Queen's School of Computing
Encyclopedia
The Queen's School of Computing (QSC) is a unit of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
at Queen's University
responsible for research, as well as undergraduate
and graduate education in computing and technology.
Graduates of the undergraduate program at the QSC receive a Bachelor of Computing
, or B.Cmp, degree.
The Director of the QSC is Selim Akl
.
degree. This change also necessitated the creation of the Computing Students' Association (COMPSA), officially ratified in March 2004.
to Software engineering
. An area of particular strength and recent growth is Bioinformatics
and Medical Computing. Cutting edge research into computer-aided surgery happens at the School of Computing, much of it in co-operation with the nearby Kingston General Hospital
. Undergraduate students can become involved in research through summer research positions.
At 135 graduate students, the QSC currently has the largest complement of graduate students of any department at Queen's. It also has the highest grad/undergrad ratio of any department/school at Queen's.
, Biomedical Computing, and Cognitive Science
. These three specializations are the most popular programs in the School, and are all interdisciplinary in nature. Software Design allows students to develop their skills in effectively designing and implementing software systems. Biomedical Computing combines studies in computing with courses in life sciences, as well as specially designed courses at the intersection of these disciplines. Biomedical Computing students can learn about medical imaging
, bioinformatics
, computational biology
, medical informatics
, and much more. This specialization is currently the only one of its kind in Canada ; while many universities now offer programs in bioinformatics and computational biology, no other university offers an undergraduate degree that encompasses medical informatics, imaging, and other applications of computers to medicine
(e.g., drug discovery
). Cognitive Science allows undergraduate students to integrate cognitive psychology
and computing, and focus in particular on artificial intelligence
.
Undergraduate students at the School of Computing are represented by their student government, the Computing Students Association (COMPSA).
Queen's Faculty of Arts and Sciences
The largest of all faculties at Queen's University, and one of the original three faculties that founded the school in 1841.The faculty’s student government is the Arts and Science Undergraduate Society. ASUS sends eight representatives and its executive to the university-wide undergraduate...
at Queen's University
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
responsible for research, as well as undergraduate
Undergraduate education
Undergraduate education is an education level taken prior to gaining a first degree . Hence, in many subjects in many educational systems, undergraduate education is post-secondary education up to the level of a bachelor's degree, such as in the United States, where a university entry level is...
and graduate education in computing and technology.
Graduates of the undergraduate program at the QSC receive a Bachelor of Computing
Bachelor of Computing
Bachelor of Computing is a bachelor's degree in Computing. This degree is offered only in some universities, and is slightly different from a B.Sc. in Computer Science or Information Technology or B.Sc IT...
, or B.Cmp, degree.
The Director of the QSC is Selim Akl
Selim Akl
Selim G. Akl is a professor at Queen's University in the Queen's School of Computing, where he leads the . His research interests are primarily in the area of algorithm design and analysis, in particular for problems in parallel computing and unconventional computing. He is married, and has three...
.
History
The Department of Computing and Information Science (CISC) was founded in 1969, as part of the Faculty of Arts and Science at Queen's University. More recently, the department became the Queen's School of Computing. Existing as a school rather than a department allowed for more internal control of admissions, and the creation of the B.Cmp.Bachelor of Computing
Bachelor of Computing is a bachelor's degree in Computing. This degree is offered only in some universities, and is slightly different from a B.Sc. in Computer Science or Information Technology or B.Sc IT...
degree. This change also necessitated the creation of the Computing Students' Association (COMPSA), officially ratified in March 2004.
Building
The Queen's School of Computing currently makes its home in Goodwin Hall, in the northeast corner of Queen's University campus in Kingston, Ontario. The building is shared with Mining Engineering, and is joined to Walter Light Hall, the home of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Many undergraduate lab resources are shared between these departments and buildings.Research
Research is currently happening in the School of Computing in a variety of areas, from Computational geometryComputational geometry
Computational geometry is a branch of computer science devoted to the study of algorithms which can be stated in terms of geometry. Some purely geometrical problems arise out of the study of computational geometric algorithms, and such problems are also considered to be part of computational...
to Software engineering
Software engineering
Software Engineering is the application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software, and the study of these approaches; that is, the application of engineering to software...
. An area of particular strength and recent growth is Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics is the application of computer science and information technology to the field of biology and medicine. Bioinformatics deals with algorithms, databases and information systems, web technologies, artificial intelligence and soft computing, information and computation theory, software...
and Medical Computing. Cutting edge research into computer-aided surgery happens at the School of Computing, much of it in co-operation with the nearby Kingston General Hospital
Kingston General Hospital
The Kingston General Hospital is a teaching hospital affiliated with Queen's University located in Kingston, Ontario. The hospital is a partner within Kingston's university hospitals, delivering health care, conducting research and training health care professionals.As the oldest public hospital...
. Undergraduate students can become involved in research through summer research positions.
At 135 graduate students, the QSC currently has the largest complement of graduate students of any department at Queen's. It also has the highest grad/undergrad ratio of any department/school at Queen's.
Undergraduate program
The School of Computing has a strong undergraduate program, and is particularly outstanding in the specialization options it offers students. In addition to a Computing Science degree, undergraduate students can pursue specializations in Software designSoftware design
Software design is a process of problem solving and planning for a software solution. After the purpose and specifications of software are determined, software developers will design or employ designers to develop a plan for a solution...
, Biomedical Computing, and Cognitive Science
Cognitive science
Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of mind and its processes. It examines what cognition is, what it does and how it works. It includes research on how information is processed , represented, and transformed in behaviour, nervous system or machine...
. These three specializations are the most popular programs in the School, and are all interdisciplinary in nature. Software Design allows students to develop their skills in effectively designing and implementing software systems. Biomedical Computing combines studies in computing with courses in life sciences, as well as specially designed courses at the intersection of these disciplines. Biomedical Computing students can learn about medical imaging
Medical imaging
Medical imaging is the technique and process used to create images of the human body for clinical purposes or medical science...
, bioinformatics
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics is the application of computer science and information technology to the field of biology and medicine. Bioinformatics deals with algorithms, databases and information systems, web technologies, artificial intelligence and soft computing, information and computation theory, software...
, computational biology
Computational biology
Computational biology involves the development and application of data-analytical and theoretical methods, mathematical modeling and computational simulation techniques to the study of biological, behavioral, and social systems...
, medical informatics
Health informatics
.Health informatics is a discipline at the intersection of information science, computer science, and health care...
, and much more. This specialization is currently the only one of its kind in Canada ; while many universities now offer programs in bioinformatics and computational biology, no other university offers an undergraduate degree that encompasses medical informatics, imaging, and other applications of computers to medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
(e.g., drug discovery
Drug discovery
In the fields of medicine, biotechnology and pharmacology, drug discovery is the process by which drugs are discovered or designed.In the past most drugs have been discovered either by identifying the active ingredient from traditional remedies or by serendipitous discovery...
). Cognitive Science allows undergraduate students to integrate cognitive psychology
Cognitive psychology
Cognitive psychology is a subdiscipline of psychology exploring internal mental processes.It is the study of how people perceive, remember, think, speak, and solve problems.Cognitive psychology differs from previous psychological approaches in two key ways....
and computing, and focus in particular on artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
.
Undergraduate students at the School of Computing are represented by their student government, the Computing Students Association (COMPSA).