Department of Computer Sciences

• Introduction

• Teaching

• Research

• Extension and outreach

Introduction

The Department of Computer Sciences (Departamento de Ciencias de la Computación (DCC)- in Spanish) carries out advanced research in the field, headed by a team of academics with a high level of preparation and scientific productivity. The DCC was founded in 1975 and is one of the departments with the longest trajectory in the country dedicated to computer science and information technology.

Within the teaching field, the DCC heads the Civil Engineering Computer Science program offered since 1986, as well as postgraduate Master and Doctorate programs. At the same time, its academics actively participate in various educational initiatives in diverse areas of information technology.

Teaching

The DCC imperative is to educate at a high level of excellence and produce knowledge that is internationally relevant, applicable to the nation's development, while preparing students to contribute to the research and development of new technologies in an original way.

• Civil Engineer in Computer Science: produces highly-trained civil engineers able to develop and integrate new information and communication technologies in addition to directing projects or IT programs within a company.

• Doctorate (Ph.D) of Computer Sciences: oriented towards training specialists with a wide command of computer science who are able to embark on original research that contributes to the advancement of scientific technology.

• Master of Science in Computing: offers students a solid background in theoretical and practical areas of the discipline, offering the opportunity to take part in diverse research projects in which the DCC also participates.

• Master of Information Technology: the main objective of the program is to train specialists with high analytical capacity and solid understanding of theoretical and applied aspects with regard to the adoption, use and management of information technology and communication (TIC).

The department also features the Continuing Education and Training Program, geared toward professionals that seek to update and add to their knowledge and skills in emerging technologies. The following are the six areas that pertain to the Master and Postgraduate degrees:

• Computer Management
• Engineering and Software Quality
• Electronic Documentation and Information Interoperability
• Computer Security
• Educational Computing
• Information Technology

Research

The DCC carries out internationally recognized research through the development of projects and software products utilized by numerous national productive sectors. It also trains a critical mass of active students prepared for the processes and challenges that computer technology faces. Its academic body develops technology, creates and directs projects and research laboratories while offering technical evaluation of private, public, national and foreign entities

Research Laboratories
The DCC plays a leading role in the introduction of new technologies in Chile, initializing a process of evaluative consulting, embarking on independent, diverse research and development projects through strategic alliances with private companies as well as with other research centers.

The centers, laboratories and research groups that function under the guidance or in association with the DCC are:
• Centro de Investigación de la Web (CIW) (Web Research Center)
• Centro de Computación y Comunicación para la Construcción del Conocimiento (C5) Center for Computing and Communication for the Construction of Knowledge
• Grupo de Respuesta a Incidentes de Seguridad Computacional (CLCERT) (Security and Applied Cryptography Lab)
• Grupo Miércoles de Algoritmos (GMA). (The Wednesday Algorithm Group)
• Instituto Virtual LACCIR (Virtual Institute)
• Model and Transformation Engineering (MaTE)
• NIC Chile
• NIC Labs
• PRISMA (Pattern Recognition, Similarity Search, and Indexing in Multimedia Archives)
• PLEIAD (Programming Languages and Environments for Intelligent Adaptable and Distributed Systems)
• Todo CL
• Yahoo! Research Latin America

Extension and outreach

Promoting technological innovation for the country is one of the main objectives of the DCC.
Since its inception, the DCC has played a leading role in the introduction of new technologies in Chile, initializing a process of evaluative consulting, embarking on independent, diverse research and development projects through strategic alliances with private companies as well as with other research centers. Due to the high quality of results of these ventures, as well as the technological insight that typically characterizes the DCC, many of these initiatives are renowned in Chile and abroad.

An effective way of bringing high school students to computing within an academic atmosphere is by means of their participation in the (LINK) Summer School program (Escuela de Verano). Courses of Computer Studies I and II are offered, whose passing grade is subsequently recognized and applied toward the course in the first semester of the "Common Plan of the Engineering Faculty".