As technology becomes increasingly prevalent in our lives, there's a growing need for skills in managing the digital world, and in understanding the social impact of computing and the big picture of how people and technology connect. Informatics focuses on putting information technology to work solving today's problems in healthcare, privacy, security, education, poverty, and the environment.
How you benefit
With the IU Online BS in Informatics, you'll prepare to develop technology solutions that address and anticipate the needs of today's world.
Tailor your degree to your professional interests by choosing one of the following tracks:
Business
Health Information Management
Legal Informatics
This 100 percent online, consortial program is taught by IU East, IUPUI, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend, and IU Southeast.
Coursework will provide instruction in several areas of business and business management, including accounting, bookkeeping, marketing, human resource management, financial management, and supply chain management.
Health Information Management track
Coursework will provide instruction in several areas of health information management, including ethics, communication, confidentiality, and data analysis. Students will learn to follow standards of a professional healthcare environment, and to effectively and accurately analyze healthcare information.
Legal Informatics track
Students will study several skill areas necessary in legal informatics, including specialized technology, handling evidence, information governance, security, privacy, and protection of intellectual property. Students will assist with presenting a legal case in court.
Students admitted to IU Online receive a full range of personalized support services, including:
Onboarding
Advising
Success Coaching
Math and Writing Support
Career Services
Peer Mentorship
Tutoring
The IU Online BS in Informatics prepares you for work in technology start-ups, health information systems, human-computer interaction, sustainability, and technology research, opening the door to such careers as:
User experience designer
Digital library specialist, e-commerce specialist
Network manager
Web developer, software developer, database developer/manager
Information security professional, information architect
System administrator
To graduate with the BS in Informatics, you must complete a total of 120 semester credit hours, broken down as follows.
Requirements are broken down as follows:
Informatics core courses (39 credit hours)
Cognate courses (15-18 credit hours)
General education courses (30-42 credit hours)
Informatics electives (9 credit hours)
General electives (12-27 credit hours)
To be accepted to this program, you must have:
Admissions requirements vary.
NOTE: This program is authorized, exempt, or not subject to state regulatory compliance and may enroll students from all 50 states
To apply to this program:
Complete application for admission.
Submit official transcripts.
Submit official high school transcript or equivalent (may be required of some applicants).
Complete an essay (may be required of some applicants).
International applicants may be asked for additional materials.
This program is offered by IU East, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IUPUI, IU South Bend, and IU Southeast. After applying, you will be assigned a home campus. You will submit application documents to the Office of Admissions of that campus.
Application Dates
Rolling admissions. Application review will begin upon receipt of all required application materials.
You may be able to transfer an associate degree or up to 64 credit hours from a regionally accredited two-year college and up to 90 credit hours from a regionally accredited four-year college or university.
Hossein Hakimzadeh, Program Director
Hossein Hakimzadeh, program director for the BS in Informatics, is associate professor of computer science and director of informatics at IU South Bend. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from North Dakota State University. His research interests include database management systems and software engineering. Among courses taught are Introduction to Programming, Systems Analysis and Design, Object Oriented Programming, and Advanced Database Concepts. He has received funding for curriculum and course development and assessment; attracting, enrolling, and retaining students; and enhancing high-tech job opportunities in Indiana. Hakimzadeh is an advocate for student success through the Center for Internship, Volunteerism, and Entrepreneurship in Computer Science (CIVECS), which promotes internship opportunities and entrepreneurship and seeks to enhance high-tech job opportunities via software engineering startups.
Rob Elliot
Rob Elliott is teaching professor of computer and information technology in the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI. He is working on an EdD in instructional systems technology, IU School of Education, Bloomington. His areas of expertise include web and mobile application development, user interface design, cloud computing, global STEM education, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Among his interests are voice-enabled assistants, study abroad, active learning and improvement of classroom instruction, and application development for multiple platforms. He runs the Global IT study abroad opportunities to China and India in the Computer and Information Technology program.
Linda Galocy
Linda Galocy is clinical associate professor in the health information management department at IU Northwest. She holds an MS from the IU School of Education and a BS in health information administration from the IU School of Medicine. She is completing a doctoral degree in instructional systems technology. Her areas of expertise include the scholarship of teaching and learning, ICD coding, data analytics, and health informatics. She is a Fellow of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
Core
INFO-C 100
Informatics Foundations
3 Credits
INFO-C 112
Tools of Informatics: Programming and Databases
3 Credits
INFO-C 201
Mathematical Foundations of Informatics
3 Credits
INFO-C 203
Social Informatics
3 Credits
INFO-C 210
Problem Solving and Programming 1
3 Credits
INFO-C 211
Problem Solving and Programming 2
3 Credits
INFO-C 300
Human Computer Interaction
3 Credits
INFO-C 307
Data Representation and Organization
3 Credits
INFO-C 399
Database Systems
3 Credits
INFO-C 413
Web Design and Development
3 Credits
INFO-C 450
System Design
3 Credits
INFO-C 451
System Implementation
3 Credits
INFO-C 452
Project Management
3 Credits
Courses
Core
Introduction to informatics, basic problem-solving and elementary programming skills. It also provides a survey of computing tools in the context of selected disciplines (cognates).
This course is an introduction to programming and databases, two basic means of creating, changing, and storing information on a computer. Computational thinking, basic programming, and basic debugging methods will be covered in a high-level language. Data modeling, schemas, SQL queries, and data-entry forms will also be emphasized.
An introduction to methods of analytical, abstract, and critical thinking; deductive reasoning; and logical and mathematical tools used in information sciences. The topics include propositional and predicate logic, natural deduction proof system, sets, functions and relations, elementary statistics, proof methods in mathematics, and mathematical induction.
This course introduces ethical, privacy, and legal issues and social research on the use of information and communications technologies. Topics include intellectual property, ethical use of information, information privacy laws, personal code of ethics, principles for resolving ethical conflicts, popular and controversial uses of technology, and research methodologies for social informatics.
First in a two-course sequence of intensive computer programming. In this course, students will design, develop, test, and debug software solutions using a given programming language
Second course in the two-course sequence of intensive computer programming. In this course, students will learn and apply object-oriented computer programming concepts and techniques. The course will also provide a brief introduction to data structures and files.
This course introduces core topics and approaches in human-computer interaction, including the process of designing and evaluating interactive technologies. Topics include interaction design, evaluation, usability, user psychology, prototyping, requirements and analysis, and related issues. Students working in teams identify stakeholders, build user-centered interfaces, and apply statistics to analyze user data.
This course will provide an introduction to ways in which data can be organized, represented, and processed, from low level to high level. Topics include basic file manipulation, as well as construction of memory-based structures and algorithms using arrays (single, multidimensional), lists (single, double, circular), stacks, queues, binary trees, and hash tables.
This course will provide an in-depth discussion of database systems fundamentals. The course emphasizes the concepts underlying various functionalities provided by a database management system, and its usage from an end-user perspective. Topics include: overview and architecture of database systems, relational database modeling and querying, and basic XML database modeling and querying.
This course introduces website design and development. Topics include client-side technologies such as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML, XML), the document object model (DOM), Cascading Style Sheet (CSS), JavaScript and jQuery, AJAX, front-end framework, and server-side technologies.
This course introduces the concepts of large-scale system design and development. Topics include the software development life cycle, specification, analysis, design, modeling, use cases, user interface design, planning, estimating, reusability, portability, working in teams, introductory project management, and CASE tools. Student teams will present their final project design.
This course introduces the concepts of large-scale system implementation. Topics include implementation of data models, user interfaces, and software systems, working in teams, software testing, planning, estimating, and post-delivery maintenance. Students will work in teams and utilize project management tools and revision control and source code management systems. Student teams will present their final project implementation.
This course provides an in-depth discussion of project management in an informatics setting. Students will become conversant in the tools and techniques of project management, such as project selection methods, work breakdown structures, network diagrams, critical-path analysis, critical-chain scheduling, cost estimates, earned-value management, motivation theory, and team building.
