Bachelor of Science in Informatics

Collaborative Online Degree

IU South Bend, in conjunction with the other IU campuses, offers a collaborative online Bachelor of Science in Informatics degree. This degree, offered exclusively online, is intended for distance education students. The courses are taught by various IU campuses on a rotational basis.

This program is authorized, exempt, or not subject to state regulatory compliance and may enroll students from all 50 states.

Many online support services are available to assist you as you progress through the program.

As technology becomes increasingly pervasive in our lives, there's a growing need for skills in managing the digital world, and in understanding the social impact of computing and the big picture of how people and technology connect. Informatics focuses on putting information technology to work solving today's problems in healthcare, privacy, security, education, poverty, and the environment. Your Bachelor of Science (BS) in Informatics will prepare you to develop technology solutions that address and anticipate the needs of today's world.

Every student in the online informatics program must complete a track (formerly referred to as a cognate) which is an area of specialization. Currently there are several tracks available, but student should check with an academic advisor to determine what additional tracks are available.

Admissions

Admissions requirements vary by campus.

Degree Requirements (120 cr.)

To graduate with the Bachelor of Science in Informatics, you must complete a total of 120 semester credit hours, broken down as follows. 

Requirements are broken down as follows:

• IU South Bend Campuswide General Education Curriculum (33 cr.) | 3 credits are satisfied by a course from the Major.

• Courses required for the Online Bachelor of Science in Informatics fulfill the Quantitative Reasoning requirement.

• Major Requirements (48 cr.)

• Core Courses (39 cr.)
• Informatics Electives (9 cr.)

• Track (15-18 cr.)
• Additional Requirements (16 cr.)
• World Language (0-6 cr.)
  Successful completion of a second-semester language class, designated as 102, or formal training, as evidenced by secondary or university diplomas, in a language other than English. The Department of World Language Studies (W.L.S.) offers a placement examination to determine into which semester a student should enroll and/or to qualify students for credit by examination.
• Free Electives (balance of credits needed to equal 120 credit requirement)

• Minimum of 30 credit hours at the 300– or 400–level.
• Courses required for the major must be completed with a grade of C or higher.
• A minimum CGPA of 2.0 is required.
• Students may be able to transfer an associate degree or up to 64 credit hours from a regionally accredited two-year college and up to 90 credits from a regionally accredited four-year college or university.
• All courses are 3 credit hours, unless otherwise designated.

Major Requirements (48 cr.)

Informatics Core Courses (39 cr.)

• INFO-C 100 Informatics Foundations
• INFO-C 112 Tools for Informatics: Programming and Databases
• INFO-C 201 Mathematical Foundations of Informatics
• INFO-C 203 Social Informatics
• INFO-C 210 Problem Solving and Programming I
• INFO-C 211 Problem Solving and Programming 2
• INFO-C 300 Human Computer Interaction
• INFO-C 307 Data Representation and Organization
• INFO-C 399 Database Systems
• INFO-C 413 Web Design and Development
• INFO-C 450 System Design
• INFO-C 451 System Implementation
• INFO-C 452 Project Management

Informatics Electives (9 cr.)

Tracks (15-18 cr.)

The Bachelor of Science in Informatics requires students to choose a track, or specific area of focus to better determine what kinds of people or systems that he or she would like to work with.

A track is an integrated program of courses taken outside of the School of Informatics. These courses emphasize the foundations, applications and/or implications of information technology in the chosen area.

List of Tracks

• Business
• Health Information Management
• Legal Informatics
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
• Sustainability

Business Track (18 cr.)

Demonstrate knowledge and skills in accounting and bookkeeping

Select one from the following:

• BUS-A 201 Introduction to Financial Accounting
• BUS-A 202 Introduction to Managerial Accounting

Demonstrate knowledge and skills in business and management

• BUS-J 404 Business and Society

Demonstrate knowledge and skills in marketing

Select one from the following:

• BUS-M 300 Introduction to Marketing
• BUS-M 301 Introduction to Marketing Management

Demonstrate knowledge and skills in human resource management

• BUS-Z 440 Personnel–Human Resource Management

Demonstrate knowledge and skills in financial management

Select one from the following:

• BUS-F 301 Financial Management
• BUS-F 302 Financial Decision Making

Demonstrate knowledge and skills in operations/supply chain management

Select one from the following:

• BUS-P 301 Operations Management
• BUS-P 421 Supply Chain Management

Health Information Management Track (15-18 cr.)

Demonstrate expertise in medical terminology

Select one from the following:

• AHLT-M 195 Medical Terminology
• AHLT-M 330 Medical Terminology
• HIM-M 195 Medical Terminology
• HIM-M 330 Medical Terminology

Develop familiarity with concepts in health information management

Select one from the following:

• AHLT-M 192 Introduction to Health Information Management and Reimbursement (2-3 cr.)
• AHLT-M 392 Introduction to Health Information Management and Reimbursement (2-3 cr.)
• HIM-M 101 Introduction to Health Records 
• HIM-M 108 Introduction to Health Information Management

Demonstrate expertise in healthcare information requirements and standards

Select one from the following:

• HIM-M 325 Healthcare Information Requirements and Standards I
• HIM-M 301 Healthcare Quality and Information Management
• HIM-M 325 Healthcare Information Requirements and Standards I

Demonstrate expertise in analysis of health information

Select one from the following:

• HIM-M 107 Computer Applications in Health Information Technology
• HIM-M 425 Quantitative Analysis of Health Information

Complete one of the following two learning outcomes:

Demonstrate expertise in pathophysiology and pharmacology

• HIM-M 350 Pathophysiology and Pharmacology for HIM I
• HIM M 351 Pathophysiology and Pharmacology for HIM II

Develop familiarity with electronic health information record systems.

• HIM-M 410 Computer Systems in Healthcare

Legal Informatics Track (15 cr.)

The Legal Informatics Cognate consists of the following five courses:

• INFO-C 401 Foundations in Legal Informatics
• INFO-C 402 Legal and Social Informatics of Security
• INFO-C 403 Electronic Discovery
• INFO-C 404 Litigation Support Systems and Courtroom Presentations
• INFO-C 405 Technology and the Law

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Track (18 cr.)

Students will demonstrate knowledge and skills in accounting and bookkeeping

• BUS-A 201 Introduction to Financial Accounting

Students will develop familiarity with concepts in Information Systems

• BUS-K 321 Management of Information Technology

Students will demonstrate knowledge and skills in functional areas of business

Select two from the following:

• BUS-F 301 Financial Management
• BUS-M 300 Introduction to Marketing
• BUS-P 301 Operations Management
• BUS-P 421 Supply Chain Managment

Students will demonstrate knowledge and skills in ERP Operations

• BUS-K 301 Enterprise Resource Planning

Students will demonstrate knowledge and skills in ERP Programming and Configuration

Select one from the following:

• BUS-K 440 Business Intelligence
• BUS-S 435 Advanced Topics in Computer Information Systems
  ERP related, consult academic advisor

Sustainability (15 cr.)

Core Learning Outcome 1: Students will demonstrate knowledge of how environment, society and economy are interrelated

• SUST-C 301 Fundamentals of Sustainability Studies

Core Learning Outcome 2: Students will apply principles of sustainability to innovatively solve problems and implement sustainable practices with at least one course in the sciences and one course in the social science/cultural/economics area. (9 cr.)

Science course options

• AHLT-H 331 Environmental Health
• GEOG-G 315 Environmental Conservation
• GEOL-G 185 Global Environmental Change
• GEOL-G 400 Energy Sources and Needs
• GEOL-G 476 Climate Change Science

Social Science, Cultural, Economic course options

• BUS-B 399 Business and Society
• GEOG-G 338 Geographic Information Systems
• PHIL-P 306 Business Ethics
• POLS-Y 307 Indiana State Government and Politics
• SOC-S 308 GLobal Society
• SUST-B 399 Human Behavior and Social Institutions
  VT: Just Food: Sustainable Food Systems

Core Learing Outcome 3: Students will apply sustainability principles to work and career choices

• SUST-C 490 Sustainability Practicum

Additional Requirements (16 cr.)

Physical and Life Sciences (10 cr.)

• Courses in at least two different sciences must be taken (Select from astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, or physics)

Mathematics (6 cr.)

A grade of C or higher in each course is required

• MATH-M 118 Finite Mathematics
• Statistics course (300–level or higher)