Informatics is the interdisciplinary study of the design, application, use and impacts of information technology.
Not only do we design new systems, but we also focus on the relationship between information system design and use in real-world settings.
These investigations lead to new forms of system architecture, new approaches to system design and development, new means of information system implementation and deployment as well as new models of interaction between technology and social, cultural and organizational settings.
We offer concentrations in software engineering ("Software"), interactive & collaborative technology ("ICT"), and ubiquitous computing ("UbiComp"), as well as the opportunity to define new concentrations. Related topics include:
CONCENTRATION AND TRACKS
- Human-computer interaction
- Software engineering
- Computer-supported collaborative work
- Computer-enabled social relationships
- Educational & assistive technologies
- Information retrieval & management
- Programming languages
- Security & privacy
- Environmental informatics
- Ubiquitous computing
The Department of Informatics offers a range of courses of graduate study leading to both an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Information and Computer Science. More specifically, we organize our graduate curriculum into four programs or concentrations.
A "concentration" is a focused program of study. Because Informatics is such a broad, interdisciplinary field, there are lots of different ways to approach it and different kinds of research. We have consolidated the most common of these into concentrations.
We have four concentrations in the department:
Interactive and Collaborative Technology (M.S. and Ph.D.): The ICT track of the Informatics concentration focuses on studying and enhancing the relationship between the design and use of interactive systems and their applications in real-world settings. Software (M.S. and Ph.D.): The software track of the Informatics concentration focuses on the methods, tools, and processes required to design and build effective large-scale software-intensive systems. Informatics (M.S. and Ph.D.):The general track of the Informatics concentration covers aspects from both the ICT track and the SW track to broadly cover the topics of Informatics. Arts, Computation, and Engineering (M.S. only): The ACE concentration is a transdisciplinary program run between the Schools of Information and Computer Sciences, Engineering, and the Arts. It is a both practically grounded and theoretically rigorous exploration of the role of information technology in emerging artistic and cultural practice. When you apply, you have to select a concentration. But don't worry, you can change to a different concentration after you get here. During your first year, you'll mostly be taking courses and there's enough flexibility in the concentrations that if you switch, you can still count the work that you have done.
That said, it's a good idea to get involved in research as soon as you get here. Often, the only way to find out if you like something is to do it. You'll need to commit to a concentration by your second year, when you start working on milestones for your degree, such as the written evaluation and advancement to candidacy.
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