In every profession, actions are taken, and decisions are made, using information, systems, and/or networks. Companies collect data to determine future product lines, banks depend upon complex and real-time systems to move money, while all governments depend on the secure transmission of data across regional and international networks. Whether you plan to work in healthcare, manufacturing, finance, education, politics, or sales, having skills in system design, network management, and data analysis will make you more marketable to employers. This minor can complement numerous undergraduate majors.
Required Courses
Students take one required programming course and a select combination of electives to design a program of study that best suits their potential career goals.
Required Programming Course
Choose one of the following:
- INFSCI 0201 - Intermediate Programming with Python
- CMINF 0401 - Intermediate Programming in Java
If students have equivalent skills in programming (Java, Python), they may substitute a different INFSCI course in place of INFSCI 201 or CMPINF 0401. This requires approval from the advisor.
Minor Electives
In addition to the required programming course, students will select four INFSCI courses numbered 0100 or greater.
Pathways
Students can also choose from optional pathways for their electives requirement, which are comprised of courses clustered together to achieve a specific educational or professional goal.
- General Minor
The most general path comprises the core components of Information Science - Human Centered Systems, Data Analysis, and Networks and Information.
Suggested classes include:
- INFSCI 0310 - COMPUTATION IN INFORMATION SCIENCE
- INFSCI 0410 - HUMAN-CENTERED SYSTEMS
- INFSCI 0510 - DATA ANALYSIS
- INFSCI 0610 - NETWORKS AND INFORMATION
- Cybersecurity
In the Cybersecurity pathway, students learn fundamental Information Science techniques such as mathematical and agent-based modeling facilitating the establishment of cybersecurity through an understanding of networks (in particular the Internet), and foundational/practical concepts in network and information system security.
Suggested classes include:
- INFSCI 0310 - COMPUTATION IN INFORMATION SCIENCE
- INFSCI 0610 - NETWORKS AND INFORMATION
- INFSCI 1049 - INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION SECURITY
- INFSCI 1600 - SECURITY AND PRIVACY INFSCI 1620 - ADVANCED SECURITY AND PRIVACY
- INFSCI 1630 - COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
- INFSCI 1640 - WIRELESS NETWORKS
- Data Analytics
A rigorous Python programming grounding (INFSCI 0201) is recommended for the Data Analytics pathway. This pathway creates the competencies to (i) scrape, munge, explore data from different sources including the web, (ii) work with database management systems, including relational, graph, and document databases (iii) build models of data in Python/R ranging such as linear and logistic regression, support vector machines, Bayesian inference and time series (iv) do Monte-Carlo and discrete event simulations in Python and (v) examine and visualize network data using Python/R Visualize different types of data and create interactive visualizations using Python, R (ggplot), or D3.js.
Suggested classes include:
- INFSCI 0310 - COMPUTATION IN INFORMATION SCIENCE
- INFSCI 0510 - DATA ANALYSIS
- INFSCI 0530 - DECISION-MAKING IN SPORTS
- INFSCI 1500 - DATABASE MANAGEMENT CONCEPTS AND APPLICATIONS
- INFSCI 1520 - INFORMATION VISUALIZATION
- INFSCI 1530 - DATA MINING
- User Experience
The User Experience pathway prepares students with the skills and capabilities to design and develop technology solutions that address problems and improve the user experience. Guided by the design-thinking process, students tackle problems by assessing the needs and goals of users and other stakeholders; learn how to develop quality solutions through ideation, prototyping, and testing; and strengthen their communication skills in order to work across a variety of stakeholders and users.
Suggested classes include:
- INFSCI 0410 - HUMAN-CENTERED SYSTEMS
- INFSCI 0510 - DATA ANALYSIS
- INFSCI 1400 - ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS
- INFSCI 1430 - USER EXPERIENCE ENGINEERING
- INFSCI 1450 - GAME DESIGN
- INFSCI 1460 - IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
View full minor in information science requirements in the Pitt Course Catalog.
It is recommended that students declare this minor by the end of the term in which they will earn 90 credits, to ensure enough time to enroll in appropriate and/or desired courses. Students are welcome to declare the Minor in Information Science prior to that time. The minor can be declared through the Undergraduate Minor Declaration/Change Form.
Interested in learning more about Information Science? Check out our full information science undergraduate degree.