August 3, 2023
Overview
The University of Pittsburgh School of Computing and Information (SCI) offers two exciting minors and a certificate for undergraduate students. Each course of study can be undertaken to demonstrate your commitment to programming, data literacy, and other valuable skills necessary for working in today’s digital world. Enrolling in one of the minors or the certificate program is a great way to demonstrate your commitment to cultivating serious, hands-on skills when it comes to building applications, working with data, and more. Adam Lee, Associate Dean for Academic Programs, said, “The minors within the School of Computing and Information provide substantive pathways for students to engage with our curriculum, either as a complement to another major or as a path towards exploring deeper study within computing and information at the undergraduate or graduate levels.” Starting in the 2023 fall term, the Information Science (IS) minor is being offered for the first time ever! What’s more, there are four different pathways you can take within the minor, allowing students to choose an area of emphasis within their plan of study. This is an exciting chance to develop highly marketable skills that you can use to work on a range of technical projects within your field.
Minor in Information Science
The IS minor is a fantastic opportunity to learn how to capture, store, clean, and interpret data, build digital systems, or even design games! In today’s networked economy, these and other skills taught within the IS minor are highly sought after in nearly every industry. Regardless of the pathway chosen, all students enrolled in the IS minor must complete an intermediate course in programming. Students have the choice of either Intermediate Programming with Python or Intermediate Programming Using Java to satisfy this requirement. The remainder of the minor consists of four elective courses. While following a pathway within the minor is optional, they can help direct students towards coursework that aligns with their learning goals.
The first of these pathways is a general pathway, which will allow students to survey different topics within the field of information science. Students might take courses like Computation in Information Science or Human-Centered Systems to learn about the different areas of information science research and how methods from the discipline can be utilized to stage interventions in their own field. A second option for students is the User Experience pathway. In this course of study, students will take classes that train them to apply design principles to the creation of technical projects that have been built with users in mind. Some of the suggested courses for this pathway include User Experience Engineering and IT Project Management. The Data Analytics pathway is the third course of study available to students, focusing primarily on using the Python programming language to wrangle, clean, and interpret data. They will also learn how to produce impactful data visualizations and work with database management systems. Students interested in this course of study would benefit from having prior experience working in Python. The final pathway is the Cybersecurity course of study within the IS minor. Students will learn core concepts related to the establishment and maintenance of secure digital networks. They will also study core concepts related to cybersecurity and leverage them in their practical work.
The IS minor is compatible with every major and will endow students with highly employable skills that are desired across a wide range of industries. It is a great way for students to discover they have an affinity for data wrangling or applying design principles when building an interface. Those same skills can also be applied within students’ coursework for their major. Whether you’re interested in writing an algorithm that will read a novelist’s entire corpus or you want to analyze crosstabs in R to understand how voting patterns have shifted, the IS minor will provide you with the skills necessary to conduct innovative work in any major. Students studying business, the humanities, social sciences, or another STEM discipline all stand to benefit from this course of study. Complete information related to the minor can be found here.
Minor in Computer Science
The minor in Computer Science (CS) is also an excellent option for students who want to learn how to program, build applications, and more. It consists of five classes from the “core” six courses that are required to complete the CS major. As a result, it is a substantive credential that will allow students pursuing the minor to gain many of the basic competences that CS majors are also developing. Thus, the minor is a terrific opportunity for students looking to round out their program of study with proof of their skills in writing algorithms or developing software. Moreover, the core skills gained through completing the CS minor will benefit all students irrespective of their major.
The five courses for the CS minor amount to 16 credits in total. Students must take Intermediate Programming Using Java, Algorithms and Data Structures, Computer Organization and Assembly Language, and Algorithms and Data Structures 2. They must also take either Discrete Structures for CS or Introduction to Systems Software. Please note that Intermediate Programming in Java is not intended for first-time programmers. Students without programming experience are advised to take Introduction to Programming with Java prior to Intermediate Programming using Java. Additionally, Discrete Structures for CS is a prerequisite for Algorithms and Data Structures 2. Some students with advanced mathematical skills (i.e., those majoring in Mathematics or a related field) may be able to waive Discrete Structures for CS for Algorithms and Data Structures 2. As a result, a typical sequence of courses for most students will consist of Intermediate Programming Using Java, Discrete structures for CS, Algorithms and Data Structures 1, Computer Organization and Assembly Language, and Algorithms and Data Structures 2. Students who waive Discrete Structures for CS will take Introduction to Systems Software in its stead. This sequence of courses will expose students to the fundamentals of computer science, and they will gain experience working with the Java programming language.
The CS minor is complementary to any major. Students interested in learning how to develop their own computer programs or work in Java would benefit greatly from this course of study. It is also a great opportunity for students working in quantitative fields to use their knowledge to address exciting new challenges. More detailed information on the major can be found here.
Information System Design Certificate
This certificate is offered jointly with the College of General Studies (CGS). The sequence of courses comprising the Information System Design Certificate curriculum will prepare students to design, maintain, and protect the systems that power today’s world. The certificate is an excellent option for students looking to transition into information technology (IT) roles, as well as those who are not majoring in an affiliate discipline but are interested in preparing for graduate studies in the field. The core of the certificate program consists of 15 required credit-hours, as well as a 3-credit elective course. The required courses consist of Intermediate Programming Using Java, Database Management Concepts and Applications, Analysis of Information Systems, Human-Centered Systems, and Networks and Information.
The Information System Design certificate is a great way to gain exposure to some of the core skills associated with IT management. A full list of courses approved as electives, along with more comprehensive information about the certificate, can be found here.
Undertaking a minor or certificate offered through SCI is a fantastic way to gain technological literacy and demonstrate that commitment to future employers. For additional information about these or any other academic programs offered through SCI, contact sciadmit@pitt.edu.
--Daniel Beresheim
