Course descriptions: Indiana University's School of Informatics

Note: The following is a list and description of proposed new classes for IU's School of Informatics. This list is intended to provide a better understanding of the structure of the school's course of study. Offerings, prerequisites and descriptions are subject to change.

New courses and concentrations have been created specifically for informatics degrees at IU. Core courses cover the areas of information infrastructure, information representation, mathematical foundations of informatics, social informatics and organizational informatics. Electives within the major include human/computer interactions, multimedia design and production, distributed systems and collaborative computing. There are also a variety of electives in related academic units that count toward the major. A two-semester practical course in the design and development of information systems will also be offered.

Students will be required to complete a minimum of 122 credit hours to receive the bachelor of science degree in informatics. There are five components to this degree: (1) a required 30.5 credit hours of core courses in informatics; (2) nine hours of informatics electives; (3) 15 hours of approved cognate area courses; (4) 41 hours of general education; and (5) 26.5 hours of general electives. The following new courses have been proposed to meet the informatics degree requirements:

Introduction to Informatics (3 cr.)

Basic Tools of Informatics -- Programming Concepts (1.5 cr.)

Introduction to programming for users of computer systems. Emphasis on problem-solving techniques. Lecture and laboratory. An eight-week course.

Basic Tools of Informatics -- Introduction to Databases (1.5 cr.)

Introduction to database design concepts. Entering and modifying data, accessing data using visual tools and SQL, building database applications using forms and application development tools. Emphasis on problem-solving techniques. Lecture and laboratory. An eight-week course.

Information Representation (3 cr.)

The basic structure of information representation in social and scientific applications. Representational structures and approaches from many disciplines are introduced: philosophical theories of classification and categorization; information access and representation on the World Wide Web; object-oriented design and relational databases; AI knowledge representation and discovery.

Mathematical Foundations of Informatics (3 cr.)

An introduction to the suite of mathematical and logical tools used in information sciences, including finite mathematics, automata and computability theory, elementary probability and statistics, and basics of classical information theory.

Social Informatics (3 cr.)

Organizational Informatics (3 cr.)

Examines the various needs, uses and consequences of information in organizational contexts. Topics include organizational types and characteristics; functional areas and business processes; information-based products and services; the use of and redefining role of information technology; the changing character of work life and organizational practices; socio-technical structures; and the rise and transformation of information-based industries.

Information Infrastructure I (4 cr.)

The software architecture of information systems. Basic concepts of systems and applications programming. The basic architecture of networked operating systems and applications.

Information Infrastructure II (4 cr.)

The systems architecture of distributed applications. Standard APIs for database and interactive programming systems. An introduction to the programming of graphical systems.

Human/Computer Interaction (3 cr.)

The analysis of human factors and the design of computer application interfaces. A survey of current best practice with an eye toward what future technologies will allow.

Multimedia Arts: History, Criticism and Technology (3 cr.)

The study of the evolution of media arts and underlying principles of communication. Application development paradigms in current practice.

Distributed Systems and Collaborative Computing (3 cr.)

An introductory treatment of distributed systems and programming. Topics range from the distributed and object models of computation to advanced concepts such as remote method invocations, object brokers, object services, open systems, and future trends for distributed information systems.

Topics in Informatics (1-3 cr.)

Variable topic. Emphasis is on new developments and research in informatics. Can be repeated twice with different topic, subject to approval of the Informatics Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Internship in Informatics Professional Practice (3-6 cr.)

Open to students upon approval of the Informatics Director of Undergraduate Studies. Students gain professional work experience in an industry or research organization setting, using skills/knowledge acquired in informatics course work.

Design and Development of an Information System (3/3 cr.)

System design and development present both technical and managerial problems with which students will be familiar from their undergraduate course work. This course puts these lessons into practice, as students work in teams to develop an information system. Examples of course projects include design and development of a database for a business or academic application; preparation and presentation of an interactive media performance or exhibit; or design and implementation of a simulated environment (virtual reality).

Senior Thesis (3/3 cr.)

The senior student prepares and presents a thesis: a substantial, typically multi-chapter paper based on a well-planned research or scholarly project, as worked out between the student and a sponsoring faculty member.

Readings and Research in Informatics (1-3 cr.)

Independent readings and research related to a topic of special interest to the student. Written report required.