Information Science, B.S.
Entrance Requirements
New freshmen who meet University admissions standards are eligible for admission to degree programs offered by the School of Information Science.
A student who wishes to enter the School of Information Science from another college on the Columbia campus must be in good standing and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher. A student who wishes to enter the School of Information Science from another USC campus must fulfill one of the following requirements:
- Be in good standing, meet the admission requirements for a baccalaureate degree on the Columbia campus, and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher.
- Be in good standing and have completed 30 semester hours with a GPA of 2.00 or higher on a USC campus.
A student who wishes to enter the School of Information Science from another institution must have a cumulative GPA of 2.25.
Degree Requirements (120 hours)
Program of Study
| Requirements | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| 1. Carolina Core | 31-44 |
| 2. College Requirements | 0 |
| 3. Program Requirements | 40-53 |
| 4. Major Requirements | 36 |
Founding Documents Requirement
All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade in the subject areas of History, Political Science, or African American Studies that covers the founding documents including the United State Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation and one or more documents that are foundational to the African American Freedom struggle, and a minimum of five essays from the Federalist papers. This course may count as a requirement in any part of the program of study including the Carolina Core, the major, minor or cognate, or as a general elective. Courses that meet this requirement are listed here.
Requirements (120 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Carolina Core (31-44 hours) | ||
| CMW - Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written 1 | ||
| ENGL 101 | Critical Reading and Composition | 3 |
| ENGL 102 | Rhetoric and Composition | 3 |
| ARP - Analytical Reasoning and Problem Solving | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Statistical Reasoning | ||
| Statistics and the Media | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
| Elementary Statistics for the Biological and Life Sciences | ||
| Elementary Statistics for Business | ||
| CC-ARP course(s) (Select one) | 3 | |
| SCI - Scientific Literacy | ||
| Select two of the following, including one laboratory course: | 7 | |
| GFL - Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language | ||
| Students in the School of Information Science are required to demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the 110 or 121 course through course credit or the corresponding foreign language placement score. | ||
| CC-GFL course(s) | 0-6 | |
| GHS - Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking | ||
| CC-GHS course(s) | 3 | |
| GSS - Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences | ||
| CC-GSS course(s) | 3 | |
| AIU - Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding | ||
| CC-AIU course(s) | 3 | |
| CMS - Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component 2 | ||
| CC-CMS course(s) | 0-3 | |
ISCI recommends one of the following CC-CMS courses: | ||
| Social Advocacy and Ethical Life | ||
or SPCH 145 | Online Public Communication | |
or SPCH 230 | Business and Professional Speaking | |
| INF - Information Literacy 2, 3 | ||
| Rhetoric and Composition (overlay with CMW) 1 | ||
| VSR - Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility 2 | ||
| CC-VSR course(s) (ISCI recommends SAEL 200) | 0-3 | |
| 2. College Requirements (0 hours) | ||
| No college-required courses for this program. | ||
| 3. Program Requirements (40-53 hours) | ||
| Supporting Courses (15 hours) | ||
| Technology/Systems: | ||
| CSCE 104 | Program Design and Development | 3 |
| User Populations: | ||
| Select 3 hours from the Diversity and Social Advocacy track of GLD | 3 | |
| Business/Management: | ||
| Select 3 hours from the following: | 3 | |
| Survey of Accounting | ||
| Introduction to Financial Accounting | ||
| Introduction to Economics | ||
| Management in Data Driven Organizations | ||
| Principles of Marketing | ||
| Principles of Management | ||
| Additional Professional Courses: | ||
| Select 6 hours from the following: | 6 | |
| Survey of Accounting | ||
| Introduction to Financial Accounting | ||
| Introduction to Computer and Programming Concepts using AI Tools | ||
| Web Design and Development using AI Tools | ||
| Introduction to Economics | ||
| Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Management in Data Driven Organizations | ||
| Introduction to Human Computer Interaction | ||
| Principles of Management | ||
| Computer Information Systems in Business | ||
| Principles of Marketing | ||
Any additional course from the Diversity and Social Advocacy track of GLD | ||
| Electives (25-38 hours) | ||
| Select any course with approval of an academic advisor to reach hours to graduate. Courses used to satisfy Carolina Core requirements may not also count as electives. | 25-38 | |
| 4. Major Requirements (36 hours) 1 | ||
| Major Courses (24 hours) | ||
| ISCI 201 | Data, Information & Society | 3 |
| ISCI 202 | Information Literacy and Technology | 3 |
| or ISCI 259 | User Experience Research Methods and Tools | |
| or ISCI 310 | Information Science Data Analysis and Evaluation | |
| ISCI 250 | Information Design | 3 |
| ISCI 301 | Text Mining in Big Data Analytics | 3 |
| ISCI 410 | Knowledge Work as an Organizational Asset | 3 |
| or ISCI 415 | Social Issues in Information and Communications Technologies | |
| ISCI 436 | Using Python for Information Science | 3 |
| ISCI 496 | Internship in Information Science | 3 |
| ISCI 560 | Data Visualization | 3 |
| Major Electives (12 hours) | ||
| Select 12 hours from ISCI or JOUR (No more than 6 hours may be from JOUR) | 12 | |
- 1
Must be passed with a grade of C or higher.
- 2
Carolina Core Stand Alone or Overlay Eligible Requirements — Overlay-approved courses offer students the option of meeting two Carolina Core components in a single course. A maximum of two overlays is allowed. The total Carolina Core credit hours must add up to a minimum of 31 hours. Some programs may have a higher number of minimum Carolina Core hours due to specified requirements.
- 3
ISCI 202 may not be used to fulfill the Carolina Core INF requirement.
Major Map
A major map is a layout of required courses in a given program of study, including critical courses and suggested course sequences to ensure a clear path to graduation.
Major maps are only a suggested or recommended sequence of courses required in a program of study. Please contact your academic advisor for assistance in the application of specific coursework to a program of study and course selection and planning for upcoming semesters.