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Draft:University of Toronto Department of Computer Science

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Department of Computer Science,
University of Toronto
Bahen Centre for Information Technology, home to the Department of Computer Science
TypeAcademic department
Established1964; 61 years ago (1964)[1]
Parent institution
Faculty of Arts & Science, University of Toronto
ChairEyal de Lara
Undergraduates2,500+[1]
Postgraduates450+[1]
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
CampusUrban (St. George)
Websitecs.toronto.edu

The University of Toronto Department of Computer Science is an academic department in the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University of Toronto. It provides for undergraduate and graduate education in computer science and data science at the university's St. George campus in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Since the 1940s, the university has been conducing research in the emerging field of computing and in recent years, has been known for its innovations in artificial intelligence.[2] It is located at the Bahen Centre for Information Technology.

History

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An early iteration of the department was the University of Toronto’s Committee on Computing Machines, formed in 1945 by professors Sam Beatty, Bernard Griffith, and V. G. Smith. The committee formed Canada’s first Computation Centre in a room inside the Physics Building in 1947. They developed the University of Toronto Electronic Computer (UTEC), the first computer in Canada and one of the first working computer prototypes in the world.[3]

The department was formally established in 1964 and helped develop one of the earliest interactive computer animation systems in 1967. Computer Science faculty worked to expand Alan Turing’s theory of computability to include efficiency, and conducted early work on touchscreen technology in the 1980s.[1] The University of Toronto established two new campuses in the late 1960s, which host their own associated computer science departments: the Department of Mathematical & Computational Sciences at U of T Mississauga and Department of Computer & Mathematical Sciences at U of T Scarborough. Faculty from each division often collaborate and offer many of the same undergraduate courses across all three campuses.

The university has been a pioneer in machine learning and neural networks.[2] Geoffrey Hinton, a professor University Professor Emeritus at U of T is credited for his work in advancing artificial neural networks, which has earned him the title of "the Godfather of AI."[4] Hinton was a recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2024, an occasion celebrated by faculty and students across the university.[5]

Computer Science faculty, including Hinton, founded the Vector Institute in 2017, a university-affiliated non-profit artificial intelligence research institute based in Toronto.[6]

Academics

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The department offers an undergraduate program in computer science with a wide choice of focuses, from artificial intelligence and computer vision to game design and quantitative finance. It also has a data science specialist program.[7] The university offers three graduate programs through the department: a Master of Science (MSc), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), and unique Master of Science in Applied Computing (MScAC) degree, which offers concentrations in Applied Mathematics, Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare, Computer Science, Data Science, Data Science for Biology, and Quantum Computing.[8]

Rankings

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The University of Toronto was ranked first in Canada for computer science by QS Top Universities in its World University Ranking by Subject 2025[9] and Times Higher Education's Best universities for computer science in Canada 2025.[10]

Notable faculty

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Our Department". University of Toronto Department of Computer Science. Retrieved June 15, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Vanguard and University of Toronto announce strategic artificial intelligence research partnership". Yahoo Finance. May 29, 2025.
  3. ^ Chris Bateman (November 12, 2016). "The story behind the first computer in Canada". Spacing.
  4. ^ Rothman, Joshua (November 13, 2023). "Why the Godfather of A.I. Fears What He's Built". The New Yorker.
  5. ^ "'No idea whether we can stay in control': AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton receives Nobel Prize". Financial Post. December 11, 2024.
  6. ^ Kate McGillivray (Mar 29, 2017). "Canada 'lost the lead' on artificial intelligence. Here's how Toronto will get it back". CBC News.
  7. ^ "Undergraduate". University of Toronto Department of Computer Science. Retrieved June 15, 2025.
  8. ^ "Master of Science in Applied Computing". University of Toronto Department of Computer Science. Retrieved June 15, 2025.
  9. ^ "QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025: Computer Science and Information Systems". QS Top Universities. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
  10. ^ "Best universities for computer science in Canada 2025". Times Higher Education. 20 March 2025. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
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