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ICS Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ICS admissions criteria? We are looking for students who do not have undergraduate computer science degrees and who are interested in acquiring experience in an interdisciplinary, liberal arts setting. Our philosophy includes creating a non-competitive environment for our students, encouraging them to work closely with faculty and each other. How do I apply to the ICS program? You will need to complete the Mills Graduate Studies admissions form and provide the following additional items:
Although many students do take this path, admissions to NH is not a guarantee of admission to ICS. ICS admission is more selective than NH for many reasons. Primarily, ICS students must complete a thesis, which requires considerable independent work -- a big distinction from NH. We don't want to admit anybody who won't prosper - that would be a waste of everyone's time. On the other hand, students who are doing well in New Horizons almost always make the transition to ICS smoothly. What percentage of ICS students complete the program? Some students complete the coursework and never complete their thesis. Some complete their thesis after a break of a year or two. Some complete their thesis immediately. As far as numbers, about 2/3 of all ICS students complete their MA. Nearly all the remainder complete their coursework. Is there any flexibility in the application deadlines for the New Horizons and ICS programs? Yes - as long as we have room. This is a common problem. Like you, students frequently have had a fair amount of math, but no discrete, some time ago. We have many ways to help you re-ramp-up your math skills in NH so that you'll be comfortable in ICS. Alternatively, you can prepare by taking a semester of discrete math at a community college during the summer and take the second semester at Mills starting in the Fall (our discrete math sequence starts in Spring and continues in the Fall). Where can I get the admission form? The Graduate Studies admissions form can be requested through the online form, emailing the Graduate Studies office at grad-studies@mills.edu, or calling 1-510-430-3309. What is the admission deadline? Check the Graduate Admissions Guidelines page for admission and loan/grant application deadlines. Can I apply to begin the program in the spring? Yes, you can. It's a better choice for some people to start with the spring class schedule. I have no background in computer science, can I still apply? Yes, you are encouraged to apply. You may want to review the MA program's special admissions requirements, and consider the New Horizons program if you have not completed the required coursework for admission. Yes, you are encouraged to apply. While Mills is known primarily as a women's college, graduate studies are coeducational. I'm an international student, can I apply? International students are welcome to apply. For more information on American regulations on international student admission, and the Test of English as a Foreign Language examination (TOEFL), see the Information for International Graduate Students page. Can I transfer credit from courses taken at another college? Possibly. This is handled on a case-by-case basis. See the M Center/Student Accounts tuition & fees page. The M Center/Financial Aid Office has information about financial aid requirements, forms, and deadlines. There are also alumni scholarships available, and the department has assistantships that provide substantial reductions in tuition (support for returning students). Do you provide on campus housing? Yes, housing is available on campus. What's the difference between the ICS and NH programs? There are actually three programs offered by the ICS Department:
How long will it take me to complete the program and obtain an ICS Masters degree? The ICS Masters program is designed to take two years (Mills College residency required). If you enter through the New Horizons certificate program and transfer into the Masters program, you should be finished in three years, and sometimes less. How does ICS compare with certificate programs? They're not really directly comparable. New Horizons is not a certification program; the computer science fundamentals that we provide will last a lifetime and be applicable over a broad range of fields. MS (or Oracle, or Cisco, or whoever) certification tends to be extremely product-specific. Thus, one might be certified as a MS NT Network Administrator by taking a set of specific classes and passing a test. That doesn't mean that one knows much about networks in general, though. Rather, one knows lots about how to edit a configuration file and set options X, Y and Z. A student who studies I/CS, however, will understand how networks work (if they take that particular course) in general. Faced with the task of configuring a MS NT network, they'd have to read lots of documentation (or, at least, "MS NT Networking for Dummies") to fill in the gaps in product-specific knowledge. However, if they were then assigned to configure a DECNet or some other network, they'd know what was going on, while the MS Certified person would be up a creek. Further, they'll never be able to grow much in their career. Our class sizes do not exceed 30, and some upper division classes have as few as five people. Students active in the program number around 20. Yes, and sometimes it is best for balancing course work with other obligations. See the most recent Course Schedule for this semester's offerings, and the ICS Course Descriptions for information on course offerings throughout the year. What equipment and facilities are available? In addition to campus wide computing labs, we also have the Parson's Computer Classroom equipped with Apple Macintosh's, and a workstation lab with PCs. Do you have cross registration with other colleges? Yes; local colleges that we have cross registration agreements with include University of California at Berkeley (a shuttle is available for transit), California State University at Hayward, and Merritt College. For more information, see the M Center's page on Cross Registration Programs. What programming languages are used? All of our classes use Java. What career options will this degree open up to me? Our ICS students don't ever have trouble finding jobs. Graduates are leaders in pioneering the transfer of technology to various fields, serving as bridges for technology in their disciplines. Recent graduates have found employment with companies and educational institutions developing discipline-oriented products as well as with companies such as Apple Computer, Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems and Ingress in the areas of multimedia product development and user interface design. Are there internships available for ICS students? Yes, the Mills Career Center has resources for finding internships and other employment in a variety of fields. For more information, see the Career Center's Internship page. What is the atmosphere/environment like? In contrast to a big university's "every man for himself" approach, we encourage a group learning experience I still have questions - how can I contact a real live person in the department? Feel free to email the director of the program at ics@mills.edu. |
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Program Information
Overview Faculty and Staff Requirements Courses Department Course List CS 212 - CS 286 Schedule of Courses for the Current Semester Department Links Apply Deadlines Financial Aid ICS FAQ ICS Theses Contact Information P: 510.430.2226 F: 510.430.3314 E: comp_sci@mills.edu |
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