We live in an increasingly complex world with vast amounts of information created every day.
Information scientists are vital to the capture, processing and communication of this information to help people and organisations operate effectively.
We live in an increasingly complex world with vast amounts of information created every day.
Information scientists are vital to the capture, processing and communication of this information to help people and organisations operate effectively.
Information Science sits at the intersection of technology, people and organisations. It is a broad discipline that combines solid technical foundations with an understanding of the ways in which organisations use information.
Information scientists analyse, develop, integrate, test and evaluate information systems. They also gather, prepare, model and interpret data to support informed decision- making in organisations. Information systems are omnipresent – every organisation depends on usable and reliable information systems.
Information Science is an exciting and rapidly changing discipline – it requires strong foundations and a life-long approach to learning.
The concepts taught in Information Science are an excellent complement to other subjects, preparing you for the modern work done in these disciplines. Examples of well- suited subjects include: Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Management, Law, Psychology, Mathematics and any of the natural or applied sciences.
People with Information Science skills are in high demand because of the vital role that information and information systems play in modern organisations. There are many and varied career opportunities in fields such as business management and analytics, science and data science, education, research, finance, health, manufacturing and automation, media production and user experience technology, music and entertainment, and engineering.
The Information Science programme is available in the Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc) degrees.
During the first year of your Information Science degree you will study COMP 101 and one of COMP 161 or 162:
In this course, you will learn about the fundamentals of our information and computer science disciplines, which include topics like computability, data analysis, information storage and processing, and database management techniques. There are no prerequisites for this course, but a basic mathematical understanding will be needed – you might want to consider MATH 151 before or alongside COMP 101.
An introduction to computer programming suitable for beginners with little or no prior experience. Introduces the Java programming language, basic object oriented concepts and simple graphical applications.
An introduction to computer programming suitable for beginners with some prior experience. Builds on and extends basic Java and object oriented programming. Introduces broader programming concepts and other languages.
(Students are exempt from COMP 161 if they have gained entry to COMP 162 by passing COMP 151 with a grade of at least B or via an Advanced Placement Test.)
Your classes will consist of lectures, tutorials and practical laboratories. In the third year you will work on a team project with an industry partner. We have award-winning teaching staff who are recognised experts in their fields and who are considering technological, ethical, professional, societal and behavioural factors of our discipline.
Information systems are complex in terms of scale and changing dynamics, so our teaching focuses on practical skills and complex problem solving usually found in real-world tasks. Through practical lab work, our teaching will prepare you for the ever-changing world of Information and Communication Technology.
There are no formal prerequisites for studying Information Science. You do not need to have studied digital technologies at school. However, it is advantageous if you are interested in and have taken background subjects in Digital Technology, Science, Mathematics, Accounting or English.
Available as a minor subject for a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Music (MusB), Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA), Bachelor of Theology (BTheol), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Bachelor of Entrepreneurship (BEntr), Bachelor of Health Science (BHealSc), Bachelor of Arts and Commerce (BACom), Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc) or Bachelor of Commerce and Science (BComSc) degree
| Level | Papers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100-level | COMP 101 Foundations of Information Systems One further 100-level COMP paper | 18 18 |
| 200-level | Any two 200-level papers from INFO or COMP | 36 |
| 300-level | Any 300-level INFO paper or SENG 301 Software Project Management From 2018 the 300-level requirements will be: Any 300-level INFO paper | 18 |
| Total | 90 |
| Paper Code | Year | Title | Points | Teaching period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INFO130 | 2024, 2025 | Fundamentals and practice of spreadsheets | 18 points | Semester 1, 1st Non standard period (11 November 2024 - 13 December 2024), 1st Non standard period (10 November 2025 - 13 December 2025) |
| INFO201 | 2024 | Developing Information Systems 1 | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| INFO202 | 2024 | Developing Information Systems 2 | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| INFO203 | 2024, 2025 | Human-Computer Interaction and User Experience | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| INFO204 | 2024, 2025 | Introduction to Data Science | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| INFO250 | 2024, 2025 | Special Topic | 18 points | Not offered in 2024, expected to be offered in 2026, Not offered in 2025, expected to be offered in 2026 |
| INFO301 | 2024 | Applied Project | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| INFO302 | 2024, 2025 | Information Systems Strategy and Governance | 18 points | Semester 2, Semester 1 |
| INFO303 | 2024 | Enterprise Information Systems Infrastructure | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| INFO304 | 2024, 2025 | Advanced Data Science | 18 points | Semester 2 |
| INFO305 | 2024, 2025 | Advanced Human-Computer Interaction and Interactive Systems | 18 points | Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025 |
| INFO310 | 2024, 2025 | Software Project Management | 18 points | Semester 1 |
| INFO350 | 2024, 2025 | Topics in Information Science | 18 points | Semester 1, Semester 2 |
| INFO351 | 2024, 2025 | Special Topic | 18 points | Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025 |
| INFO352 | 2024, 2025 | Special Topic | 18 points | Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025 |
| INFO353 | 2024, 2025 | Special Topic | 18 points | Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025 |
| INFO390 | 2024, 2025 | Research Topics | 18 points | Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025 |
| INFO407 | 2024, 2025 | Agent-based Software Technologies | 20 points | Not offered in 2024, Semester 2 |
| INFO408 | 2024, 2025 | Management of Large-Scale Data | 20 points | Semester 2, Semester 1 |
| INFO410 | 2024, 2025 | Interactive and Immersive Systems | 20 points | Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025 |
| INFO411 | 2024, 2025 | Machine Learning and Data Mining | 20 points | Semester 2 |
| INFO420 | 2024, 2025 | Statistical Techniques for Data Science | 20 points | Semester 2 |
| INFO424 | 2024, 2025 | Adaptive Business Intelligence | 20 points | Semester 1 |
| INFO451 | 2024, 2025 | Special Topic | 20 points | Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025 |
| INFO452 | 2024, 2025 | Special Topic | 20 points | Not offered in 2024, Not offered in 2025 |
| INFO470 | 2024, 2025 | Advanced Topics in Information Science | 20 points | Semester 1, Semester 2 |
| INFO490 | 2024, 2025 | Dissertation | 40 points | Full Year |
| INFO501 | 2024, 2025 | Applied Project | 40 points | 1st Non standard period (26 February 2024 - 14 February 2025), 2nd Non standard period (15 July 2024 - 4 July 2025), 1st Non standard |
| INFO580 | 2024, 2025 | Research Project | 40 points | 1st Non standard period (26 February 2024 - 14 February 2025), 2nd Non standard period (15 July 2024 - 4 July 2025), 3rd Non standard period (15 July 2024 - 4 July 2025), 1st Non standard |
Explore your study options further. Refer to enrolment information found on the following qualification pages.
School of Computing
Email computing@otago.ac.nz
Website otago.ac.nz/school-of-computing
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Regulations on this page are taken from the 2024 Calendar and supplementary material.