Informatics, User Experience Design (BA)
The design of data, information, and technology systems needs to be rooted in the user experience along with consideration of the broader societal impacts of design. This Informatics major concentration will prepare students for a career in user experience, interaction design, human factors, and web and mobile app design. Students will learn the skills they need to design cutting-edge information technologies that will benefit users and society.
Total Hours Required: 120
Plan of Study
The Plan of Study is a suggested four-year course sequence to support academic planning and serves as a helpful guide. Currently enrolled students should meet with their academic advisor to tailor their course selections and timelines to their individual goals and circumstances.
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Hours | |
| I 301 | Introduction to Informatics | 3 |
| I 302 | Academic Success in the Digital University | 3 |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (080) | 3 | |
| First-Year Signature Course (090) | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| I 303 | Ethical Foundations for Informatics | 3 |
| I 304 | Programming for Informatics | 3 |
| Mathematics (020) | 3 | |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| RHE 306 | Rhetoric and Writing | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| I 310J | Introduction to Social Justice Informatics | 3 |
| I 305 | Research Methods for Informatics | 3 |
| Transcript-recognized minor or certificate | 3 | |
| Visual and Performing Arts (050) | 3 | |
| GOV 310L | American and Texas Government | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| I 306 | Statistics for Informatics | 3 |
| I 310U | Introduction to User Experience Design | 3 |
| Transcript-recognized minor or certificate | 3 | |
| E 316M | American Literature | 3 |
| GOV 312L | Issues and Policies in American Government | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| Hours chosen from: Liberal Arts | 3 | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Natural Science and Technology, Part I (030) | 3 | |
| I 320U | Topics in User Experience Design | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| I 372 | Career Success in the Digital Organization | 3 |
| Hours chosen from: Liberal Arts | 3 | |
| Transcript-recognized minor or certificate | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 6 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| Free Elective | 6 | |
| Transcript-recognized minor or certificate | 3 | |
| Natural Science and Technology, Part I (030) | 3 | |
| I 320U | Topics in User Experience Design | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| I 379C | Capstone | 3 |
| Transcript-recognized minor or certificate | 3 | |
| Free Elective (informatics) | 3 | |
| Natural Science and Technology, Part II (093) | 3 | |
| I 320U | Topics in User Experience Design | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Requirements
All requirements are listed below, starting with the most specialized moving to the most general. Additional requirements may follow the table, so be sure to read the entire page. Some required courses listed below may also satisfy General Education requirements, including Core Curriculum.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration | ||
| I 301 | Introduction to Informatics | 3 |
| I 310U | Introduction to User Experience Design | 3 |
| Hours chosen from: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Cultural Heritage Informatics | ||
| Introduction to Human-Centered Data Science | ||
| Introduction to Social Justice Informatics | ||
| Introduction to Health Informatics | ||
| Introduction to Social Informatics | ||
| Hours chosen from: (advanced topics) | 9 | |
| Topics in User Experience Design | ||
| I 379C | Capstone (Students pursuing the School of Information Honors distinction may substitute I 679H) | 3 |
| Informatics Elective | ||
| Hours chosen from: Informatics elective coursework | 3 | |
| Subtotal | 24 | |
| Major | 24 | |
| Subtotal | 24 | |
| Degree (see details below) | 24 | |
| Free electives: Additional coursework to reach total hours required. | 6 | |
| Subtotal | 30 | |
| General Education | ||
| Core Curriculum | 42 | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency | ||
| Subtotal | 42 | |
| College Requirements - Natural Sciences | ||
| General University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Degree-Bachelor of Arts in Informatics (BA)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| I 302 | Academic Success in the Digital University | 3 |
| I 303 | Ethical Foundations for Informatics | 3 |
| I 304 | Programming for Informatics | 3 |
| I 305 | Research Methods for Informatics | 3 |
| I 306 | Statistics for Informatics | 3 |
| Select six credits of additional Liberal Arts coursework or equivalent beyond the University’s Core Curriculum from the College of Liberal Arts | 6 | |
| I 372 | Career Success in the Digital Organization | 3 |
| Total Hours | 24 | |
Additional Requirements and Policy
Thirty-six hours must be in upper-division courses. At least 60 hours, including 21 hours of upper-division coursework, must be completed in residence at the University. Provided residence rules are met, credit may be earned with the approval of the dean by examination, by extension, by correspondence, or by work transferred from another institution. Up to 12 semester hours of classroom and/or correspondence coursework may be taken on the pass/fail basis; this coursework may be counted only as electives.
The specific requirements for the Bachelor of Arts with a major in Informatics consist of prescribed work, the major, and electives. Only in the following cases may a single course be counted toward more than one requirement:
- A course that fulfills a core curriculum requirement may also be counted toward any specific requirement of the Informatics major unless otherwise stated below.
- Courses counted toward the prescribed work may also be counted toward the Informatics major.
In addition, the student must earn a grade point average of at least 2.00 in Informatics courses taken at the University and counted toward the degree and major requirements. The student must earn a grade of at least C- in each course used to fulfill any of the requirements for the degree and major.
Elective Policy
In addition to the core curriculum, prescribed work, and major, students must complete enough elective coursework to provide the 120 semester hours required for the degree. These 120 hours may include no more than 12 hours of designated coursework in air force science, military science, or naval science; 12 hours completed on the pass/fail basis; and 36 hours in any other single college or school of the University.
Minors and Certificate Policy
Students may choose to pursue a minor and/or certificate to offset elective credit. The minor or certificate consists of a specific number of semester hours of coursework completed outside the student’s major field. The requirements of the minor or certificate are established by the offering department. Only one minor may be declared per major. Before planning to use a course to fulfill the minor or certificate requirement, the student should consult the department that offers the course.
Applicability of Certain Courses
Physical Activity Courses
Physical activity (PED) courses are offered by the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education. Up to three semester hours of physical activity coursework may be counted as electives toward any Department of Information degree. All physical activity courses are counted among courses for which the student is enrolled, and the grades are included in the grade point average.
ROTC Courses
The Departments of Air Force Science, Military Science, and Naval Science maintain ROTC units on campus. Information about each program is available from the chair of the department concerned.
Twelve semester hours of coursework in air force science, military science, or naval science may be counted toward any degree in the Department of Information. Such credit may be used only as electives or to fulfill the writing requirement, and only by students who are commissioned by the University ROTC program.
Courses Taken on the Pass/Fail Basis
No more than 12 semester hours taken on the pass/fail basis may be counted toward Department of Information degrees. In general, courses taken on the pass/fail basis will count as general electives. Coursework required for Department of Information major requirements cannot be taken pass/fail. Complete rules on registration on the pass/fail basis are given in the General Information Catalog.
Correspondence and Extension Courses
Credit that a University student in residence earns simultaneously by correspondence or extension from the University or elsewhere or in residence at another school will not be counted toward a degree in the Department of Information unless specifically approved in advance by the dean. For additional information about correspondence work by resident students, see the General Information Catalog.
In the semester they plan to graduate, students may not take any course to be counted toward the degree at another institution or through University Extension; students who plan to graduate at the end of the summer semester may request approval to take transfer work only in the first summer term.
Bible Courses
Bible courses may be counted as lower-division electives in Department of Information degree programs that have room for such electives. No more than 12 semester hours of such work may be counted toward any degree offered by the University.