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The Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (Bren ICS) at UC Irvine offers five distinct majors which span the computing and information technology discipline and reflect the scope and depth of our curriculum. In addition, Bren ICS majors may choose from various specializations, tracks and a concentration (available by application) to tailor their education to their interests.

Three degrees are offered exclusively through the the Bren School of ICS:

This degree is administered jointly by the Bren School of ICS and The Henry Samueli School of Engineering:

Our newest degree, administered by the Bren School of ICS, is an interdisciplinary program of study with the The Paul Merage School of Business:

Finally, incoming freshmen have the option of applying as:

Another related degree is offered solely through The Henry Samueli School of Engineering:

The multiple degree offerings can make finding the right major a bit overwhelming. By answering the following questions and examining the chart generated below the last question, you might get a better sense of which major(s) best suit(s) your interests and preferences.

Scale: 1 (Strongly Agree); 4 (Don't Know); 7 (Strongly Disagree); N/A (Not applicable)

I enjoy working with people as much as I enjoy working with computers.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A
I want to help build smaller, faster, and cheaper computers.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A
I want to write a lot of software during my undergraduate career.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A
I'm particularly interested in business decisions and analyzing data to support them.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A
I'd like to study the physics that explains how computers work.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A
I'd like to take courses that use math to solve computing problems.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A
I like working on problems with many different aspects (technical details, organizational characteristics, political realities, human behavior).
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A

I'd rather assemble hardware components than write a computer program.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A
If I were working on a computer game, I'd prefer to write software to make the graphics run fast.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A
If I were working on a computer game, I'd prefer to design the interaction and game play.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A
I'd like to work on the design of large-scale software systems.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A
I'd like to learn about computer chip design.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A
I'd like to design computer software that is more convenient for people to use.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A
I'd like to learn the management aspects of software development.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A
I want to learn how to apply information technology to improve business and organizational practices.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A
I'd like to work on making computers more safe and secure.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A
I'd like to use computers to solve biomedical problems (like protein folding and genome mapping).
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A
I want to learn how to build small hardware devices and the software that drives them (cell phones, sensors, hand held games).
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A
I want to learn how computer networks, such as the Internet, function at the hardware level.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A
I'm interested in an area of computer science that none of the majors seems to address directly.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
N/A


Your answers to the questions below determine the length of the bars in the chart below. The length of each bar indicates how strongly a major matches up with your interests and preferences.

Note: This instrument does not contain questions that map to the Business Information Management degree (BIM); be sure to explore the BIM curriculum if your answers suggest a preference for the Computer Science, Informatics, or Information and Computer Science majors.

Information and Computer Science 16
Business Information Systems 16
Informatics 16
Computer Science 16
Computer Science and Engineering 16
Computer Engineering 16

This tool is only a beginning step in the process of exploring which of the Bren School majors best fit with your interests and talents. Other ways to carefully and thoughtfully gather information that might help narrow down your choice of a major:

  • Get more in-depth information about the degree and its curriculum by clicking on the major links below;
  • Schedule an appointment with a Bren School academic counselor;
  • Hear a faculty perspective by talking to the Bren School Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Amelia Regan (contact her at adsa@ics.uci.edu or call the Student Affairs Office to schedule an appointment). Professor Regan is also able to help you identify additional faculty whose research areas may match your interests.
  • Get a student perspective on the "Bren School experience" by contacting our undergraduate student ambassadors at ics.ambassadors@gmail.com;
  • Plan to attend an information session for prospective students, during which you'll hear from, and talk to our School's faculty, current students and staff. Call Student Affairs Office for the latest information about upcoming campus visit events.
  • If you are still unsure or undecided about your choice of major at the time you file your UC application, don’t stress about it! Here’s why:
    The five majors within the Bren School of ICS share similar lower division courses. Some lower-division course sequences are considered equivalent for purposes of facilitating a change of major within the Bren School. Students can easily switch their major during their first year, with minimal impact on their four-year academic plan. Changing later is also possible but with additional challenges. Bren School students considering a change of major within the School should see an academic advisor to define their new plan of study.

Bren School of ICS majors:

Contact The Henry Samueli School of Engineering Student Affairs Office, (949) 824-4334, to meet with a counselor about this major: