2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog
Information Science, BS
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Return to: Academic Programs
The department-level rules set forth in the following document apply to students who are admitted to the University during the 2024-25 Academic Year. Students who admitted prior to this academic year should refer to the Archived Catalogs for departmental-level rules and major requirements. Students who admitted to the University PRIOR to the 2017-2018 Academic Year will find the department-level rules and major requirements to which they are bound by going to the Archived Catalogs for the School of Information Sciences .
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.
We are in a connected world where humans, software applications and data are all linked through intricate networks. Everyday objects like cars, doorbells and coffee machines, specialized equipment for healthcare and even infrastructure like roads, are smart and communicate data. These data become useful to humans and society when they are securely associated with other data, objects, individuals, groups and organizations to make decisions through computation to solve problems.
The Information Science major (BSIS) in the Department of Informatics and Networked Systems has been built to provide:
- A strong foundation in the science of how data, human-centered systems and networks work together to solve problems
- A broad understanding of systems analysis, data management, network design and security, and how they are integrated and work together to make effective decisions
- Coursework that addresses cutting-edge subjects such as user experience, datamining, computer forensics, cloud computing, 5G wireless and information visualization
- Research projects with faculty, student peers, and local non-profits
- Career agility - every industry needs information science expertise, so you’ll find successful career opportunities in healthcare, manufacturing, communications, finance, education, technology, and entertainment.
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Eligibility for Major
Students can declare the IS major after they have completed CMPINF 0401 or INFSCI 0201, INFSCI 0310, and one other course (from INFSCI 0410, 0510 and 0610) with a grade of C or better in each class.
In addition, students need to have at least a 2.0 overall GPA and be in good academic standing.
Students must declare the major by the School’s deadlines.
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 Cooperative Program and Internship 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 & GPA Requirement
Students must achieve a 2.0 GPA for each of the classes counted toward the Information Science major, therefore earning a C or better for each course counted towards graduation in the Information Science major. As such, all courses completed for the major (Quantitative Math and Stats, Core, Upper-Level Electives, and Capstone) 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. Additional coursework must be successfully completed, meeting the minimum requirements to earn credit. Course repetitions are subject to the School’s Course Repeat Policy found in the Credit and Enrollment Policy section of the SCI Catalog
Departmental Honors
Students may graduate with honors if they have also:
- Completed a sixth upper-level elective IS course (numbered above 1100). The student may not use an independent study or internship to count as this additional upper-level course.
- Have an IS GPA of at least 3.5
- Have an overall GPA of at least 3.25
Major Requirements
Beginning in Fall 2020, students declaring an IS major will be required to complete:
- One approved programming course
- Seven core courses
- Five upper-level electives
- Two approved mathematics courses (see below)
- One approved statistics course (see below)
- One capstone class
Required Mathematics and Statistics Courses
Students must complete the following quantitative and statiscal skills classes. One class from each section will overlap with the School’s General Education Requirements.
Capstone
Students in the BS in Information Science major are required to successfully complete a capstone experience, learning how to apply what they learned in the classroom to real-world situations. Students can choose from among a selection of experiential learning opportunities including team-based project classes, independent study courses supervised by research faculty in the School, and internships/co-ops with regional or national industries and organizations. The capstone requirement means that students will gain valuable experience that is aligned with their interests and career goals. Students in the IS major are permitted to take up to two INFSCI 1700+ courses: one will count towards the capstone requirement and one will count towards the upper-level elective requirement.
Sample Plan of Study
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Fall |
Spring |
| Year 1 |
CMPINF 0001
CMPINF 0010
CMPINF 0401 or INFSCI 0201
ENGCMP 0200
MATH 0220
TOTAL: 16 credits
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INFSCI 0310
INFSCI 0410
STATS 1000 or 1100
GER
Elective
TOTAL: 16 credits
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| Year 2 |
MATH 0280 (or 1180 or 1185)
INFSCI 0510
INFSCI 0610
GER
GER
TOTAL: 15 credits
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INFSCI 1400
INFSCI 1500
INFSCI 1600
GER
GER
TOTAL: 15 credits
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| Year 3 |
INFSCI Upper Elective 1
Related Area 1
GER
GER
GER
TOTAL: 15 credits
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INFSCI Upper Elective 2
INFSCI Upper Elective 3
Related Area 2
Related Area 3
GER
TOTAL: 15 credits
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| Year 4 |
INFSCI Upper Elective 4
INFSCI Upper Elective 5
Related Area 4
GER
GER
TOTAL: 15 credits
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INFSCI Capstone
Related Area 5
Elective
Elective
Elective
TOTAL: 13 credits
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Minimum credits are represented, this may vary depending on student’s course selection.
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