2023-24 Edition

Digital Information Systems, Minor

The minor in digital information systems is designed for students who want to learn about information systems and their role in business, without preparing to be computer programmers. Many businesses, whether commerce- or service-oriented, are now driven by the information their IT systems capture about customers, their habits, and relevant aspects of the business. Students completing the digital information systems minor learn about the “why” of digital information systems, the technological underpinnings of these systems, and constraints on their design and use.

The minor is ideally suited for students in programs such as business administration, economics, civil engineering or urban studies, where digital information systems are essential to the primary task at hand.

The minor includes course work covering the opportunities and limitations of digital information systems, their design and advanced topics such as information retrieval and visualization. Students completing the minor will gain practical experience designing digital information systems and their interfaces in a variety of different domains.

The minor offers flexibility in the courses that students choose to take, and does not require prior programming experience. While it is possible to enroll in more technical classes, it is also possible to complete the minor without taking courses in programming.

A. Select one of the following:
How Computers Work
Invitation to Computing
Introduction to Programming
B. Select two of the following:
Internet Technologies and their Social Impact
Human Factors for the Web
Global Disruption and Information Technology
The Internet and Public Policy
Programming with Software Libraries
Python Programming and Libraries (Accelerated)
Introduction to Software Engineering
Game Systems and Design
C. Select four of the following:
Human Computer Interaction
Project in Human-Computer Interaction Requirements and Evaluation
Information Visualization
Project in Ubiquitous Computing
Project Management
Social Analysis of Computing
Organizational Information Systems
Project in the Social and Organizational Impacts of Computing
Introduction to Medical Informatics
Project in Health Informatics

NOTE: Bren School of ICS majors may not minor in Digital Information Systems. Courses used to complete the minor in Digital Information Systems may not also count toward the requirements for the Information and Computer Science minor or the Informatics minor.