The Institute of Computer Science was founded as the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information in 1974. Since then it has offered the master's program in the discipline of scientific and technical information. In 1993 this was replaced by the three-year program leading to the licentiate's title in computer science. In 1994 the institute changed its name into the Institute of Applied Computer Science, and in 1997 into the Institute of Computer Science.

At present, the three-year licentiate's and two-year master's programs, both in computer science, are condacted. In the academic year 2005/2006 there were enrolled 474 licentiate's students and 418 master's students. The institute is a part of the Faculty of Computer Science and Material Science (www.wiinom.us.edu.pl) of the University of Silesia (www.us.edu.pl). Since 2002 the Faculty of Computer Science and Material Science can award Ph.D. degrees in computer science. Prof. UŚ dr hab. inż. Alicja Wakulicz-Deja has been acting as chairwoman of the institute since 1993. The institute consists of:

• Division of Information Systems (http://zsi.tech.us.edu.pl/;
  head: Prof. UŚ dr hab. inż. Alicja Wakulicz-Deja),
   
• Division of Computer Systems (http://zsk.tech.us.edu.pl/;
  head: Dr hab. Piotr Porwik),
   
• Division of Computerization of Management (http://uranos.cto.us.edu.pl/~zkz/;
  head: Prof. UŚ dr hab. Andrzej Szewc),
   
• Division of Modeling and Computer Graphics (http://www.zmigk.tech.us.edu.pl/;
  head: Prof. UŚ dr hab. inż. Dariusz Badura),
   
• Division of Biomedical Computer Systems (http://zksb.tech.us.edu.pl/;
  head: Prof. UŚ dr hab. inż. Zygmunt Wróbel).