Information and Computer Science Degree

 The UCI General Catalogue is the official guide to all degree and graduation requirements; the information below is intended for general planning purposes only.

Concentration in Informatics - Ubiquitous Computing Track (UBICOMP), (M.S. and Ph.D.)

Ubiquitous computing addresses the emergent trend of moving beyond the desktop computer and embedding computation into the environment. With the proliferation of palm devices, cell phones, digital cameras, smart sensors, and so on, some of this paradigm shift has already happened. A lot more must happen to make computers blend with the environment. more »

Fall 2007 to Current Degree Requirements
Concentration Core:

Students must complete the Survey courses, Informatics Core courses, Informatics Breadth courses and a focus track.

Ubiquitous Computing Informatics Track (UBICOMP):

  • Survey of Research and Research Methods:
    • INF 201: Research Methodology for Informatics
    • Note: Students in the MS program may substitute for INF 201 either two quarters of Seminar in Informatics Research (INF 208S) or one additional Informatics course numbered 200-299.
    • Two quarters of Seminar in Informatics (Informatics 209S)
  • Informatics Core Courses (select three) :
  • Informatics Breadth:
    • Two four-unit graduate courses in ICS, CS or Statistics, outside of Informatics.
  • Ubiquitous Computing Tack (UBICOMP) (Additional Required Courses):
    • INF 242: Ubiquitous Computing and Interaction
    • INF 244/CS 244: Introduction to Embedded and Ubiquitous Systems
  • UBICOMP Breadth :
    • Four four-unit graduate courses approved by the student’s advisor.  Students are encouraged, but not required, to take them outside of Informatics.
    • ** MS students pursuing the thesis option may substitute two of these courses with two quarters of Inf 298 Thesis Supervision.
Research Project for the Ph.D.

Each student must find an Informatics faculty advisor and successfully complete a research project with that faculty member by the end of the second year. The research project should be done over at least two quarters of independent study or thesis supervision (Informatics 299 or 298) with that faculty.

Written Assessment for the Ph.D.

Each student must pass a written assessment. Students in the SW and ICT tracks must pass a written examination regularly administered by the department. This examination is based on predetermined reading lists maintained by the SW and ICT faculty. Students in the UBICOMP and GEN tracks must describe the research project in a publication-quality report, which must be approved by three UBICOMP and Informatics faculty.

- Written Assessment Timeline/Procedures (PDF, 47kb)

Candidacy Examination for the Ph.D.

Each student must pass the oral advancement to candidacy examination, which assesses the student’s ability to conduct, present, and orally defend research work at the doctoral level.

Students in the UBICOMP and GEN tracks, additionally to questions about the presented research, will also be asked questions about a predetermined list of papers. In the case of UBICOMP, that list is maintained by the UBICOMP faculty; in the case of GEN, that list is to be determined by the student’s committee.

Dissertation Topic Defense

The student must present a dissertation plan that includes the proposed dissertation abstract, a dissertation outline, a comprehensive survey of related work, and a detailed plan for completing the work. This plan must be unanimously approved by the dissertation committee.

Doctoral Dissertation and Final Examination

The student is required to complete a doctoral dissertation in accordance with Academic Senate Policy. The student must also pass an oral dissertation defense which consists of a public presentation of the student's research followed by an oral examination by the student's doctoral committee. The dissertation must be approved unanimously by the committee.

More about the degree...

Ubiquitous computing addresses the emergent trend of moving beyond the desktop computer and embedding computation into the environment. With the proliferation of palm devices, cell phones, digital cameras, smart sensors, and so on, some of this paradigm shift has already happened. A lot more must happen to make computers blend with the environment.

Moving beyond the desktop into a model where computers are ubiquitous has important consequences in every aspect of computing systems development, from hardware and software design to HCI to social aspects of computing. And, as with any good paradigm shift, this one doesn't invalidate the pre-existing models, concepts and tools: it expands them.

The field of ubiquitous computing, as such, is a vibrant research area. Specific research emphases of the UBICOMP faculty include programming models and tools for pervasive systems, experimental design research involving sensor- rich systems, and empirical studies of ubiquitous computing technology.