About the Major
This undergraduate degree prepares students to examine how people and organizations use, store, communicate and transfer information. Our students learn to work with data in a variety of contexts, allowing them to excel in everything from data science to communications. Some even go on to launch their own startups.
By taking selected courses, you can develop specializations in one of the following areas.
In the Classroom and Beyond
Learn to solve real-world problems by combining technical skills like data analytics, programming, and cyber security fundamentals with essential soft skills like communication, leadership, and project management. This major prepares you for dynamic careers in business, research, and tech — where you’ll lead, analyze, and innovate.
As an information science major, you'll get flexibility in the types of classes you take. You can combine the basics with other areas of study, creating a degree program that will help you land your dream job. Want to be an investigative reporter? Combine this with journalism. Interested in launching the next Candy Crush? You can tailor a program that includes computer science. Here, you'll learn how to analyze, implement, manage, and lead. You'll also study how people and organizations communicate and use information for making decisions and solving problems. Learn more about the courses you will take as an information science student in the university's academic bulletin.
Course Spotlights
You have the opportunity to enhance your classroom experiences and build upon your skill set by participating in leadership roles outside of the classroom. Want to help analyze information for cancer researchers? Crunch numbers to help people retire? Create systems to keep networks working smoothly? Work with local communities on health initiatives? Our students did this and more on recent internships. Companies are lining up to see who’s next.
Other examples of beyond the classroom experiences that may help you become more marketable to employers include study abroad, research and community service.
The iSchool offers a number of scholarships for exceptional incoming students. Among the criteria considered for these awards are high school grade point average and extracurricular activities. The departmental scholarships for freshmen are awarded automatically during the admissions review process. No separate application is required for consideration.
As an information science student, you also have an opportunity to gain a solid foundation for graduate study. Further your skills and understanding of information science techniques with graduate-level courses through our accelerated master’s plan. Students with a 3.5 GPA or higher who meet general admission standards also have priority for direct admission to the One-Year Master of Business Administration in the Darla Moore School of Business.
Careers
As a graduate, you'll be stepping into an evolving field of possibilities. Some careers titles include data analyst, knowledge manager, systems analyst, web developer, or information architect — just about any job that uses and analyzes information. We have graduates at non-profits, large public companies and prestigious cultural institutions. The skills you acquire in the information science program transfer to almost any field.
Alumni Career Spotlight
We get these questions all the time in the School of Information Science: "What is an information science major, and where do alumni work when they graduate?” Who better to answer than our BSIS alumni? These iSchool Spotlights are based on interviews with some of our many happily employed alumni. Learn who they are, where they work, how their BSIS degree helped make them career-ready, and much more.
Reflections from Undergraduate Alumni
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