Grads

Elaine Chang (2005 Grad)

Elaine Chang has a passion for learning, growing from different experiences to another, and she’s equally excited about sharing what she knows with others. These traits make her uniquely suited to her work as a Senior Program Manager at Microsoft, where she combines her love of technology with business applications to help create cutting-edge software products.

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Andy Warfield (2001 Grad)

UBC Assistant Professor of Computer Science Andy Warfield has won awards that range from the UBC Terrific TA Award to an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Studentship, a Cambridge Commonwealth Scholarship, and most recently, the prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship.

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Can you explain mini-streams?

What are the requirements to enroll in a mini-stream?
Mini-streams are self-contained units. The only requirements are the pre-req and other requirements of the individual courses in the mini-stream.

Are there more mini-streams to choose from? Can I design my own?
More mini-streams are being considered. Because of their self-contained nature, designing your own mini-stream is certainly possible: just find a sequence of 3-4 CS courses that you are interested in taking! But you may want to get help from a CS department advisor to do so. They will also be able to advise you on pending course pre-requisite changes that can facilitate your stream.

I might be interested in a mini-stream but I’m not sure. Or I’m not sure which one. How can I decide?
One option is to talk to a CS department advisor. Or, because mini-streams tend to start with CPSC 110, you could start by taking that course, and using the exposure you get to computer science to decide what direction you want to go.

Do I get a certificate saying that I have completed a mini-stream?
No. Mini-streams are small self-contained sets of electives. Your transcript will of course say you took the courses, and you will have the knowledge that can help you going forward.

Dave Burke (2004 Grad)

A hugely popular form of entertainment, video gaming is currently a nearly $50 billion worldwide industry that experts predict will overtake the music industry in sales by the end of 2011. This is true in no small part because gaming, contrary to popular belief, is something we all seem to do. No

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Paul Kry (2005 Grad)

Looking back on his time as both a Master’s and Ph.D. student at UBC, Paul Kry is struck by the wealth of learning opportunities the department afforded him. Remembering tough courses in computational geometry, computational robotics, and advanced graphics, Paul notes that the UBC grad classes “were very well organized and easy to follow.”

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Heidi Lam (2007 Grad)

Heidi Lam has an impressive string of academic credentials, but she laughs off any suggestion that she’s a super-achiever. Instead, she suggests with quiet, yet focused, determination that she’s been seeking the best way to develop her intellectual interests while being true to her personality. For Heidi, a software engineer at Google, this search to date has yielded impressive results.

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Hendrik Kueck (2010 Grad)

For CS alum Hendrik Kueck, founder of Pocket Pixels of Vancouver, BC, the iPhone display represents the intersection of his passion for aesthetics and his intellectual interest in problem-solving, mapped to his desire to merge the two in fun and functional apps for consumers.

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How do I find out about current news in the department?

Current news is available in our online news section. Major department and other science- and technology-related events can be accessed there via the "Events" menu-item. We also have a comprehensive department calendar and calendars to a user-group show up on various sub-pages.

How can I get involved outside the classroom?

The department has many ways for students to engage outside the classroom.

Volunteer opportunities:

Most committees have at least one undergraduate and graduate student representative.
You may become an executive member of the Computer Science Students Society (CSSS).
You can become a mentor or a mentee through the Tri-Mentoring Program.
Girlsmart workshops for Grade 6 girls and the TechTrek workshops for grade 8-12 high school students.

The department is always eager to meet students who are willing to share their knowledge with high school students, especially if you are a good public speaker and enjoy speaking in front of groups.

The Department is always in need of volunteers to help with outreach events. For more information on getting involved with the department, please contact Michele Ng at mng@cs.ubc.ca or 604-822-5693, or Giuliana Villegas at villegas@cs.ubc.ca or 604-822-2213.

Paid opportunities

You take a semester to go on a Co-op work term with a company.
You can help other students by being a paid Teaching Assistant - See Student Careers for job postings.
You can apply to do work as a paid Research Assistant - See Student Careers for job postings.

Where is the department located?

Our main building is the ICICS/CS Building, located at 2366 Main Mall and recognizable by the unique tetrahedron hanging above the entrance. The majority of student lectures take place at the Dempster Pavilion, located at 6245 Agronomy Road.

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