Students in the Informatics major study human-computer interaction, social computing, computer-supported cooperative work, ubiquitous computing, organizational computing, and other topics that address the relationship between information technology design and use in social and organizational settings. The Informatics major addresses the broad set of issues surrounding design, all from a multidisciplinary perspective that includes computer science, information science, organizational science, social science, and cognitive science.
Courses offer extensive treatment of the conceptual underpinnings of the discipline and provide in-depth practical experiences, often performed on real-world examples and involving outside organizations. Students completing the major will be well suited for advanced careers in information technology or for further study at the graduate level. Specific careers include, but are not limited to, system or information analyst; system or information designer; project manager; and user interface and interaction designer. Career settings include corporations, nonprofit organizations, start-ups, and independent consulting.