- Department of Computer Science (University of Toronto)
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Bahen Centre at the University of Toronto. Most of the department is housed in this building.
The Department of Computer Science (DCS) at the University of Toronto is an administrative unit within the Faculty of Arts and Science. Established on 1 July 1964, the department is currently one of the highest ranked computer science departments in the world, placing first amongst Canadian universities and tenth worldwide.[1] The department offers undergraduate and postgraduate education. Undergraduates receive a Honours Bachelors in Science upon graduation.
The department currently has 68 faculty members. As of February 2011, 800 undergraduate students are enrolled in a University of Toronto subject POSt[2] sponsored by the department.
The current acting Chair of the Department is Fahiem Bacchus.
Contents
History
The department's predecessor, The Computation Centre, was formed in 1952. Shortly after its formation, it housed FERUT, the first electronic computer in Canada. The Computation Centre was renamed to the Institute for Computer Science in 1962, before being absorbed by the newly created Department of Computer Science in 1964. The new department, with only six faculty members and four graduate students, had Canada's only computer science doctorate program at the time.
An undergraduate program was introduced in 1971.
The department became an administrative unit in the Faculty of Arts and Science in 1981.[3]
Notable Faculty
- Geoffrey Hinton is one of the world's foremost researchers in the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence. Hinton was awarded the 2010 Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering.[4]
- Mark Braverman[5] focuses on complexity theory, the theory of real computation, machine learning, algorithms, game theory, and applications of computer science in health care and medicine. Braverman was awarded a Sloan Research Fellowship on February 2011.[6]
- Aaron Hertzmann[7] is well-known in his work of linking three separate research areas within computer science: computer graphics, machine learning and computer vision. Hertzmann was awarded the 2010 Steacie Prize for Natural Sciences.[8]
- Charlie Rackoff is a cryptologist. His research interests are in computational complexity. Rackoff was the recipient of the 2011 RSA Conference Award for Excellence in the field of Mathematics.[9]
- C.C. (Kelly) Gotlieb was the founder of The Computation Centre and also helped in founding the Department of Computer Science in 1964. He is recipient of the Order of Canada, and Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada, British Computer Society, and the Association for Computing Machinery. Gotlieb is also the founding member and former president of the Canadian Information Processing Society.[10]
Research Groups
The department has 11 research groups:[11]
- Applied and Discrete Mathematics
- Artificial Intelligence
- Computational Biology
- Computer Graphics
- Computer Systems and Networks
- Database Systems
- Human Computer Interaction
- Numerical Analysis
- Programming Languages and Methodologies
- Software Engineering
- Theory of Computation
Undergraduate Program
The department currently offers students a choice of a Computer Science Major or a Specialist program. Students applying for a Specialist program may choose one of the following options:[12]
- Flexible
- Artificial Intelligence
- Foundations
- Information Systems
- Software Engineering
- Computer Science and Economics
- Computer Science and Mathematics
- Computer Science and Physics
- Computer Science and Statistics
- Human-Computer Interaction
For students that started their undergraduate studies on September 2010 or later, the above options will be replaced with a new curriculum aimed at giving students more flexibility in choosing their courses without worrying about program course restrictions.[13] Existing students will be given the option to change to the new programs or stay with the existing curriculum.
There are three programs that are coordinated between the Department of Computer Science and other departments:
- Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
- Cognitive Science
- Linguistics and Computing
Student Life
Undergraduate Computer Science students are represented by the Computer Science Student Union[14] (CSSU). The CSSU organizes Pub Nights, Movie Nights, and two Game Nights per year. The CSSU also sells discounted refreshments to students in its office.
References
- ^ Academic Ranking of World Universities in Computer Science - 2010
- ^ Artsci.utoronto.ca
- ^ History of DCS
- ^ U of T computer scientist wins Herzberg Canada Gold Medal
- ^ CS.toronto.edu
- ^ Two early-career scientists awarded prestigious Sloan Fellowships
- ^ DGP.toronto.edu
- ^ University of Toronto Computer Scientist Awarded Steacie Prize
- ^ DCS Professor wins 2011 RSA Conference Award
- ^ Calvin C. (Kelly) Gotlieb
- ^ CS.toronto.edu
- ^ 2010-2011 Faculty of Arts and Science Calendar
- ^ Computer Science Community
- ^ CSSU.cdf.toronto.edu
External links
Categories:- University of Toronto
- Computer science departments in Canada
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