Build Critical Bridges Between IT and Computing
Fully Online Option
Create useful applications and solve practical data management problems with interdisciplinary skills in information technology and computer science taught in the bachelor's program in informatics.
Through team-based activities and hands-on exercises, you'll learn how to store and retrieve data, employ emerging technologies, and build user-centered systems – all of which are embedded in the day-to-day operations of every organization.
From relational databases to client-based web technologies, and internal computer architecture to networking fundamentals, you'll be prepared to lead complex digital projects from start to finish.
Student Learning Objectives
Learning objectives that UAlbany students are expected to attain through their course of study within their academic program.
Informatics Core
- Capable of working as part of a team
- Ability to lead a project
- Present data, information, arguments, and research verbally
- Think critically and solve problems related to current digital, technological, or information challenges
- Collect and analyze data
- Apply skills learned in the classrooms to real-world situations
- Create a web site with interactive design elements as appropriate for a specific audience
- Understand the basics of computer networking
- Explore computing and information in today's society
- Create computer programs to address a specified problem
- Demonstrate and understanding of concepts and issues in digital privacy and security
- Recognize the importance of data and its organization and manipulation in business, government, and society as a whole
- Implement basic design principles
- Distinguish between types and forms of databases, and the types of data problems such databases can address
- Distinguish between types and forms of data, and the potential uses of that data
- Identify current and future trends in information-based technologies
- Demonstrate an ability to critically evaluate the sources, content, and intention of information, along with the ability to communicate, clearly and coherently, any findings to a wider audience
Interactive User Experience Concentration
Interactive User Experience Concentration
- Understand basic visual design principles
- Predict trends
- Be familiar with a variety of technologies and tools used in web and mobile design
- Write computer programs for various purposes
- Design or create new applications, ideas, or products
- Back up or modify applications and related data to provide for disaster recovery
- Determine sources of web page or server problems, and take action to correct such problems
- Critique content and design
- Implement security measures, such as firewalls or message encryption
- Administer Internet/intranet infrastructure, including components such as web, file transfer protocol (FTP), news and mail servers
- Collaborate with development teams to discuss, analyze, or resolve usability issues
- Test backup or recovery plans regularly and resolve any problems
- Implement updates, upgrades, and patches in a timely manner to limit loss of service, and using appropriate tools
- Create various forms of digital media
- Use communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media
Social Media Concentration
Social Media Concentration
- Competency with current social media platforms
- Compare and utilize third-party social media management tools
- Extrapolating meaning from platform-specific and third-party social media tracking and analytics tools
- Predict trends in social media
- Create various forms of digital media
- Communicate orally and in written form for a variety of purposes (understand when it is important to be less formal and more professional)
- Develop and implement creative social media programs and campaigns
- Ability to employ community moderation techniques
- Perform outreach activities
- Use social media to foster interactivity, engagement, community growth, and loyalty
Data Analytics Concentration
Data Analytics Concentration
- Competency with current data management and database platforms
- Utilize third-party data management tools
- Extrapolating insights from very large data sets
- Using visualization tools to represent meaning from data
- Use data modeling techniques to represent meaning from data
- Communicate orally and in written form for a variety of purposes (understand when it is important to be less formal and more professional)
- Coding and testing data analysis algorithms
- Quantifying uncertainty in analysis results
Software Development Concentration
Software Development Concentration
- Develop software applications at varying levels of proficiency
- Apply principles and practices of object-oriented design to projects
- Create software using current practices and design principles
- Implement debugging and testing principles and practices
- Ability to use multiple software design methodologies (e.g. waterfall, agile).
- Demonstrate knowledge of life-cycle management.
- Demonstrate proficiency in team-based software systems design, implementation and testing.
Information Technology Concentration
Information Technology Concentration
- Develop and implement IT projects
- IT Fundamentals
- Apply concepts of human computer interaction to projects
- Model current principles of information assurance and security
- Analyze information management concepts and fundamentals
- Apply integrative programming techniques and technologies
- Understand and explain the foundations of networking
- Compare and utilize a variety of platform technologies
- Apply system administration and maintenance tools and techniques
- Apply a variety of web technologies
