigation conducted in preparation for the M.S. thesis option or the dissertation requirements for the Ph.D. program.

299 Individual Study (2 to 12). Individual research or investigation under the direction of an individual faculty member.