Information BSINFO
Degree Awarded: BS in Information (BSINFO)
Minimum Required Credits: 120.0
Co-op Option: Three Co-op, Two Co-op, One Co-op, No Co-op
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 11.0101
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 15-0000
About the Program
The Bachelor of Science in Information (BSINFO) prepares students to understand, evaluate, and design information environments at the intersection of People, Information, and Technology (PIT). Contemporary information challenges are inherently sociotechnical: they involve not only technical systems and data, but also human behavior, organizational practices, institutional constraints, and ethical considerations. The BSINFO equips students with the conceptual foundations and practical skills needed to work responsibly and effectively across people, information, and technology.
The curriculum integrates technical competencies with human- and information-centered perspectives. Students will develop fluency in computational thinking, data modeling, database systems, and systems analysis, while also examining how information is created, organized, communicated, and used in real-world contexts. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence are examined as part of broader information infrastructures, emphasizing how algorithmic systems shape data practices, decision making, and organizational life. Core coursework emphasizes how technical infrastructures interact with social practices, values, and institutional arrangements, enabling students to holistically analyze information problems rather than treating them as purely technical tasks.
Equally central to the program are human and organizational dimensions of information work. Students learn to identify user and stakeholder needs, analyze workflows and information flows, and design information environments that are usable, inclusive, and contextually appropriate. Through case-based instruction and applied projects, students gain experience translating human and organizational requirements into effective technical and informational solutions.
Ethical, legal, and social considerations anchor the BSINFO's approach to information practice. Students examine issues such as privacy, accessibility, artificial intelligence, security, governance, bias, and accountability, and apply ethical reasoning frameworks to evaluate tradeoffs and responsibilities in information design and use. By foregrounding human flourishing alongside technical competence, the program prepares graduates to thoughtfully and responsibly navigate the societal implications of information technologies.
Graduates of the BSINFO will emerge with adaptable, interdisciplinary preparation for careers across information-intensive domains, and with a strong foundation for further specialization or graduate study. The program’s PIT framework equips students to respond to evolving technologies and organizational needs while maintaining a critical, human-centered understanding of information’s role in contemporary life.
Additional Information
For more information about this program, please contact the School of Computer and Information Sciences
Degree Requirements
| University Requirements | ||
| EXP 1001 | Introduction to Experiential Learning | 3.0 |
| WRIT 1100 | Composition and Rhetoric I | 3.0 |
| or WRIT 1110 | English Composition I | |
| WRIT 1200 | Composition and Rhetoric II | 3.0 |
| or WRIT 1210 | English Composition II | |
| Introductory Core Competencies 1 | ||
| Select one course from each of the three (3) categories of Introductory Core Competency Courses: | 6.0-9.0 | |
Introductory: Inquire and Analyze | ||
Introductory: Collaborate and Integrate | ||
Introductory: Apply and Engage - satisfied by CIS 1010 in the College Requirements below. | ||
| Free Electives | 15.0 | |
| College Requirements | ||
| The College of Engineering and Computing requires a one-semester first-year design course and a two-semester senior capstone project sequence. Analogous courses across the college may be used as substitutes for the specific courses below; for the senior capstone sequence, college approval is required for any substitutions. | ||
| CIS 1010 | Computer and Information Sciences Design | 3.0 |
| CIS 4998 | Senior Project I | 3.0 |
| CIS 4999 | Senior Project II | 3.0 |
| Program Requirements | ||
| Core Courses | ||
| IS 1500 | Introduction to Information | 3.0 |
| IS 1505 | Introduction to Research in Information | 3.0 |
| IS 1551 | Programming for the Web and Beyond | 3.0 |
| or CS 1010 | Computer Science Principles | |
| or CS 1020 | Introduction to Computer Programming | |
| IS 2500 | Applied Systems Analysis | 3.0 |
| IS 2510 | Relational Database Management Systems | 3.0 |
| IS 2515 | Social and Ethical Aspects of Information | 3.0 |
| Electives | ||
| Select six (6) additional IS (Information Science) courses, including at least three (3) at the 3000-4999 level | 18.0 | |
| Select three (3) courses from CS (Computer Science) or SE (Software Engineering) | 9.0 | |
| Select three (3) courses from a single college, excluding courses from the School of Computer and Information Sciences | 9.0 | |
| Mathematics Requirements | ||
| Select one of the following sequences: | 7.0-8.0 | |
| Mathematical Tools and Techniques and Survey of Calculus | ||
| Calculus I and Calculus II | ||
| STAT 2201 | Business Statistics I | 3.0 |
| or MATH 1801 | Scientific Data Analysis | |
| or MATH 2402 | Discrete Mathematics | |
| Science Requirements | ||
| Select a minimum of six (6) credits from BIO (Bioscience & Biotechnology), CHEM (Chemistry), ESS (Earth and Environmental Science), PHYS (Physics), PSY (Psychology), or SOC (Sociology) | 6.0 | |
| Free Electives | 11.0 | |
| Optional Co-op Experience | ||
| Co-Op -Co-op is an option for this degree for full-time on-campus students. Co-op cycles may vary. Students choosing this option will be required to complete COOP 1001 as preparation for their co-op experience. COOP 1001 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned. | 0.0 | |
| Total Credits | 120.0-124.0 | |
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A complete list of eligible Introductory Core Competency courses can be found here.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion, students will be able to:
- Make sense of data to support inquiry and decision making.
- Collect, model, analyze, interpret, and visualize data using computational and statistical tools, while evaluating the reliability, limits, and ethical implications of data-driven approaches.
- Investigate information problems using diverse research methods.
- Apply qualitative, quantitative, computational, and interpretive methods to study information phenomena, rigorously assess evidence, and adapt methodological choices to changing technological contexts.
- Design sociotechnical information environments that meet human needs.
- Analyze human behavior, organizational practices, and social contexts to design inclusive, usable, and accessible information systems and experiences.
- Build and support information systems using computational and organizational reasoning.
- Use programming, algorithmic thinking, systems modeling, and stakeholder-centered analysis to translate information needs into effective technical solutions and workflows.
- Understand how information is structured, organized, and governed.
- Model, organize, and manage information using appropriate representations, data architectures, and standards to support retrieval, interoperability, and sustainability across contexts.
- Navigate the ethical, legal, and social implications of information technologies.
- Identify and analyze issues related to privacy, security, equity, accountability, and governance, and apply ethical reasoning to promote responsible information practice and societal benefits.