Archives

Machines in Islamic Civilization (CADT-UH 1037X)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed
Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed,Tue,Thu

Is automation a science or a tool? Muslim contributions in automation, overlooked in the history of science, were long regarded as means for caliphs and the rich to impress the masses. But Muslim engineers excelled in creating complex automated systems, using them as gifts to foreign leaders, as public attractions, or to augment religious ceremony such as daily calls to prayer. Mainly powered by kinetic energy, these automata drew on scholars’ deep knowledge of hydraulics and complex levers and included musical instruments, horologia, automated drinking fountains, and clocks that told time using complex audiovisual tools. This course draws on historical sources and foundational science to explore Muslim advancements in automation. What roles did translation play as Muslim scientists encountered and documented the work of previous scholars? What were the basic automatic systems they developed and how do they compare to current technologies? How did they draw on environmental resources to develop automated systems without the need for non-renewable energy? Students will address such questions as they explore implications for their own projects in design and engineering.

Core: Arts, Design and Technology (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Physical Computing & Experimental Interfaces) Spring 2026 Undergraduate

Bioinspiration (CADT-UH 1033)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed

In the 3.8 billion years since life began on Earth, nature has evolved. Inspired by this process, humans have replicated key design features to develop novel materials, devices, and structures in fields such as the arts, design, engineering, and the social sciences by replicating key design principles and features. This course asks how biology has inspired human design and thinking across different cultures and fields. Students will examine various examples in engineering, art, architecture, music, and social science to discuss how the human capacity for analogical reasoning has enabled the transfer of properties, mechanisms, and ideas from biology to design principles such as shape, surface, structure, making, information-processing, and social behavior. Using bio-inspired products such as gecko tape, Velcro, self-cleaning surfaces, and neuromorphic chips for inspiration, students will develop their own designs to address some of the 21st century’s most pressing issues, such as energy, water, environment, food, and health.

Core: Arts, Design and Technology (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Fall 2025 IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Art & Design) Spring 2026 Undergraduate
Fall 2023 Spring 2023

Utilitas, Venustas, Firmitas (CADT-UH 1016)

Design seems to be omnipresent, but what is it? This course (whose title is Latin for usage, beauty, and stability) explores how design influences our life and investigates the fundamentals of “good design.” It takes a look at the status quo of the use of design in media, objects, and architecture, and observe its influence on art and technology from past to present. Design tools and processes will be highlighted. Based on the fusion of readings, study, discussion, and experiences, over the course of the semester students will develop an understanding of how mutually reinforcing and beneficiary a mix of Arts, Design, and Technology can be. Lecture and discussion will help develop the design of a bricolage: Every student will realize a product prototype to be displayed in an exhibition and a personal philosophy of about Arts, Design, and Technology.

Core: Arts, Design and Technology (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2023)

CADT-UH 1016-000 (17217)08/29/2023 – 12/15/2023 Tue2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Abu DhabiInstructed by Alawadi, Khulood

CADT-UH 1016-000 (17243)08/29/2023 – 12/15/2023 Thu2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Abu DhabiInstructed by Alawadi, Khulood

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Art & Design) Undergraduate

Creativity and Innovation (CADT-UH 1005)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu

Is creativity a gift or a skill? Can creativity be learned? Because creativity is deeply personal, this course will address these questions through individual and collective experiences. The heart of this course is the Personal Creativity Project – an opportunity for students to practice creativity by designing and executing a project of their choice. The project may be on any topic, from art and music to computer programs and business model development. The project will be complemented by reading assignments (completed prior to class), class discussions, and one-on-one meetings with the instructor. Students will leave the course with a completed project and a personal philosophy of creativity, based on the fusion of readings, study, discussion, and experience. The course provides a great deal of freedom for learning and does not provide step-by-step instructions. As a result, the successful completion of this course will require a significant amount of self-motivation.

Core: Arts, Design and Technology (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Fall 2025 IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Art & Design) IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Seminar/Studies) Spring 2026 Undergraduate
Fall 2022 Fall 2024 Spring 2024

Natural Language Processing (CS-UH 2216)

The field of natural language processing (NLP), also known as computational linguistics, is interested in the modeling and processing of human (i.e., natural) languages. This course covers foundational NLP concepts and ideas, such as finite state methods, n-gram modeling, hidden Markov models, part-of-speech tagging, context free grammars, syntactic parsing and semantic representations. The course surveys a range of NLP applications such as information retrieval, summarization and machine translation. Concepts taught in class are reinforced in practice by hands-on assignments.

Computer Science (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 7 Weeks

Sections (Fall 2024)

CS-UH 2216-000 (9051)08/26/2024 – 10/11/2024 Mon,Wed2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Abu DhabiInstructed by Habash, Nizar

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Programming & Data) Undergraduate

Computational Social Science (CS-UH 2219E)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed

This course introduces students to various techniques and concepts that are essential for data scientists. It also provides an in-depth survey of the latest research methodology and topics that prepare the students to produce high quality research in Data Science. This seminar-based course will cover applications from different fields, such as sociology, psychology, network analysis, and artificial intelligence. In this context, the course will cover the use of computational techniques to model and predict various phenomena using real data. Students will be required to complete a course project, and to write up the results in a short article.

Computer Science (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Societies & the Social Sciences Spring 2026 Undergraduate

Computer Systems Organization (CS-UH 2010)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed

The course focuses on understanding lower-level issues in computer design and programming. The course starts with the C programming language, moves down to assembly and machine-level code, and concludes with basic operating systems and architectural concepts. Students learn to read assembly code and reverse-engineer programs in binary. Topics in this course include the C programming language, data representation, machine-level code, memory organization and management, performance evaluation and optimization, and concurrency.

Computer Science (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Fall 2025 General Elective IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Programming & Data) Liberal Arts & Sciences - Electives Spring 2026 Undergraduate

Computer Networks (CS-UH 3012)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu
Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu,Fri

Have you ever wondered how the internet or Facebook is able to support a billion simultaneous users? This course teaches students the design and implementation of such Internet-scale networks and networked systems. Students learn about the principles and techniques used to construct large-scale networks and systems. Topics in this course include routing protocols, network congestion control, wireless networking, network security, and peer-to-peer systems. Upon completing this course, students are able to initiate and critique research ideas, implement their own working systems, and evaluate such systems. To make the issues more concrete, the class includes several multi-week projects requiring significant design and implementation. The goal is for students to learn not only what computer networks are and how they work today, but also why they are designed the way they are and how they are likely to evolve in the future. Examples are drawn primarily from the internet.

Computer Science (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Fall 2025 IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Programming & Data) Spring 2026 Undergraduate

Discrete Mathematics (CS-UH 1002)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed
Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed
Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed,Tue,Thu

Discrete mathematics concerns the study of mathematical structures that are discrete rather than continuous, and provides a powerful language for investigating many areas of computer science. Discrete structures are characterized by distinct elements, which are often represented by integers. Continuous mathematics on the other hand deals with real numbers. Topics in this course include: sets, counting techniques, logic, proof techniques, solving recurrence relations, number theory, probability, statistics, graph theory, and discrete geometry. These mathematical tools are illustrated with applications in computer science.

Computer Science (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Fall 2025 IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Programming & Data) Liberal Arts & Sciences - Electives Quantitative Reasoning Spring 2026 Undergraduate

Capstone Project in Computer Science 1 (CS-UH 4001)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates:
Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
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Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
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Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
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Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
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Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
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Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
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Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
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Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
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Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
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The capstone experience in Computer Science requires students to engage in a long-term, mentored learning experience that culminates in a piece of original work. The specific project is developed during the Research Seminar in Computer Science. During the Capstone Project, the proposed work comes to fruition in the form of a research paper along the lines of those in a scholarly computer science journal. Students also participate in a capstone research symposium during which they present their work orally.

Computer Science (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Fall 2025 IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Programming & Data) Spring 2026 Undergraduate

Capstone Project in Computer Science 2 (CS-UH 4002)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates:
Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
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Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
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Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
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Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
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Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
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Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
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Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
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Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
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Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
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Continuation of CS-UH 4001

Computer Science (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Programming & Data) Spring 2026 Undergraduate

Introduction to Computer Science (CS-UH 1001)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed
Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed,Tue,Thu
Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed,Tue,Thu

Computer Science is an innovative and exciting field that focuses on producing efficient solutions for solving problems in any field. This course introduces students to the foundations of computer science. Students learn how to design algorithms to solve problems and how to translate these algorithms into working computer programs using a high-level programming language. The course covers core programming concepts including basic computation, data structures, decision structures, iterative structures, file input/output, and recursion. Students also learn the elements of Object Oriented Programming (OOP), such as objects, classes, inheritance, abstraction, and polymorphism. A final project allows students to combine these concepts to produce a large program of their design.

Computer Science (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Fall 2025 IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Programming & Data) Spring 2026 Undergraduate
Spring 2019

Network Everything (IM-UH 2112)

This course explores the possibilities and challenges of designing alternate physical network interfaces. Through weekly readings, class discussions, and a series of projects, students will create physical objects that talk to each other over distance. Various wireless communication mechanisms such as radio (Bluetooth, Zigbee, WiFi, and raw), infrared, and ultrasonic are used in the context of creating novel “smart” devices. Topics of discussion in this course include networking protocols and network topologies; network time versus physical time; mobile objects; and wireless networks. Opportunities to build collaborative and creative campus-wide networked projects and systems will also be explored.

Interactive Media (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2019)

IM-UH 2112-000 (24975)01/29/2019 – 05/16/2019 Tue11:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Morning)at Abu DhabiInstructed by

IM-UH 2112-000 (18392)at Abu DhabiInstructed by

IM-UH 2112-000 (24976)01/29/2019 – 05/16/2019 Thu11:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Morning)at Abu DhabiInstructed by

IM-UH 2112-000 (18550)at Abu DhabiInstructed by

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Programming & Data) Undergraduate
Spring 2019

Temporary Expert: Developing a Research-based Art Practice (IM-UH 1513)

What does it mean to become a “temporary expert?” How does one develop one’s own creative research-based practice? This course will address these questions by engaging with Abu Dhabi’s environmental and social dimensions as a subject for research, context and imaginative art and design opportunities. Students will adopt a wide variety of tools and strategies in order to lay the foundations for a research-based art practice that considers materials, media, context, and audience, as well as one’s personal strengths and desires. Over the course of the semester, students will develop art and design projects that interface with a multiplicity of other disciplines, and engage in idea exchange with experts in the field. Through hands-on practice, case studies, and readings on systems thinking, communication, and the idea of “the public,” we will explore method, documentation and presentation of research, as well as the merits of both success and failure.

Interactive Media (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2019)

IM-UH 1513-000 (24971)01/29/2019 – 05/16/2019 Tue2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Abu DhabiInstructed by

IM-UH 1513-000 (18534)at Abu DhabiInstructed by

IM-UH 1513-000 (24972)01/29/2019 – 05/16/2019 Thu2:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Abu DhabiInstructed by

IM-UH 1513-000 (18535)at Abu DhabiInstructed by

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Art & Design) Undergraduate

Understanding Interactive Media – Critical Questions & Theories (IM-UH 1013)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu
Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu,Mon,Wed

This seminar course is an introduction to the theories, questions, and conditions that encompass interactive media. Students will engage in readings that critically examine both the impact that interactive media and technology have on culture and societies as well as the ways in which social contexts shape the development and application of these technologies. The contexts become apparent by examining interactive media and interactivity through the lenses of relevant perspectives including politics, ethics, race, gender, and cybernetics. Throughout the semester students will leverage theory to analyze interactive media works and build a vocabulary for making sense of our increasingly mediated world. The course thus serves to lay a conceptual foundation for students to inform and direct their own creative practice. Readings, discussions, research, and writing constitute the body of this course.

Interactive Media (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Fall 2025 IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Seminar/Studies) Spring 2026 Undergraduate
Spring 2020 Spring 2022

Alternate Realities (IM-UH 3311)

This course will introduce students to the design and development of Virtual Reality experiences. We will examine these increasingly popular means of delivering content and social interactions and identify their unique affordances over existing platforms. Students will be challenged to harness the specific advantages of VR from conception through functional prototype. The class will also cover case studies of effective use of VR in information delivery, as well as social and artistic experiences.

Interactive Media (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 16 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2022)

IM-UH 3311-000 (23471)01/24/2022 – 05/17/2022 Tue2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Abu DhabiInstructed by Allison, Michael · Sherwood, Aaron

IM-UH 3311-000 (24132)01/24/2022 – 05/17/2022 Thu1:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Abu DhabiInstructed by Allison, Michael · Sherwood, Aaron

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Media & Entertainment) Undergraduate
Spring 2020 Spring 2021 Spring 2022

Politics of Code (IM-UH 3310)

While our relationships between ourselves, our environment, and other people are inherently political, computer technologies and technology companies consistently claim to remain “neutral”. This course will assume the opposite – software is political – and focus on how software applications share commonalities with political systems, how they affect their users as political actors and how we can build alternatives to those systems. This course is aimed at deconstructing the design and implementation of software as a political medium, such as Facebook’s timeline algorithm, city officials’ use of computer simulations to orchestrate urban life, blockchain-backed proof of ownership and algorithmic criminal assessment. Along with an introduction to political theory and media studies, coupled with an exploration of the underlying political impacts of those systems, students will work on several hands-on projects to offer functioning alternatives to those systems. To that end, this course will include several workshops in JavaScript and Python.

Interactive Media (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 16 Weeks

Sections (Spring 2022)

IM-UH 3310-000 (18389)

IM-UH 3310-000 (21644)at Abu DhabiInstructed by Blumtritt, Joerg

IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Programming & Data) IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Seminar/Studies) Undergraduate

Communication and Technology (IM-UH 1012)

Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed
Credits: 4
Duration: 15 Weeks
Dates: Mon,Wed

From early alphabets to modern virtual reality experiences, this course will explore the development, reaction, and impact of some of humankind’s most transformative innovations – its forms of communication. How have these inventions, such as writing, printing, the telegraph, television, radio, the internet and beyond, influenced human behavior throughout the course of history. How have humans shaped their development and direction? And what role are they playing in shaping our lives both today and tomorrow? Toward the end of the course, students will speculate on the future of communication technologies in a connected world by proposing their own transformative innovation. Readings and discussion will cover communication theory, technical processes, creative applications, and critical investigation. Writing assignments will be paired with practical assignments where students will be challenged to bring their analysis and ideas to life. The web will also be utilized as a test bed for experiencing and experimenting with various forms of communication both old and new.

Interactive Media (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks

Fall 2025 IMA Electives IMA Electives (Legacy Structure - Seminar/Studies) Spring 2026 Undergraduate