Information Science, Bachelor of Science

The Bachelor of Science in Information Science online program at the University of North Texas is designed to equip graduates with the knowledge needed to build competencies in important and emerging areas such as information organization, information architecture, information seeking and use, health informatics, knowledge management, digital content and digital curation, and information systems.

The BSIS degree prepares students for a career at the intersection of information, people, and technology. The continuous growth of information and technology innovation have led to a host of related trends and issues, including social media, security, privacy, digital divide, information literacy, open access, digital curation and more. With the need to address these issues comes the importance of educating a new generation of information professional who not only have the can-do attitude but also flexible, innovative, entrepreneurial and progressive.

At the Intersection of Information, People & Technology

Students earning this degree are able to customize their program by developing focused areas of studies (concentrations) or by choosing a minor or certificate in another field. The flexibility built into the BSIS program prepares graduates for the varying career options available in the information profession.

Information has increased in importance. This reality opened the door to even more exciting opportunities at the undergraduate and graduate level in the information profession. While pursuing your degree, you will hone the skills required to:

• Aid information seekers
• Add value to information products
• Apply the latest tools and technologies to the ever increasing volume of information

A key component of the BSIS program is its flexibility. Instructions are offered in a variety of formats, including face-to-face, online and blended, that allows you to balance classes with full-time or part-time employment.

Special lectures hosted by the college and the department feature renowned scholars who provide different perspectives and insights into the information science field. Our students and faculty are active members of different professional associations and learned societies, such as the iSchools consortium, the American Library Association, the American Society for Information Science and Technology, and the Knowledge & Information Professional Association.

Benefits of this Program

The bachelor’s program goal is to provide general educational preparation for students planning to enter the information professions. The bachelor's program objectives are for students to demonstrate knowledge and skills related to:

• The roles and impacts of information policies, practices, and information itself on diverse populations in a rapidly changing technological and global information society.
• Human information needs and behavior in order to develop and implement information systems and services that meet user needs.
• Professional practices necessary to succeed in information-related occupations and to pursue the professional master's degree.
• The philosophy, principles, and legal and ethical responsibilities of the field.

Program Concentrations

Information Science and Knowledge Organization

Provides graduates with the necessary skills and competencies associated with the collection, classification, storage, retrieval, manipulation, packaging and dissemination of information. It prepares graduates to work with information in a variety of formats and in various organizational settings.

Project and Knowledge Management

Provides graduates with the knowledge and the understanding of the convergence of project management and knowledge management, including the use of associated tools and technologies. It prepares them to assume project management responsibilities including project initiation, planning, scheduling, implementation, knowledge retention and knowledge transfer.

Information Management and Health Informatics

Provides graduates with the skills and competencies needed to work in healthcare environments and to work with health information such as patient information, medical records, medical imaging, and clinical research data. Students in the program will explore how to effectively use technology to improve the efficiency and quality of healthcare including reducing cost, increasing patient access and improving diagnosis and treatment.

Digital Content and Information Systems

Provides graduates with practical knowledge needed to manage the increasingly growing volume of digital information. Graduates will have a better understanding of the tools and technologies needed to manage large amounts of data and complex information systems. Students enrolled in the program will have a better understanding of human computer interaction issues and interfaces.

Human Language Technology

Human Computer Technology is an evolving interdisciplinary field that includes computational linguistics, natural language processing, machine translation and artificial intelligence. The concentration provides graduates with the knowledge needed to work with language based technologies such as speech recognition, speech synthesis, machine translation, search engines and computer assisted services. Graduates will have a better understanding of human computer interaction issues and interfaces.

Data Science

Data Science is an emerging field involving systematic and methodological approach to managing and manipulating large data sets. The concentration in Data Science is designed to help graduates gain skills and experiences in designing, implementing and transforming data sets into actionable knowledge. IT provides them with the knowledge and competencies needed to work with analytic tools and technologies.