Computer Science and Engineering

The Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) department spans multiple areas of research including theory, systems, AI/ML, architectures, and software.

CSE’s areas of research are computer hardware, including architecture, VLSI (chip design), FPGAs, and design automation; computer security and privacy; cyber-physical systems; distributed systems; database systems; machine learning and artificial intelligence; natural language processing; networks; pervasive computing and human-computer interaction; programming languages; robotics; social computing; storage systems; and visual computing, including computer vision, visualization, and graphics.

In cooperation with other departments on campus, CSE also offers a strong research group in bioinformatics, computational biology, biomolecular engineering, and human genome mapping. The CSE department enjoys a close relationship with the Electrical and Computer Engineering, Applied Mathematics, and Statistics departments. Faculty members carry out joint research projects, supervise students, and teach courses for these departments. The M.S. degree requires either a master’s thesis or an approved project and is usually completed in two years, although it is possible to complete the program in one year. The Ph.D. degree is usually completed in five years.

Research

Learn about the research being conducted within our department.

People

Meet people in Computer Science and Engineering.

Degrees

Learn about the Graduate and Undergraduate programs in Computer Science and Engineering.

WiFi signals can measure heart rate—no wearables needed

Computer Science and Engineering Ph.D. student Nayan Bhatia demonstrates Pulse-Fi, technology that uses WiFi signals to measure a person's heart rate.

Low-cost WiFi devices can measure heart rate with clinical-level accuracy—without the need for a wearable device.

five students wearing 'reboot the earth' t-shirts collaborate around computers

Students develop AI solutions for wildfire mitigation at Reboot the Earth hackathon

Student hackers tackled California’s wildfire crisis at the event co-hosted by the United Nations and the Baskin School of Engineering

Scheduling smarter: Combining technology and policy for more pleasant, equitable commuting

As housing costs push workers farther from their jobs, UCSC researchers are developing smart scheduling technology to ease commutes and reduce traffic in Santa Cruz. By combining real-time data, public policy, and community input, the project aims to create a more equitable and sustainable public transportation system.