2019-2020 Undergraduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]
Information Science, BS
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Return to: School of Computing and Information
Note: The requirements outlined in this section represent minimum degree satisfaction. Please consult the School of Computing and Information’s Current Students Web site for detailed policies, procedures, forms, and advising resources.
The department-level rules set forth in the following document apply to students who declared their IS major during the 2019-2020 Academic Year. Students who declared prior to this academic year should refer to the Archived Catalogs for departmental-level rules.
Students who declared the IS major PRIOR to the 2017-2018 Academic Year will find the department-level rules to which they are bound by going to the Archived Catalogs for the School of Information Sciences .
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Grade Policies for Information Science Majors
Satisfactory/No-Credit (S/NC) grade options for IS majors
The student should check with his or her academic advisor before deciding to take a course S/NC (formerly the S/N option). Beyond the School’s Regulations for students enrolling in courses with the S/NC grade option, the Department of Informatics and Networked Systems (DINS) does not accept S grades for courses required for the completion of the Information Science major except for the following courses:
Students should be sure, before deciding on the grading system for a course, that their decision will not have an adverse effect on their plans for a major. They must discuss this decision with their advisor PRIOR to enrolling and selecting the S/NC grade option.
Individual Course Grades
Required courses for the Information Science major must be repeated or replaced by a comparable course if a grade of C- or lower is received. If a grade of C- or lower is earned in a prerequisite course, the course must be repeated before the higher-level course may be taken. If a grade of C- or lower is earned in any course taken to satisfy a major requirement, the course must be repeated or replaced. Course repetitions are subject to the School’s Course Repeat Policy found in the Credit and Enrollment Policy section of the SCI Catalog.
GPA Requirement
Students must achieve a 2.50 grade point average for the classes counted toward the Information Science major.
Departmental Honors
Students may graduate with honors if they have also:
- Completed a sixth upper-level elective IS course
- Have an IS GPA of at least 3.5
- Have an overall GPA of at least 3.25
Major Requirements
The information science major requires 30 credits in information science courses as detailed below. Note the pre-requisite course, INFSCI 0010 , does not count toward the final major credits but will be calculated into the Information Science GPA. Also, the faculty may approve certain exceptions to the degree requirements outlined in the following sections. Approval for exceptions must be obtained PRIOR to enrollment in the course in question and must be documented through the Records Office. See the Advising section of the SCI Catalog for more details.
Specializations / Upper-level Electives
Students choose three upper-level electives based on their academic interests. Students self-designing their path may combine elements from each of the specializations below, or think about adding courses that will broaden their area of expertise. For these students, any three upper-level (1000 or higher) course will count toward the upper-level elective requirement.
The School has clustered upper-level electives into specializations that are designed to help you define your skills and career options. The specializations (Game and Simulation Development, IT Consulting and Data Analytics, Human-centered Computing, and Networks and Security) and the courses for each were determined by our faculty to ensure that you’ll have the knowledge that employers need. Specializations and the recommended path to depth of knowledge in these areas are as follows:
Game and Simulation Development
Whether designing a virtual reality game for fun, or a game to explore environmental challenges in urban areas, game design and development calls for a solid foundation in the Information Sciences including coursework on human factors in system design, User-Centered Design, programming, database management, software engineering, and analysis of information systems. Our game and simulation development specialization builds on that foundation with course work on storytelling, game design, and game implementation, and the psychology of games or serious games. Students may also take courses from the University of Pittsburgh’s English, Studio Arts, Psychology, Computer Science, and other programs. In addition, students will design and build actual games for both entertainment and educational purposes.
It is recommended that students take INFSCI 0009 - MATH FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE and INFSCI 0017 - FUNDAMENTALS OF OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING as part of their core coursework. The following courses are recommended as electives. Courses with an asterisk are strongly recommended.
IT Consulting and Data Analytics
In the IT Consulting and Data Analytics concentration, you will learn how to break down complex problems, analyze critical data to support your decision-making, and design leading-edge solutions. You will learn how to successfully manage projects using industry standard tools, techniques, and processes. You will enhance your leadership skills to help you launch and navigate your professional career. Through team-based assignments, you will have the opportunity to work with local industry professionals to solve their most challenging problems.
It is recommended that students take INFSCI 0419 - PYTHON PROGRAMMING FOR DATA MANAGEMENT & ANALYTICS and INFSCI 1040 - INTRODUCTION TO DATA ANALYTICS as part of their core coursework. Electives might include three of the following courses. Any courses with an asterisk are strongly recommended.
Human-Centered Computing
This specialization explores the design and management of information systems, focusing on the user’s needs and improving the user’s experience. You will learn how to create systems that will specifically address the information tasks of the end-user, that are easy-to-use, and which are responsive to the user’s changing needs and growing sophistication. You will be able to help improve workplace satisfaction and efficiency, through effective system design and intelligent system management.
This specialization incorporates coursework from the cognitive, system design, and human-factors disciplines. You will learn how to identify and manipulate a user’s environment and their specific goals for an information system. Then, using a set of well-defined techniques for design and analysis, the system is developed and tested (with actual users) for both its effectiveness and user satisfaction. This process can be considered as a multi-stage problem-solving process and the end result is a system that is useful, effective, easy to learn and use, and appreciated by the end user.
It is recommended that students take INFSCI 0419 - PYTHON PROGRAMMING FOR DATA MANAGEMENT & ANALYTICS and INFSCI 1040 - INTRODUCTION TO DATA ANALYTICS as part of their core coursework. The following courses are recommended as electives. Any courses with an asterisk are strongly recommended.
Networks and Security
Computer networks form the critical infrastructure of society and network architects and administrators are in high demand across all sectors of industry. This program of study benefits from the expertise of our faculty and the academic rigor of our graduate programs in security, telecommunications, and information science. The School of Computing and Information is nationally-renowned for its academic and research programs in Information Security - it has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education since 2003. Students who choose the Networks and Security concentration will learn the fundamentals of how computer networks work, how to make them secure, and what goes into the protocols and design of networks, be it local area networks, wide area networks, wireless networks, or the Internet of Things. Students will be able to take courses in networks, computer security, and wireless networks, including a hands-on lab class that exposes them to various dimensions of networks and security.
It is recommended that students take INFSCI 0009 - MATH FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE and INFSCI 0017 - FUNDAMENTALS OF OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING as part of their core coursework. The following courses are recommended as electives. Any courses with an asterisk are strongly recommended.
Capstone
Students in the undergraduate program in information science will participate in a capstone experience, gaining experience through a research project in the school, an internship with regional industry, or a self-designed project.
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