SILS to recognize largest undergrad class to graduate

This spring's commencement at the School of Information and Library Science at UNC at Chapel Hill will be invigorated with Carolina blue, the color of undergraduate robes, when the school recognizes about 20 graduates from its new undergraduate program in information science.

The information science major, which only has been offered since fall 2002, sprang from the success of the school's undergraduate minor in information systems. The school has granted the bachelor's degree in information science (BSIS) to a mere five students since spring 2003, making the 20 graduates anticipated this year its largest number yet.

The BSIS program 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. UNC at Chapel Hill is the only university in the state offering such a degree and is one of only a handful of schools nationwide offering such a program.

The degree prepares graduates for a variety of careers in the information industry, including information architecture, database design and implementation, web design and implementation, networking support and information consulting. Many students pursue double majors, often coupling information science with business or computer science.

“I selected this program because I was interested not in designing software but understanding the major causes and effects that information technology can have on business,” said Len Fiume, who has accepted a job with the Charlotte, N.C.-based technology firm Accenture after graduation this May. “I have gained confidence in creating databases, spreadsheets, and web pages and understanding all of their implications in the business world.”

Students in the program take a set of core courses, including courses on retrieving and evaluating information, systems analysis and design, and database design and networking, plus electives in areas such as networking, management of information resources and information design.

“The major in information science builds on the extraordinary popularity of our undergraduate minor,” said SILS Dean Joanne Marshall. “The full degree provides opportunities for Chapel Hill undergraduates to get the background they need to move into key positions in the information sector in Research Triangle Park and around the globe."

Admission in the program is open to UNC undergraduate students who have completed at least the first semester of their sophomore year. Participation is limited, and admission is competitive. For more information, contact Beth Dye, assistant student services manager, at 919/962-0208 or bdye@email.unc.edu. The school also offers an information systems minor designed for undergraduate students who wish to develop knowledge and skills in the use and design of information systems. It provides students with an understanding of computing, networking multimedia, electronic information resources, and the Internet that can be used to solve problems in a variety of contexts. The minor, requiring about 15 hours of credit to complete, complements the student's major field of student.

In addition to the undergraduate major in information science, the School of Information and Library Science offers master's degrees in information science and library science, a certificate of advanced study, a doctor of philosophy in information and library science and an undergraduate minor in information systems. There are 257 master's degree students, four certificate of advanced study students, 41 doctoral students, 46 undergraduate majors, 50 minors and 20 full-time faculty members.