Information Science (iSci) majors study concepts and examine issues at the nexus of people, data, information, and computing. Majors gain the knowledge and skills to create data-driven technologies and to make them work for real communities. Information Science focuses on the ethical, cultural, and social factors in design and use of information technology-based and data-driven systems. Majors become adept in the creation, management, retrieval, and curation of data and information. The major emphasizes designing systems that foster well-being and support the public good.
How to Get in
Students must have a 2.000 GPA on coursework counting in the major, and a 2.000 GPA on any upper-level work in the major completed prior to declaration. No specific coursework must be completed to declare. For students below a 2.000 GPA, please contact iSciadvising@ischool.wisc.edu to discuss options and a path to declaring the Information Science major.
It is recommended that students declare the major as early as possible to plan for required coursework. First semester students without a calculated GPA are eligible to declare. For instructions on declaring the Information Science major, please see the Information Science webpage.
University General Education Requirements
All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.
| General Education |
* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements. |
College of Letters & Science Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Students pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. The College of Letters & Science allows this major to be paired with either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science curriculum.
Bachelor of Arts Degree Requirements
| Mathematics | Complete the University General Education Requirements for Quantitative Reasoning A (QR-A) and Quantitative Reasoning B (QR-B) coursework. |
| Language |
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| LS Breadth |
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| Liberal Arts and Science Coursework | Complete at least 108 credits. |
| Depth of Intermediate/Advanced work | Complete at least 60 credits at the intermediate or advanced level. |
| Major | Declare and complete at least one major. |
| Total Credits | Complete at least 120 credits. |
| UW-Madison Experience |
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| Quality of Work |
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Non–L&S students pursuing an L&S major
Non–L&S students who have permission from their school/college to pursue an additional major within L&S only need to fulfill the major requirements. They do not need to complete the L&S Degree Requirements above.
Requirements for the Major
Students must complete a minimum of 30 total credits as detailed below.
Core Information Science Coursework
Complete 21 credits of Core Information Science Coursework from these options:
- L I S courses in the Breadth Coursework lists (counts for both Core and Breadth)
- Additional Core L I S Coursework
- COMP SCI 570 (counts for both Core and Breadth)
Breadth Coursework
Complete one course and at least 3 credits from each category. Non-L I S courses completed in each category satisfy breadth and count towards the Approved Electives.
Ethics, Computing & Society
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| L I S 201 | The Information Society | 4 |
| L I S 202 | Informational Divides and Differences in a Multicultural Society | 3 |
| L I S 220 | Digital Footprints: Privacy and Technology | 3 |
| L I S/LEGAL ST 460 | Surveillance, Privacy, and Police Powers | 3 |
| L I S 461 | Data and Algorithms: Ethics and Policy | 3-4 |
| L I S 500 | Code and Power | 3 |
| L I S/LEGAL ST 663 | Introduction to Cyberlaw | 3 |
Computational Techniques and Tools
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| L I S 351 | Introduction to Digital Information | 3 |
| L I S/COMP SCI 472 | Introduction to Web Development | 3 |
| L I S 501 | Introduction to Text Mining | 3 |
| COMP SCI/L I S 102 | Introduction to Computing | 3 |
| COMP SCI 200 | Programming I | 3 |
| COMP SCI 220 | Data Science Programming I | 4 |
| COMP SCI 300 | Programming II | 3 |
| COMP SCI 368 | Learning a Programming Language | 1 |
| STAT 433 | Data Science with R (Complete one course at least 3 credits) | 3 |
Principles of Information and Data Science
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| L I S 440 | Navigating the Data Revolution: Concepts of Data & Information Science | 3 |
| L I S 464 | Applied Database Design | 3 |
| STAT 240 | Data Science Modeling I | 4 |
Designing for Human Computer Interaction
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| L I S 470 | Interaction Design Studio | 3 |
| L I S 646 | Introduction to Info Architecture and Interaction Design for the Web | 3 |
| COMP SCI 570 | Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction | 3 |
| I SY E/PSYCH 349 | Introduction to Human Factors | 3 |
Communicating Digitally
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| L I S 350 | History and Future of Books | 3 |
| L I S 407 | Data Storytelling with Visualization | 3 |
| COM ARTS 200 | Introduction to Digital Communication | 3 |
Additional Core L I S Coursework
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| L I S 301 | Information Literacies in Online Spaces | 3 |
| L I S 340 | Topics in Information Studies - Social Aspects | 3 |
| L I S 341 | Topics in Information Studies - Technological Aspects | 1-3 |
| L I S/AFRICAN/COM ARTS 444 | Technology and Development in Africa and Beyond | 3 |
| L I S 510 | Human Factors in Information Security | 3 |
| L I S/NURSING 517 | Digital Health: Information and Technologies Supporting Consumers and Patients | 3 |
| L I S/LEGAL ST 645 | Intellectual Freedom | 3 |
Career/Community/Internship Coursework
Complete 1-6 credits in a hands-on learning course. No more than 6 credits may be counted towards this requirement. Some courses may have additional requisites to enroll.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| INTER-LS 210 | L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative | 1 |
| INTER-LS 215 | Communicating About Careers | 3 |
| INTER-LS/INTER-AG 250 | Undergraduate Research Experience | 1-3 |
| INTER-LS 260 | Internship in the Liberal Arts and Sciences | 1 |
| COM ARTS 605 | Digital Studies Capstone | 1 |
| COMP SCI/STAT 403 | Internship Course in Comp Sci and Data Science | 1 |
| DS 601 | Internship | 1-8 |
| GEN BUS 450 | Professional Experience in Business | 1 |
| INTER-HE 202 | SoHE Career & Leadership Development | 1 |
| INTL ST 322 | Washington DC Semester in International Affairs Internship Seminar | 4 |
| INTL ST 523 | International Internship | 1-3 |
| INTL ST 622 | Washington DC Sem in International Affairs Seminar | 4 |
| JOURN 697 | Internship | 1-3 |
| L I S 399 | Independent Reading and Research | 1-4 |
| LSC 399 | Coordinative Internship/Cooperative Education | 1-8 |
| POLI SCI 402 | Wisconsin in Washington Internship Course | 4 |
| PUB AFFR 327 | Administrative Internship | 3 |
Approved Electives
Complete additional coursework to reach 30 credits in the major from the following list, all Breadth Coursework, or Additional Core L I S Coursework list.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACT SCI 652 | Fundamentals of Short-Term Actuarial Modeling | 3 |
| COM ARTS 155 | Introduction to Digital Media Production | 4 |
| COM ARTS 345 | Online Communication and Personal Relationships | 3 |
| COM ARTS 346 | Critical Internet Studies | 3 |
| COM ARTS 478 | Rhetoric and Power on the Internet | 3 |
| COM ARTS 509 | Digital Media and Political Communication | 3 |
| COM ARTS 577 | Dynamics of Online Relationships | 3 |
| COMP SCI/E C E 252 | Introduction to Computer Engineering | 3 |
| COMP SCI 304 | WES-CS Group Meeting | 1 |
| COMP SCI 310 | Problem Solving Using Computers | 3 |
| COMP SCI/E C E 354 | Machine Organization and Programming | 3 |
| COMP SCI 400 | Programming III | 3 |
| COMP SCI 402 | Introducing Computer Science to K-12 Students | 2 |
| COMP SCI 407 | Foundations of Mobile Systems and Applications | 3 |
| COMP SCI/E C E 506 | Software Engineering | 3 |
| COMP SCI 542 | Introduction to Software Security | 3 |
| COMP SCI 564 | Database Management Systems: Design and Implementation | 4 |
| CNSR SCI 257 | Introduction to Retail | 2 |
| CNSR SCI 301 | Consumer Analytics | 3 |
| DS 120 | Design: Fundamentals I | 3 |
| DS 140 | Visual Thinking - Form and Space | 3 |
| DS 221 | Person and Environment Interactions | 3 |
| DS 321 | Problem-definition: Design Programming | 3 |
| DS 341 | Design Thinking for Transformation | 3 |
| DS 451 | Color Theory and Technology | 3 |
| DS/COMP SCI 579 | Virtual Reality | 3 |
| DS 679 | Research Methods in Design | 3 |
| GEN BUS 306 | Business Analytics I | 3 |
| GEN BUS 307 | Business Analytics II | 3 |
| GEN BUS 656 | Machine Learning for Business Analytics | 3 |
| HIST SCI 150 | The Digital Age | 3 |
| I SY E 348 | Introduction to Human Factors Engineering Laboratory | 1 |
| I SY E 350 | Industrial Engineering Design I | 3 |
| I SY E 450 | Industrial Engineering Design II | 3 |
| I SY E/COMP SCI/DS 518 | Wearable Technology | 3 |
| INFO SYS 322 | Introduction to Databases | 3 |
| INFO SYS 371 | Technology of Computer-Based Business Systems | 3 |
| INFO SYS 424 | Systems Analysis and Design | 3 |
| JOURN 175 | Media Fluency for the Digital Age | 3 |
| JOURN 411 | Multimedia Design | 4 |
| JOURN 463 | Digital Media Strategies | 4 |
| JOURN/COM ARTS/LSC 617 | Health Communication in the Information Age | 3 |
| JOURN 622 | The Impact of Emerging Media | 3 |
| LSC 340 | Misinformation, Fake News, and Correcting False Beliefs about Science | 3 |
| LSC 350 | Visualizing Science and Technology | 3 |
| LSC 432 | Social Media for the Life Sciences | 3 |
| LSC 440 | Digital Media and Science Communication | 3 |
| LSC 460 | Social Media Analytics | 3 |
| LSC 532 | Web Design for the Sciences | 3 |
| LSC/COM ARTS/JOURN 617 | Health Communication in the Information Age | 3 |
| MARKETNG 355 | Marketing in a Digital Age | 3 |
| MARKETNG/OTM 427 | Information Technology in Supply Chains | 3 |
| MARKETNG 445 | Digital Marketing Analytics | 3 |
| OTM/MARKETNG 427 | Information Technology in Supply Chains | 3 |
| OTM 453 | Operations Analytics | 3 |
| PUB AFFR 281 | Discovering What Works in Health Policy | 3 |
| PUB AFFR 380 | Analytic Tools for Public Policy | 3 |
| PUB AFFR 523 | Policy, Privacy, and Personal Identity in the Postgenomics Era | 3 |
| R M I 670 | Cyber Risk & Regulations | 2-3 |
| STAT 433 | Data Science with R | 3 |
Residence & Quality of Work in the Major
- Minimum 2.000 GPA in all L I S and major courses
- Minimum 2.000 GPA computed on 15 credits of upper-level work in the major1
- Minimum 15 credits in L I S courses taken on the UW-Madison campus2
Footnotes
- 1
All Intermediate or Advanced-level courses are considered upper-level in the major.
- 2
A course is considered “at UW-Madison” when it is taken on the UW-Madison campus.
University Degree Requirements
| Total Degree | To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements. |
| Residency | Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs. |
| Quality of Work | Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation. |
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate understanding of ways in which the policies, ethics, and values associated with information systems can affect society
- Demonstrate understanding of the relationships between information, cognition, and human social activity
- Apply design principles and information science concepts to improve information systems and solve problems
- Apply introductory data analysis and data quality management approaches and communicate results
- Apply computational tools to accomplish goals and meet human needs
- Communicate well in oral, written, and visual forms
Four-Year Plan
This Four-Year Plan is only one way a student may complete an L&S degree with this major. Many factors can affect student degree planning, including placement scores, credit for transferred courses, credits earned by examination, and individual scholarly interests. In addition, many students have commitments (e.g., athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, work and volunteer experiences) that necessitate they adjust their plans accordingly. Informed students engage in their own unique Wisconsin Experience by consulting their academic advisors, Guide, DARS, and Course Search & Enroll for assistance making and adjusting their plan.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Communications A | 3 | L I S 201, 350, or 461 (Meets Communications B Requirement) | 3 |
| L I S/COMP SCI 102 | 3 | Literature Breadth | 3 |
| Foreign Language (if needed) | 3 | Humanities or Social Sciences Breadth | 5 |
| Humanities or Social Sciences Breadth | 5 | Electives | 3 |
| 14 | 14 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| L I S 440 (meets Quantitative Reasoning B) | 3 | L I S 202 (Meets Ethnic Studies Requirement) | 3 |
| Biological Science Breadth | 3 | INTER-LS 210 (Meets Career/Community/Internship Requirement) | 1 |
| Humanities or Social Sciences Breadth | 3 | Literature Breadth | 3 |
| Elective | 6 | Biological Sciences Breadth (if needed) | 3 |
| Intermediate/Advanced COMPSCI, MATH or STAT (if BS) or Elective (if BA) | 3 | ||
| Electives | 2 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Communicating Digitally course | 3 | Ethics, Computing & Society course | 3 |
| Human Computer Interaction course | 3 | Career/Community/Internship course (if needed) or other Intermediate or Advanced Electives | 3 |
| Physical Sciences Breadth | 3 | Humanities or Social Sciences Breadth if needed | 3 |
| Intermediate/Advanced COMPSCI, MATH or STAT (if BS) or Intermediate or Advanced elective (if BA) | 3 | Sciences Breadth if needed | 3 |
| Humanities or Social Sciences Breadth | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| Information and Data Science course | 3 | Computational Techniques and Tools course | 3 |
| Complete Core Information Science coursework or other Intermediate or Advanced Electives | 10 | Complete Information Science Coursework Requirement or other Intermediate or Advanced Electives | 10 |
| Humanities or Social Sciences Breadth (if needed) | 3 | Humanities or Social Sciences Breadth (if needed) | 3 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
Advising and Careers
Looking for Information Science advising?
Students who are interested in information science academic advising for the major should visit the Information School website or contact the advisor by email at iSciAdvising@ischool.wisc.edu.
L&S Career Resources
Every L&S major opens a world of possibilities. SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students turn the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and other coursework into fulfilling lives after graduation, whether that means jobs, public service, graduate school or other career pursuits.
In addition to providing basic support like resume reviews and interview practice, SuccessWorks offers ways to explore interests and build career skills from their very first semester/term at UW all the way through graduation and beyond.
Students can explore careers in one-on-one advising, try out different career paths, complete internships, prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications, and connect with supportive alumni and even employers in the fields that inspire them.
- SuccessWorks
- Set up a career advising appointment
- Enroll in a Career Course - a great idea for first- and second-year students:
- INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit)
- INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Comm B General Education Requirement)
- Learn about internships and internship funding
- INTER-LS 260 Internship in the Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Activate your Handshake account to apply for jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers recruiting UW-Madison students
- Learn about the impact SuccessWorks has on students' lives
People
Please visit the iSchool Website for a complete list of faculty, instructional, and academic staff.
Resources and Scholarships
Visit Scholarships@UW–Madison to find UW–Madison scholarships and apply online.
Visit the scholarships page on the Information School website for a compendium of opportunities available to students studying information sciences.