Informatics: a focus on computer science in context

Because the field of computer science has broadened so much in recent years, traditional degree programs are becoming crowded with new courses, each introducing its own "essential" topic. However, with more and more such courses, it is no longer possible to cover every topic in a single, coherent, four-year program. Many alternative approaches are available to address this situation. At UC Irvine, we have chosen a solution in which we offer four coordinated degree programs: a B.S. in Computer Science & Engineering, a conventional B.S. in Computer Science, a new B.S. in Informatics, and a broad overview B.S. in Information and Computer Science. Of these, the B.S. in Informatics is the most innovative, focusing on software and information design. Context plays a particularly strong role in our B.S. in Informatics: Placing software development in context is critical to the delivery of successful solutions, and we educate our students accordingly. We present our definition of informatics, detail our curriculum, describe its pedagogical characteristics and objectives, and conclude with some critical observations regarding informatics and its place in computer science education.