Bachelor of Arts in Informatics and Interactive Media Arts

Informatics is understanding the impact of technology and information on people, the development of new uses for technology, and the application of information technology in the context of another field. Interactive Media Arts is an area of research and practice in Integrated New Media Studies (INMS), a unique, interdisciplinary academic program in the field of new media. The computer and computer technologies are at the core of both Informatics & Integrated New Media Studies, including the means of preparation, production, exhibition, application, and distribution.

The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Informatics and Interactive Media Arts (IIMA) is an innovative interdisciplinary degree program that brings together expertise from Informatics, Computer Science, and New Media. This is a joint program between the Department of Computer and Information Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Department of Integrated New Media Studies in the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts.

Future professionals require both technical as well as design and artistic skills. IIMA provides a balanced interdisciplinary approach to prepare students for these new and future positions in information technology, communication, industry, entertainment, and other professions. In general, these positions require diverse skills such as computational thinking, problem solving, computer programming, user interface design, database programming, data visualization, interactive media design, game design, web design, video, 3D animation and modeling, and others. The curriculum from the sciences and new media arts complement each other to fulfill current and future real-world careers. It creates innovative educational opportunities for students and a talented pool of graduates for employers to satisfy critical market needs.

Students majoring in IIMA will be able to select from the following concentrations: Web, Game, Video, 3D, and Individualized. Consult with an IIMA faculty advisor to learn about the available concentrations.

Academic Advising

Students should contact the Informatics program office (info@cs.iusb.edu or (574) 520-5521) before their first semester to schedule a meeting with an Informatics advisor to develop a plan for their academic course of study.

Students with substantial prior computer programming experience could take the course placement exams to assess their computer programming skills.

Advising holds are placed on all IIMA students prior to advance registration and are reset following advising appointments. To determine who your assigned advisor is and how to contact them, visit One.IU and search using the term “advisor”.

Degree Requirements (120 cr.)

Degree Map >>

Students receiving the Bachelor of Arts degree in Informatics and Interactive Media Arts must complete 120 total credit hours including:

• IU South Bend Campuswide General Education Curriculum (26-39 cr.) to include the following: the following major courses satisfy General Education requirements:
  • MATH-M 118 Finite Mathematics
  • INFO-I 101 Introduction to Informatics (4 cr.)
    Computer Literacy
  • INFO-I 310 Multimedia Arts and Technology
    Visual Literacy
  • INMS-A 399 Art, Aesthetics, and Creativity
    VT: The Artist and New Media Art
• College of Liberal Arts and Science General Education Requirements (14-23 cr.)
  Includes junior/senior-level writing, world languages, Western Culture Before 1800, and natural science course and laboratory.
• Major Requirements (78-87 cr.)
  • Foundation courses (34 cr.)
  • Concentration (18 cr.)
  • Mathematics (3 cr.)
    A grade of C or higher is required
  • Electives (6 cr.)
  • INFO/INMS Capstone Project (3 cr.)
• Free Electives (balance of credits needed to equal 120 credit requirement)

• Minimum of 30 credit hours at the 300– or 400–level.
• A minimum CGPA of 2.0 is required.
• At least 32 of the 61 major course (INMS/INFO/CSCI) credit hours must be taken within Indiana University South Bend. A grade of C- or higher in each course is required unless otherwise specified.
• All courses are 3 credit hours, unless otherwise noted.

Major Requirements (78-87 cr.)

Foundation Courses (34 cr.)

Informatics Foundations (19 cr.)

• INFO-I 101 Introduction to Informatics (4 cr.)
  A grade of C or better is required
• INFO-I 201 Mathematical Foundations of Informatics (4 cr.)
• INFO-I 210 Information Infrastructure I (4 cr.)
  Test out is available
• INFO-I 211 Information Infrastructure II (4 cr.)
  Test out is available
• INFO-I 310 Multimedia Arts and Technology

New Media Foundations (15 cr.)

• INMS-N 111 New Media Composition and Aesthetics I
• INMS-N 112 New Media Composition and Aesthetics II
• INMS-N 201 Digital 3D Art and Design 1
• INMS-N 283 Introduction to Production Techniques and Practices
• INMS-N 325 Multimodal Design

Concentration Area

Select one area from the following:

Game

• INFO-I 400 Topics in Informatics
  VT: Game Programming 1
• INFO-I 400 Topics in Informatics
  VT: Game Programming 2
• INFO-I 400 Topics in Informatics
  VT: Game Programming 3
• INFO-I 254 2D Games Programming
• INFO-I 355 3D Games Programming
• INFO-I 456 Integrated Games Development
• INMS-N 212 Interactive Game Design 1
• INMS-N 313 Interactive Game Design 2
• INMS-N 414 Interactive Game Design 3

Web

• INFO-I 400 Topics in Informatics
  VT: Web Programming 1
• INFO-I 400 Topics in Informatics
  VT: Web Programming 2
• INFO-I 400 Topics in Informatics
  VT: Web Programming 3
• CSCI-A 340 An Introduction to Web Programming
• INFO-I 213 Web Site Design and Development
• INFO-I 400 Topics in Informatics
  VT: Client-Server Web Programming
• INMS-N 442 Workshop in Integrated Web Design 2
• INMS-N 443 Workshop in Integrated Web Design 3
• INMS-N 444 Workshop in Integrated Web Design

Video

• CSCI-C 481 Integrative Computer Graphics
• INFO-I 300 Human-Computer Interaction Design and Programming
• INFO-I 400 Topics in Informatics VT: Multimedia Web Programming
  
• VT: Interactive Computer Graphics
  VT: Visual Thinking, Meaning, and Form
• INMS-N 300 Video Art
• INMS-N 322 Cinema in New Media
• TEL-T 336 Digital Video Production

3D

• CSCI-C 481 Interactive Computer Graphics
• INFO-I 254 2D Games Programming
• INFO-I 355 3D Games Programming
• INFO-I 400 Topics in Informatics
  VT: Game Programming 1
• INFO-I 400 Topics in Informatics
  VT: Game Programming 2
• INMS-N 302 Digital 3D Art and Design 2
• INMS-N 303 Digital 3D Art and Design 3
• INMS-N 337 Advanced Motion Graphics and Compositing

Individualized (choose courses in consultation with IIMA Faculty Advisor)

• 3 INMS Design Courses from the concentrations
• 3 CSCI/INFO Programming Courses from the Concentrations

Capstone Requirement (3 cr.)

• Students are required to complete an integrated capstone course in Informatics and Integrated New Media Studies. Proposed:
• CSCI-C 486 Senior Capstone Project; OR
  INFO-C 452 Project Management; OR
  INMS-S 499 Bachelor of Fine Arts Review in Integrated New Media Studies

Mathematics Requirement (3 cr.)

• MATH-M 118 Finite Mathematics

Electives

Informatics Electives (3 cr.)

Select one from the following:

• CSCI-C 481 Interactive Computer Graphics
• INFO-I 202 Social Informatics
• INFO-I 213 Website Design and Development
• INFO-I 300 Human-Computer Interaction Design and Programming
• INFO-I 400 Topics in Informatics
  VT: Mobile Application Development
• INFO-I 400 Topics in Informatics
  VT: Embedded and Real-time Systems
• Additional INFO or CSCI courses with the chair’s approval

New Media Electives (3 cr.)

Select one (or more) from the following:

• INMS-A 399 Art, Aesthetics, and Creativity
  VT: The Artist and New Media Art
• INMS-N 308 Integrated New Media Studies Internship
• INMS-N 369 Interactive Multimedia
• INMS-N 427 Advanced Integrated New Media Workshop
• INMS-N 430 Topical Seminar in New Media
• INMS-N 497 Independent Study in New Media
• TEL-T 498 Projects in Telecommunications (1 to 3 cr.)
• Any other course from a concentration different from the chosen one
• Other New Media 300– or 400–level course with the chair’s approval