Undergraduate

The Bachelor of Science in Information Science (BSIS), the Dual Bachelor's - Master's, and the Minor in Information Systems are designed to prepare 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; as well as for graduate study.

 
 

For information on how to apply to our program, please visit the Admissions page.

The BSIS curriculum is the only program of its kind in North Carolina and one of only a few nationwide.

Information science is one of the fastest growing fields in the nation. It combines working with people, designing technology and developing information content. When you think of information science, think Twitter, Facebook, Web design, database design, online communities, Internet searches and much more that connect people with content and technology.

The BSIS program draws on our faculty's strengths in fields like usability, human-computer interaction, open source development, database design, information retrieval and human-information behavior and is designed to prepare graduates for a variety of careers in the information industry. Graduates go into positions of:

  • Social Media Manager (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
  • Web Master
  • Knowledge Management Analyst
  • Information Technology Analyst
  • Software Quality Engineer
  • Risk Management: Vulnerability Analysis, Disaster Recovery and Business Continuation
  • Project Manager
  • Research Assistant
  • Graduate Student
  • And many more!

Graduates go on to work at organizations such as Apple, Credit Suisse, Progress Energy, SAS, CISCO, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Homeland Security, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, Aetna, Lulu Enterprises, and the United States Census Bureau, to name just a few.

According to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 30 fastest-growing occupations from now until 2016 include a number of information science occupations. The field of network systems and data communications is listed as the number one fastest growing occupation in the nation. Occupations like computer software engineers, systems software developers and database administrators are included on the list that require a bachelor's degree are included on the list as well.

Some of the exciting, emerging and growing fields of information science that students may wish to explore include:

  • Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
  • Open Culture: Open Source Software, Open Access
  • Intelligence: market intelligence, business and competitive intelligence
  • Search Engine Marketing or Search Engine Optimization
  • Cyber and Internet Security
  • Data Forensics: e-discovery, data recovery
  • Scientific Informatics

What is Information Science? 

Information science is the study of cognitive, social, technological and organizational roles of information in all its forms.

It rests on three foundational pillars:

  • Content: the substance of the information being created, communicated, stored, and/or transformed
  • People: those who interact with the content—they may be creators of information, recipients of information, or intermediaries in the communication process
  • Technology: used to support the creation, communication, storage or transformation of the content