The Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences not only offers world-class facilities, faculty and research, it is also home to numerous vibrant student groups. From coding competitions to designing computer games to professional networking, the ICS clubs provide many ways for undergraduates to engage with the school and their fellow students.  Below is a list of all ICS-affiliated clubs & organizations that students may join:

ICS Clubs contact info (websites and social media)

Association of Computer Machinery
The UC Irvine Chapter of the Association of Computer Machinery (ACM) is dedicated to advance computing as a science and a profession. They work toward accommodating the needs of students as an investment for brilliant minds in academia and successful men and women in business. ACM's active competition participants train rigorously to compete in nationally renowned competitions, including IEEExtreme, HackerRank and ICPC. The club also evaluates and supports student project proposals.

Artifical Intelligence @ UCI
The goal of AI @ UCI is to introduce students to the latest tools and concepts in AI. By providing real word examples and application based workshops, students can use these skills to navigate their own journey into the dynamic world of AI in addition to gaining in demand skills outside of the classroom.

Commit the Change
Commit the Change is a community service organization dedicated to empowering nonprofit organizations with better tools and technology while promoting social good in the ICS community. Students who join as members are matched with nonprofits as designers or developers, and spend the entire school year creating a software application which will reduce operating costs or improve a given workflow for their nonprofit once completed. While doing so, they follow industry best practices such as version control, code reviews, and iterative design which are taught by project leads in order to prepare them for work in internships and other roles related to software development and design.

Cyber @ UCI
Cyber @ UCI was created from a desire to have more cybersecurity exposure and learning at UCI. Despite being a rapidly growing, and extremely important field, cybersecurity is often only relegated to a couple upper division classes. That just isn't right! At its core, being 'good' at cybersecurity necessitates being plugged into the security community, and keeping up to date with all the latest developments. Cyber @ UCI offers such a place, bringing people from all levels of experience together with one common interest: cybersecurity.

Data @UCI
Data@UCI aims to nurture a community of Anteaters exploring their place in an increasingly data-driven world. Through workshops, professional panels, and speaker events, we provide resources and a network for students to grow their analytical skills and gain a deeper appreciation for data — helping them to succeed in college and in their careers. We are a student-run organization ultimately dedicated to the UCI and larger Orange County communities.

Design at UCI
Design at UCI is a community for designers of all skill levels and backgrounds. Here, we provide the resources and space for students to innovate, create, and ultimately grow as designers. Through community, education, and collaboration, we strive to spark and foster creativity in our members and throughout the UCI community. Our primary focus is within the digital design disciplines: user-experience/user-interface (UX/UI) design, product design, and visual design.

Hack at UCI
Hack at UCI is a student-run organization established to provide students with a platform to learn, grow, and develop technology of the future. Established in 2013, our mission is to promote, educate, and enhance the community around us by giving students the platform to learn and create technology. Our organization hosts hackathons, technical workshops, career panels, and other events that bring in over 1000+ attendees in total each year. For hackathons, we organize Orange County’s biggest annual hackathon, HackUCI, with 500+ students, 1600+ applicants, and 90+ projects submitted as well as ZotHacks, a beginner level hackathon with 50+ students at UCI.

ICS Student Council
The official student government for the Donald Bren School of ICS, the ICS Student Council (ICSSC) seeks to improve student life of the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences academically, socially, and professionally, as well as create and deepen bonds between students, faculty, administration, companies, and alumni of the ICS School as well as similar groups. We believe that through a strong community, we will enhance the quality of student life and ensure great jobs for students of all majors and minors within the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Science by:

• Understanding, disseminating, and contributing to departmental decisions including curriculum, research, and hiring decisions
• Creating a network of alumni which will provide students with opportunities to grow while in school, and opportunities after graduation to leverage that growth
• Provide one another with tools and opportunities to become the most competitive technical experts in the world
• Developing nontechnical skills such as leadership, team building, and advocacy outside of the classroom that will ultimately determine success in the rest of our careers
• Informing students about the immense opportunities that are available on the UC Irvine campus, in the neighboring community, and throughout the world
• Creating partnerships between the academics of our campus and the related industries

Some of our events and activities include the Reverse Career Fair, where students present themselves to company representatives rather than the other way around; Nerd Fighter, a team competition that hosts a variety of fun contests and opportunities to meet new people; Humans of ICS, a series of interviews that allows students to get to know more about the people in ICS; and the popular ICS Day, a festival featuring music, dancing, food, projects and prizes.We also host info sessions with companies such as Deloitte and Turtle Rock Studios, socials for students to unwind and have fun, and workshops to develop a multitude of skills within ICS students.

Video Game Development Club
The Video Game Development Club (VGDC) supports student game developers in developing portfolios, enhancing skills, and connecting to industry professionals. VGDC provides a variety of events and programs to engage with student game developers from UCI and beyond, including:

• Quarterly student-pitched game projects
• Learning workshops for art, audio, game design, production, programming, UI/UX, and writing
• Industry speakers, including Game Developer's Week
• Game jams
• Socials

Women in Information and Computer Sciences
Women in Information and Computer Sciences (WICS) is a social and professional nonprofit organization at UCI established to encourage women to pursue a college degree and a successful career in the computer science field. WICS provides professional and technical workshops, academic tutoring, leadership and team-building projects, as well as numerous opportunities for women to connect with companies and alumni.In April 2013, WICS presented the inaugural (init)together Southern California Conference for Women in Computing. The event drew more than 300 attendees from throughout Southern California and featured a series of panel discussions and workshops. The sold-out event also included a career expo with such companies as Google, Intel and Microsoft, and a mentorship program that connected female computing students and women entering industry with faculty and professionals in the region.

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Other Campus Organizations

Looking for more opportunities?

In addition to the ICS-Affiliated Organizations above, UCI is home to over 600 registered student organizations - all run by students just like yourself!  Campus organizations focus on a variety of areas, including: academics, career and professional develoment, sports, community service, religion, politics, peer support, and much more!  Click here for a complete list of UCI's registerd campus organzations.

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Student Organization FAQ's

» How do I know which club / organization is right for me?

Each club / organization is unique and provides a different way for students and members to engage within the organization, and with the broader campus and community!  We highly recommend you visit each organization's website (links can be found above) to learn more about the organization and its members, and to find out if there are meetings or events you can attend as a prospective member.  You may also consider reaching out to the organizations' officers or board members to learn more about the club or organization you're interested in.  Their information can usually be found on their webiste.  Click here for a complete list of UCI's registered campus organizations.

» What does it mean to be an "ICS Affiliated" Organization?

Student organizations can request ICS Affiliation through the ICS Student Affairs Office.  Affiliation allows organizations access to various resources that non-affiliated organiations will not have access to.  This includes: access to ICS rooms and spaces, permission to use the Donald Bren School of ICS name/logo, and opportunities to request funding from the School of ICS.  In addition, the ICS Student Affairs Office can support ICS affiliated organizations in many ways, including facilitating communication between organizations and the ICS community via the ICS E-Bulletin, event promotion, and email list serve sercices.

» How does my organization become ICS Affiliated?

Organizations wishing to become ICS Affiliated must initiate this process by contacting Associate Director of Student Affairs,  Neha Rawal at neha@ics.uci.edu. In your Affiliation Request email, please include the following information: 

1. Club name, website, and mission statement 
2. Are there any fees to join the organization? 
3. Please describe your club structure for decision making. 
4. How are you different from other ICS affiliated clubs? 
5. What support do you need from ICS? (Funding, etc. ) 
6. Do you have a budget outline or a needs assessment that you can provide us?
7. Are you registered with ASUCI? 
8. Who is your faculty advisor?
9. How do you process your reimbursements? 
10. What is your club's vision for the next 2-5 years? 
11. Please provide a complete list of club officers. 

» I want to start a new campus organization.  How do I become a registered campus organization?

Please visit the UCI Office of Campus Organizations  for imore information on how to register a new campus organization.

» Are ICS Affiliated Organizations held to the same rules, regulations, and policies that non-affiliated organizations must follow?

Yes.  In general, all registered campus organizations, including ICS Affiliated Organiations, must comply with the rules, regulations, and policies set forth by UCI Office of Campus Organizations.  Please visit their webpage for information on campus policies regarding fundraising, marketing, publicity, programming, and general operations.