Praised be Jesus and Mary!

On behalf of the faculty, support service personnel, and students of the UIC College of Computer Studies (CCS), welcome!

As the dean of the College of Computer Studies, I take pride in showcasing the quality education that we provide. Being one of the pioneers of computing education, UIC has steadfastly strived to provide the highest standards in its academic programs.

Our journey started with the advent of computerization, where UIC applied to offer the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS) in 1994 and was granted recognition on June 15, 1998. In response to the growing industry demand for information and communications technology professionals here and abroad, UIC applied to offer the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT) and Bachelor of Science in Information Management (BSIM) in 2000 and was granted recognition on May 23, 2003.

In compliance with CMO 53 s. 2006 requiring HEIs to replace BSIM with Bachelor of Science in Information Systems (BSIS), UIC applied to offer BSIS and was granted recognition on November 22, 2010.

Having foreseen the expanding need for specialization of IT professionals as asserted by the industry, the Program revised its curriculum offering of the BSIT course. This resulted in the offering of the first BSIT with three specific specializations major in Software Engineering, Computer Networking, and Multimedia and Web Technology. These new programs in BSIT were formally offered in June 2007. The program then established itself as one of the largely populated programs in the college department with over 750 enrollees; a remarkable increase in the program’s history.

The college also became the first and only institution, during that time in the region to offer BSIT with majors/specializations in Software Engineering, Computer Networks, and Multimedia. The majors were offered to give students focus and direction for their career path and to cater to their interests.

By August 2008, the college had its PAASCU Formal visit. And by December of the same year, CCS programs (then called ITE) were granted Level 1 status with the accreditation being valid for 3 years. When it was revisited, the CCS programs were granted Level 2 status.

To further develop an industry-aligned experience for the students, the university established the IT Development and Incubation Facility (ITDIF) in 2014. The ITDIF has four functions: Develop and implement short-term courses related to IT, Implement the Educational Technology Plan of the University, Create and implement a business incubation program initiated in the CCS in coordination with the CABE, and Maintain contact with IT partners and links with other agencies to promote UIC-ITDIF. The facility also provided internships for some of the students of CCS.

The quest to provide better and more relevant academic programs did not stop there. Seeing the need, as identified in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIRe), and having consulted its stakeholders, the BSCS, BSIS, and BSIT programs were revised and offered in 2018. The revisions included FIRe technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things. Drawing on the flagship programs of the university specifically health and education, a new set of specializations were offered for the BSCS and BSIS programs. Under the BSCS program are specializations in Computational Health Informatics, and Educational Computing. The BSIT program on the other hand has Healthcare Technologies and Learning Technologies as its specializations. Once again, the college became the first and only institution to offer such specializations in the region. It is also worth noting that the specializations involving the discipline of computing and health were offered way before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recently, the college established the DOST-funded Mindanao Natural Language Processing (MinNaLProc) Laboratory. It is a research and development laboratory that was established to work on the development of Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools, technologies, and distributable digital resources of Mindanao Languages. The laboratory has since engaged in various research and development activities including undergraduate research.

At present, the college is geared toward becoming the school of choice in computing education, delivering high-quality, industry-aligned, and globally competitive training, and producing highly competent and God-centered IT professionals.

Eric John G. Emberda
Dean, College of Computer Studies