Information Science Major, B.S.

The bachelor of science in information science is designed to prepare its graduates for a variety of careers in the information industry, including information architecture, database design and implementation, Web design and implementation, business systems analyst, and information consulting, as well as for graduate study.

The information science major integrates the study of the creation and management of information content, the characteristics and needs of the people who create and use information, and the technologies used to support the creation and manipulation of information. Graduating students will

  • Understand the many ways in which information can be created, communicated, stored, and/or transformed in order to benefit individuals, organizations, and society
  • Possess practical skills for analyzing, processing, and managing information and for developing and managing information systems in our knowledge-based society. They will possess problem-solving and decision-making skills, be able to use information tools effectively, and be able to take a leadership role in our information economy
  • Comprehend the value of information and information tools, and their role in society and the economy
  • Be prepared to evaluate the role of information in a variety of industries, in different organizational settings, for different populations, and for different purposes
  • Maintain a strong sense of the role of information in society, including historical and future roles

Admission to the program is required.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the information science program, students should be able to:

  • Demonstrate knowledge of the many ways in which information can be created, communicated, stored, and/or transformed, in order to benefit individuals, organizations, and society
  • Demonstrate practical skills in analyzing, processing, and managing information and developing and managing information systems in a knowledge-based society
  • Apply problem-solving and decision-making skills
  • Effectively utilize information tools in preparation to taking a leadership role in the information economy
  • Recognize the value of information and information tools, and their role in society and the economy
  • Evaluate the role of information in a variety of industries, in different organizational settings, for different populations, and for different purposes

Requirements 

In addition to the program requirements, students must

  • earn a minimum final cumulative GPA of 2.000
  • complete a minimum of 45 academic credit hours earned from UNC–Chapel Hill courses
  • take at least half of their major core requirements (courses and credit hours) at UNC–Chapel Hill
  • earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in the major core requirements. Some programs may require higher standards for major or specific courses.

For more information, please consult the degree requirements section of the catalog.

Core Requirements
INLS 560Programming for Information Science3
or COMP 110 IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Programming and Data Science
or COMP 116 Introduction to Scientific Programming
INLS 382Information Systems Analysis and Design3
INLS 385Information Use for Organizational Effectiveness3
INLS 523Introduction to Database Concepts and Applications3
INLS 697Information Science Capstone (taken in the senior year)3
A coherent set of five or more electives, selected from the list below, equaling 15 credit hours 115
Total Hours30
1

Electives should meet the student's objectives/interests/career goals. 

Approved Electives 

INLS ---Any INLS course above level 200 that is not a core requirement or prerequisite3
APPL 101IDEAs in Action General Education logo Exploring Engineering3
BIOS 511Introduction to Statistical Computing and Data Management4
BUSI 410Business Analytics3
BUSI 520Advanced Spreadsheet Modeling for Business3
COMM 140IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Media History, Theory, and Criticism H, F3
COMM 150IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to New Media3
COMM 431IDEAs in Action General Education logo Advanced Audio Production3
COMM 450IDEAs in Action General Education logo Media and Popular Culture3
COMM 636Interactive Media3
COMP 126IDEAs in Action General Education logo Practical Web Design and Development for Everyone3
COMP 210Data Structures and Analysis3
COMP 211Systems Fundamentals3
COMP 283IDEAs in Action General Education logo Discrete Structures H3
COMP 301Foundations of Programming3
COMP 311Computer Organization3
COMP 380IDEAs in Action General Education logo Technology, Ethics, & Culture H3
COMP 426Modern Web Programming3
COMP 431Internet Services and Protocols3
ECON 400IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Data Science and Econometrics H4
ECON 470IDEAs in Action General Education logo Econometrics H3
ENGL 117IDEAs in Action General Education logo Arguing on the Internet: Rhetoric in the Age of Social Media3
ENGL 482IDEAs in Action General Education logo Metadata, Mark-up, and Mapping: Understanding the Rhetoric of Digital Humanities3
GEOG 215IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Spatial Data Science3
GEOG 370IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Geographic Information3
GEOG 477IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Remote Sensing of the Environment3
GEOG 491Introduction to GIS3
GEOG 591IDEAs in Action General Education logo Applied Issues in Geographic Information Systems3
MATH 381Discrete Mathematics H3
MEJO 182Foundations of Graphic Design3
MEJO 187Foundations of Interactive Media3
MEJO 433UX Strategy and Design3
MEJO 445Media Effects on Audiences3
MEJO 482Media Design3
MEJO 484Information Graphics3
MEJO 487Intermediate Interactive Media3
MEJO 581User Experience Design and Usability3
MEJO 582Advanced Documentary Video Storytelling3
MEJO 583Advanced Interactive Media3
MEJO 5853D Design Studio3
MUSC 239Introduction to Music Technology3
PHIL 143IDEAs in Action General Education logo AI and the Future of Humanity: Philosophical Issues about Technology and Human Survival H3
PHYS 633Scientific Programming3
PLCY 460IDEAs in Action General Education logo Quantitative Analysis for Public Policy H4
POLI 281IDEAs in Action General Education logo Data in Politics I: An Introduction3
PSYC 180Social Media, Technology, and the Adolescent Brain3
PSYC 210IDEAs in Action General Education logo Statistical Principles of Psychological Research H3
PSYC 230Cognitive Psychology H3
PSYC 330Introduction to Cognitive Science3
SOCI 318Computational Sociology3
STOR 120IDEAs in Action General Education logo Foundations of Statistics and Data Science F4
STOR 151IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Data Analysis3
STOR 155IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Data Models and Inference F3
STOR 215IDEAs in Action General Education logo Foundations of Decision Sciences3
STOR 305IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Decision Analytics3
STOR 320IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Data Science4
STOR 435Introduction to Probability3
STOR 455Methods of Data Analysis3
STOR 565Machine Learning3
H

Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply.

F

FY-Launch class sections may be available. A FY-Launch section fulfills the same requirements as a standard section of that course, but also fulfills the FY-SEMINAR/FY-LAUNCH First-Year Foundations requirement. Students can search for FY-Launch sections in ConnectCarolina using the FY-LAUNCH attribute.

B.S.I.S. students may take additional INLS electives but are encouraged to acquire a broad education in the liberal arts and sciences.

Special Opportunities in SILS

Dual Bachelor’s–Master’s Degree Program

The dual bachelor’s–master’s program is intended to enable information science majors to obtain both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees by early planning of an undergraduate program that integrates well with the graduate degree requirements for either a master’s in information science (M.S.I.S.) or a master’s in library science (M.S.L.S).

Applying to the dual-degree program occurs in two steps. First, the student must apply to the B.S.I.S. program with intent to pursue the dual degree. The student must apply to the master’s program in the seventh semester of undergraduate study for admission for the following fall. The curriculum for the dual degree can be found on the SILS website.

Up to 12 credits hours for information science coursework taken while an undergraduate can be double counted between the B.S.I.S the M.S.L.S or the M.S.I.S. The requirements for the master’s degree can be found in the Graduate Catalog.

Students interested in the dual-degree program are strongly advised to consult the director of undergraduate studies or the assistant director of undergraduate advising and programs at SILS in their sophomore year to discuss eligibility and an appropriate plan of study.

Honors in Information Science

An honors program is available to information science majors who have demonstrated the ability to perform distinguished work. The honors thesis allows exceptional students in the undergraduate major to demonstrate the ability to treat a problem in a substantial and scholarly way. Students write an honors thesis on a topic related to information science and defend it before a faculty committee. They may graduate with honors or highest honors.

The honors program consists of two courses: INLS 691H and INLS 692HINLS 691H will be taken in the fall of the senior year. In this course, each student selects a research topic of interest, learns about research methods, and writes a research proposal. Assuming satisfactory completion of INLS 691H, students register for INLS 692H in the spring of their senior year. The student and advisor meet regularly to discuss the student’s research and writing. The second reader for the thesis, identified jointly by the student and advisor, is chosen by the end of January. The director of the SILS honors program is the third reader. Refer to Honors Carolina for official due dates. The final approved thesis must be submitted electronically via  the Carolina Digital Repository (CDR).

Students may apply for the honors program in the spring of their junior year. The requirements for conducting an honors thesis in information science include having taken at least four INLS courses, including two numbered above 299, and having a total INLS grade point average of at least 3.5. The student should have an overall grade point average of at least 3.3. Enrolling in INLS 692H is contingent on completing INLS 691H with a grade of A- or higher.

Students who complete a high-quality thesis will graduate with honors; those whose thesis is exceptional will graduate with highest honors.

Facilities/Resources

SILS maintains a combined specialized library and computer laboratory with ample seating for student collaborative work. The SILS Library is part of the UNC–Chapel Hill Academic Affairs Library System, and its collections are available for use in the library by all interested persons. The current collection consists of over 100,000 volumes and several hundred serials titles. The SILS computer laboratory is located in the school’s Information Technology and Resource Center in Manning Hall and is available to students enrolled in SILS courses and programs. More than 40 PCs are available for student use, with space for use of student laptops in a wireless environment. A large selection of software is available, including data management, word processing, publishing, statistical analysis, Internet tools, graphics, development tools, multimedia, etc. Student assistants staff the help desk and are available to check out equipment and to answer questions.

SILS students also have access to a small student lounge in Manning Hall.

Field Experience

As a professional school at UNC–Chapel Hill, we encourage students to use the technical and theoretical knowledge they gain in the classroom in professional settings. Many SILS students participate in field experiences (INLS 393) whereby they gain experience in a setting of the student’s choosing.

Students must spend 135 hours with the site, attend field experience seminars, and produce a short paper for their field experience faculty advisor. Students are eligible for field experiences once they have junior status and three INLS courses: INLS 161, INLS 201, and INLS 382. Field experiences can be taken in any semester, including the summer, and can be in any information setting.

Student Involvement

Undergraduate students are encouraged to participate in ILSSA (Information and Library Science Student Association). All of the school’s standing committees have student representation. In addition, students may participate in professional associations in information and library science, including the student chapters of the Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T), the Student Chapter of the American Library Association (SCALA), Special Libraries Association (SLA), the Art and Museum Library and Information Student Society (AMLISS), the Student Chapter of the Society of American Archivists (SCOSAA), and Checked Out: SILS Diversity.

Study Abroad

SILS has formal study abroad agreements with seven information schools in the Czech Republic, Singapore, Denmark, South Korea, Chile, Spain, and Ireland. Students can spend a summer, semester, or year studying abroad to earn course credit toward their information science major or information systems minor. The exchanges are administered through the UNC Study Abroad Office but are managed by SILS. Credit transfer should be confirmed with SILS before beginning the exchange. In addition, UNC–Chapel Hill has formal university ties with approximately 75 other universities — many of them with library and information science schools. SILS also offers short-term summer seminars in various locations. These programs are two weeks in length and offer an in-depth view on information science. Students who wish to enjoy an international experience while studying at SILS are encouraged to talk with the SILS international programs coordinator.

Undergraduate Awards

Two scholarships of $1,000 each are awarded to newly admitted undergraduates in the spring and fall. Undergraduates completing an honors thesis are eligible to apply for a Carnegie Grant. This award of up to $200 may be used to offset any costs that might occur during their research.

Undergraduate Research

Undergraduates enrolled in the honors program conduct research as part of the completion of their honors thesis. Students not in the honors program may also take advantage of a number of opportunities to participate in research with faculty members.

School of Information and Library Science

Visit Program Website

silsinfo@ils.unc.edu

919-962-8366

Dean

Jeffery Bardzell

jbardzel@unc.edu

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Ericka Patillo

patillo@unc.edu