UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS, MINORS, AND ASSOCIATED AREAS OF STUDY
DONALD BREN SCHOOL OF INFORMATION AND COMPUTER SCIENCES INFORMATICS Within the overall discipline of information and computer science, the Informatics major is concerned with the relationship between what is inside the computer and what is outside. The Informatics major addresses the broad set of issues surrounding design, ranging from initial requirements gathering to estimating and measuring the impact of alternative solutions—all from a multidisciplinary perspective that includes computer science, information science, organizational science, social science, and cognitive science. Informatics is the interdisciplinary study of the design, application, use, and impact of information technology. It goes beyond technical design, to focus on the relationship between information system design and use in real-world settings. These investigations lead to new forms of system architecture, new approaches to system design and development, new means of information system implementation and deployment, and new models of interaction between technology and social, cultural, and organizational settings. Within the overall discipline of information and computer science, the Informatics major is the most outward looking. Traditional computer science concerns itself primarily with the internal features, structure, and behavior of computer systems; the Informatics major focuses more on the relationship between what is inside the computer and what is outside. So, courses in the Informatics major study software architecture; software development, design, and analysis; programming languages; ubiquitous computing; information retrieval and management; human-computer interaction; computer-supported cooperative work; and other topics that address the relationship between information technology design and use in social and organizational settings. As such, the Informatics major addresses the broad set of issues surrounding design, ranging from initial requirements gathering to estimating and measuring the impact of alternative solutions—all from a multidisciplinary perspective that includes computer science, information science, organizational science, social science, and cognitive science. Courses in the degree program are carefully designed to offer extensive treatment of the conceptual underpinnings of the discipline and provide in-depth practical experiences, often performed on real-world examples and involving outside organizations sponsoring the project. Students completing the major will be exceptionally suited for advanced careers in information technology or for further study at the graduate level. Specific careers include, but certainly are not limited to: software engineer; software architect; system, software, and information analyst; system, software, and information designer; project manager; and interface and interaction designer. Career choices include new start-ups, multinational corporations, small software houses, consultancy, and game companies. Informatics majors may also choose to complete the Game Culture and Technology concentration, an interdisciplinary course of study requiring a total of eight courses (32 units) from the Bren School of ICS and Claire Trevor School of the Arts (Department of Studio Art). - From the 2007-2008 UCI General Catalogue |
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