De La Salle University - Manila

Historical Background

The College of Computer Studies (CCS), which is the newest member-college of DLSU, started as the Center for Planning, Information, and Computer Science in 1981 having as a sole offering one 12-trimester (four-year) undergraduate program - the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS), a single department, and a student population of just over 120. At the time of its introduction, the BSCS program has no majors or specializations but was designed with an information technology curriculum.

The department was formally declared a college in SY 1984-1985. The college was transferred to its new building, the Intellect/Gokongwei Building, in 1990. The college has grown and evolved significantly since the time of its establishment. CCS now offers an undergraduate program with five specializations, five master's degree programs, a straight bachelor's and master's program, a graduate diploma, a doctorate program, certification programs, short-term courses, and seminars.

Undergraduate Program

The College offers an intensive undergraduate degree program - BSCS. While all graduates obtain the BSCS degree, students can nevertheless specialize in Information Technology (IT), Computer Systems Engineering (CSE), Software Technology (ST), Instructional Systems Technology (IST), or Network Engineering (NE) which were introduced in 1981, 1984, 1987, 1999, and 2002, respectively. The core CS curriculum of the undergraduate program is based on the recommendations of two world-renowned computer associations: the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Feedback from the local IT industry consultants, alumni, world-renowned professors and researchers are also incorporated.

The undergraduate program has two major features which greatly enrich classroom instruction; a practicum program, which gives students actual on-the-job experience in any of the College's numerous partner companies, as well as a thesis program, which has produced thesis projects that have met and at times exceeded the standards of the local computing industry. In June 1998, for example, four students entered their thesis project in the DOST-sponsored Search for Product Excellence in Information Technology and won the grand prize.

Graduate Program

In 1999, the college introduced an honors program that will allow a student to obtain both a bachelor's and master's degree in CS. This is called the BSCS-ST-MSCS Straight Program. It's full-pledged graduate programs, however, have started much earlier.

The college started with graduate program offerings of Master of Science in Teaching in Computer Science (MSTCS) and Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS) in 1987. This was followed by the introduction of Master in Computer Applications (MCA) and Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) in 1989 and 1991 respectively. In 1994, the Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science (PhDCS) was first offered, together with a non-thesis program under the DLSU Summer Institute of Graduate Studies (SIGS) called MCS.

To also improve computer science education in distant provinces, the college has also offered graduate extension programs in Baguio and Cebu in 1999 and 2001 respectively. It offered MCS in Baguio Colleges Foundation (BCF), and MSCS and MCS in University of San Carlos (USC). To cater better to non-CS graduates, a Postgraduate Diploma in CS was offered in 2003.

The most recent graduate programs available are the non-thesis MCA major in IST program which was introduced in 2003 and the non-thesis MIT program which will be introduced in 2004.

Recognition

The BSCS program of the college was the first CS program in the country to be given accreditation by the Philippine Accrediting Association of Schools, Colleges, and Universities (PAASCU) in 1989. It was granted a Level II accreditation in 1993, and was re-accredited to Level II in 1998.

In 2000, the college was named as one of the Commission on Higher Education's (CHED) Center of Development and Excellence (CODE) in Information Technology.