About Us
Since its creation in 1983, the Department of Computer Science of the Pontifical Catholic University has carried out research and teaching work through its undergraduate, postgraduate, postgraduate and continuing education study programs, advisory services and consulting and software development programs of the highest technological level.
To fulfill this vast field of work, the department teaches both basic and advanced teaching in Computer Science, Software Engineering and Information Technology, training the most qualified professionals capable of developing high-level engineering,with an academic staff with studies in the most outstanding universities worldwide.
With this objective, Industrial Civil Engineering careers are offered with mentions in Computing and Information Technology and also Civil Engineering in Computing. Research in specific areas of Computer Engineering is closely associated with the different postgraduate programs that lead to the Master and Doctor degrees, with a strong emphasis in high demand areas worldwide, such as Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology and Software Engineering.History
The UC Department of Computer Science (DCC UC) was made part of the UC School of Engineering following a decree signed by the Dean on May 16, 1983. However, its origin dates back to 1970, when the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile creates the Computer Science Center (CECICO), part of the School of Engineering, to teach, research and provide computer services. At the end of 1981 CECICO is divided in two: the UC Management Computer Science Services Unit (SECICO) and the Department of Computer Science that, at the time, was part of the Faculty of Mathematics.
Two years into being part of the UC School of Engineering, the DCC UC is its ninth Department, with a faculty of eleven academics that include Álvaro Campos, Miguel Nussbaum, Ignacio Casas, Javier Pinto, David Fuller and Yadran Eterovic. This team was responsible for creating the Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, of the UC Faculty of Mathematics, the Degree in Industrial Civil Engineering, and the Diploma in Computer Engineering, of the UC School of Engineering.
From 1983 and during the next twelve years, many DCC UC faculty members traveled abroad to do postgraduate degrees at universities around the world. The professors that stayed in Chile were in charge of research, teaching and continuing education programs.
During the 1990s, the group of department professors that had studied abroad takes on the task of addressing areas of non-traditional knowledge in computer science. This search, related to the international development of computing and the needs and opportunities that it presented in Chile’s technological development, gave rise to a new way of looking at this discipline in three specific areas: Computer Science, Software Engineering and Information Systems.
Due to the new perspective given to computing academically, a new specialty arises in 2002: Industrial Civil Engineering with a major in Information Technology. This specialty is added on to the already existing ones: Industrial Civil Engineering with a major in Computer Engineering – created in the early 1980s -, and Computer Civil Engineering, created in the mid 90s through the initiative of professor Leopoldo Bertossi.
The 1990s were marked by other milestones: Solex, the first company born from the School of Engineering, a product of research and development by Professor Miguel Nussbaum and Marco Sepúlveda; the first Doctoral student to graduate from the School of Engineering, and the creation of the Computer Civil Engineering program.
Today the DCC UC is responsible for three graduate and professional degree programs at the School of Engineering. During the last five years more than 400 students have graduated from these specialties. The areas of professional performance by our graduates include, from Master’s and Doctoral degrees, to professional careers and technological undertakings in Chile, as well as abroad.
We also offer the postgraduate program: Master’s in Information Technology and Management (MTIG), geared towards professionals interested in updating and deepening their knowledge in computing.
Lastly, the influence computing has in different aspects of our society is strongly reflected in DCC UC’s activity: our academics have spearhead and are part of different projects, through teaching, development and research, with professors in areas such as Astronomy, Agronomy, Biology, Communications, Design, Education, Literature, Math, Medicine and Psychology.
