Computing Science at the University of Alberta

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Computing Science at the University of Alberta

• Be part of IT!

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Computers improve our lives!

• We can be more productive
• Programming removes the tedium of repetitive
  tasks
• We can do math faster and more accurately
• We can do research about almost anything (Google)
  
• Online Shopping and Banking Personal Digital
  Assistants
• We have more fun, more often, at less cost and
  risk
• Digital music, photography
• Simulators
• Video Games
• We can build new communities
• Cell phones, E-mail and Instant Messaging,
  newsgroups
• We can find people
• Old classmates, people with same interests

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Computers are everywhere!

• Half the cost of a BMW ??? is due to the software
  on it
• Market capitalization in IT is ???
• Average CS professional salary after 5years of
  experience is ??? on the upper ??? of such
  salaries?

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The many faces of computer science
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ValerieTaylor

• http//www.cs.tamu.edu/people/faculty/taylor

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Richard Tapia

• http//www.caam.rice.edu/rat/

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MariaKlawe

• http//www.princeton.edu/seasweb/dean/Klawe/Klawe
  .html

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Women in CS at the UoA
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Should I study Computing Science?

• Do you enjoy being creative?
• Do you enjoy solving problems?
• Does discovering new information excite you?
• Do you enjoy working with people?
• From all types of professions?
• Do you want a career that will enable you to grow
  and learn?
• Do you love challenges?

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So, what is computer science?

• The systematic study of computing systems and
  computation. The body of knowledge resulting from
  this discipline contains
• theories for understanding computing systems and
  methods
• design methodology,
• algorithms, and tools
• methods for the testing of concepts
• methods of analysis and verification and
• knowledge representation and implementation.

Computing Science is FUN!
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Theoretical CS

• Many problems have simple, fast, computer
  solutions
• BUT for others, the fastest computers may still
  require centuries, to find the answer
• TheTraveling Salesman Problem Given a number
  of cities,
• and the cost of travel between each pair of
  cities, find the cheapest
• way of visiting all cities and returning to the
  starting point.
• 20 cities - 1 second
• 50 cities - 35 years
• 100 cities - 400 trillion centuries
• Nobody knows whether there is a faster algorithm!

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Multimedia

• How can we find images in a large collection?
• What features are most important for similarity
• How can search fast through millions of pictures?

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Mobile computing

• In the active campus

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Software Engineering

• What are the various activities in developing
  software?
• Which personalities are most appropriate for
  which roles?
• How do collaboration problems manifest?
• Problems stink! How can we recognize the smells
  early?

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Medical informatics

• Instead of irradiating everything within 2 cm
  around the tumor, radiologists predict (from
  earlier data) the location of occult cells and
  irradiate that region only!

• Surgeons can have x-ray vision, for
  minimally-invasive surgeries

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Understanding human cognition to build robots

• How do we learn from experience?
• What is learned and why?

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Computers in the movies!

• Computer characters perform the scarier stunts!

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VirtualCharacters
Data Collection a dancer performs Flamenco in a
3D room (49 cameras, 6 microphones).
3D Shape Reconstruction and Sound Source Location

• The virtualized video sequence is integrated
  with a synthesized sound clip Based on the
  reconstructed models, new views of virtual
  cameras are created, as well as a new sound clip
  from a virtual source location

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Virtual Worlds in Computer Games

• How do you develop Neverwinter Nights?
• Realistic character models
• Realistic object behaviors

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What types of CS does the UoA offer?

• Minor If you wish to major in another science
  area, with electives in CS.
• Specialization If you want to concentrate in CS,
  Math, and Statistics.
• Specialization-Business Minor For those
  interested in CS and business.
• Specialization-Software Quality Option For
  students interested in professional software
  development from a computing and management
  science perspective.
• Specialization-Bioinformatics For people who
  want to apply CS to problems in genetics and
  molecular biology.
• Honors For students with a strong interest and
  aptitude in mathematics, who wish to study the
  theoretical and practical aspects of CS.
• Industrial Internship Program (IIP) For students
  who wish to supplement classroom learning with a
  12-16 month real-job experience .
• Combined degrees with CS and Education

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Curriculum

• Math and statistics
• Computing Science
• Science, arts and other approved options
• Business
• Biology, chemistry
• Engineering
• English

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What will I do after my degree?

• Software Engineer
• 3D Graphics Programmer
• Software Developer
• Finance Analyst
• Research Assistant
• Design Engineer
• Web Developer
• Game Programmer
• Application Developer
• Consultant
• Analyst
• Artificial Intelligence Engineer
• Automation Engineer
• Business Consultant

• Business Development Associate
• Documentation Tools Specialist
• Interface Designer
• Issue Associate
• IT Development Program Associate
• Patent Examiner
• Quantum Computing Researcher
• Research Associate
• Usability Consultant
• User Interface Coordinator
• Web Experience Developer
• Educator
• Scientist

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Studies beyond the BSc

• MBA
• HuCo
• Law
• Medical informatics
• CS

EVERYTHING!!!!
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Contact us

• For information on CS at the UoA, visit
• The department web site http//www.cs.ualberta.ca/
  
• The outreach program web site http//www.cs.ualber
  ta.ca/outreach
• If you have any questions, please contact
• outreach_at_cs.ualberta.ca