Undergraduate degree in Business Information Management

DEGREES AVAILABLE: Major
Offered jointly with The Paul Merage School of Business

photo:: group computing

As the business environment becomes increasingly global and information-centric, the need has increased for graduates who understand and can use technology that gathers and provides information, who are able to distill and recognize patterns in that information, and who can apply those analyses to achieve business objectives.

The undergraduate Business Information Management (BIM) major administered by the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences is a collaborative, interdisciplinary degree program between the Bren School and The Paul Merage School of Business.

It seeks to educate students to understand and then apply the theories and concepts of a broad, integrated curriculum covering computing, informatics, business fundamentals and analytical decision-making.

› Is Business Information Management for me?
› What do I take?
› What can I do with this degree?
› Special Programs and Learning Opportunities
› Still not sure?

Is BIM for me?

Graduates of the program will:

  1. Learn the fundamentals of information and computer science, including the rudiments of software design and construction with an emphasis on data management
  2. Grasp the business fundamentals, covering all the functional areas in the business school, provide a background and context in which information and its analysis will be applied.

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What do I take?

The curriculum is presented across three general academic areas:

  • Computing (computer science, informatics and software)
  • Business Foundations (accounting, finance, marketing, strategy and operations)
  • Analytical Methods (mathematics, statistics, economics, management science and decision analysis)
An undergraduate degree diagram for the Business Information Management degree is available.

This is just one example; students may complete these courses in any order that is consistent with the prerequisites and the actual offerings each year.

A full listing of courses required for the major can be found below:

Major Requirements

Lower-Division:

  • Either  ICS 21, 22 or Informatics 41, 42, and ICS 23/Informatics 45, ICS 52/Informatics 43
  • Mathematics 2A-B
  • ICS 6D
  • Mathematics 6G
  • Statistics 7, 8, or 67
  • Economics 20A-B
  • Management 30A, 30B

Upper-Division Core:

  • Management 101, 102, 105, 107, 109, 110, 173, 178, 189
  • Informatics 113, Informatics 141/CS 121, Informatics 143
  • CS 122A/EECS 116
  • Statistics 110

Electives:

Five upper-division courses, except independent study and internships, with at least 3 of the 5 courses to be taken within the Bren School.

Upper-division courses completed via the UC Educational Abroad Program may also be utilized toward this requirement upon prior approval by the Bren School of ICS Student Affairs Office.

Students are encouraged to consult an academic advisor in the Bren School of ICS to determine the coursework designed to meet their educational goals.

NOTE: Students majoring in Business Information Management may not double major in Business Administration nor minor in Management, Informatics or Information and Computer Science.

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What can I do with this degree?

photo:: business and technology The major prepares students for a wide variety of careers and life experiences.

Business Information Management majors can pursue careers in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors or can proceed to graduate school in several disciplines, including information systems, computing, economics, business, and law.

The fundamentals of information and computer science, including the rudiments of software design and construction with an emphasis on data management, provide the foundation for understanding, describing, and evaluating the technology through which most business information is gathered and presented.

The business fundamentals, covering all the functional areas in the business school, provide a background and context in which information and its analysis will be applied.

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Special Programs and Learning Opportunities

There are several ways to add depth, scope, and experiential learning to your academic program of study. An academic counselor will help you determine the most efficient way to add another major, minor, or concentration to your academic plan, and will refer you to other campus programs and resources that support your interests and future goals.

» CONCENTRATIONS:


  • Engineering and Computer Science in the Global Context

    All Bren School majors in good standing may propose an academic plan that demonstrates the ability to complete the concentration and other requirements for graduation in a reasonable timeframe.

    The globalization of the marketplace for information technology services and products makes it likely that Bren ICS graduates will work in multicultural settings or be employed by companies with extensive international operations, or customer bases. The goal of the concentration is to help students develop and integrate knowledge of the history, language and culture of a country or geographic region outside the United States, through coursework both at UCI and an international host campus, followed by a technology related internship in the host country.

    Application:
    Each student's proposed program of study, specifying coursework and a guided internship experience in a region outside the U.S., must be approved in advance by the Bren School of ICS Associate Dean for Student Affairs. It is expected that each student's proposal will reflect a high degree of planning that includes the guidance of academic counselors and those at the UCI Center for International Education regarding course selection, as well as considerations related to internship opportunities, housing and financial aid. The academic counselors and the Associate Dean will be available to assist qualified students with the development of a satisfactory academic plan, as needed.

    Requirements:
    1. A minimum of eight courses at UCI or at the international campus with an emphasis on the culture, language (if applicable and necessary), history, literature of the country that corresponds to the international portion of the program, international law, international labor policy, global issues, global institutions, global conflict and negotiation and global economics;
    2. A one or two semester sequence of technical courses related to the major and, possibly, cultural, history, and literature courses taken at an international university;
    3. A two month or longer technical internship experience in the same country as the international educational experience.
» MINORS

Students inside and outside of the Bren School of ICS may want to pursue a minor, a coordinated set of courses which together take a student well beyond the introductory level in an academic field, subject, and/or discipline. Note: Some minor requirements may be fulfilled by the student’s major requirements. Some major/minor combinations are not allowed.

» OPPORTUNITIES FOR HONORS-LEVEL STUDY

Students who are majoring in Biomedical Computing, Business Information Management, Computer Science, Computer Science and Engineering, and Information and Computer Science, and ICS Undeclared Pre-Majors are invited to apply for admission to the Bren School of ICS's introductory honors sequence (ICS H21/H22/H23). These courses provide a uniquely challenging and intimate learning environment in which conventional course material is explored in greater depth.

A student must meet at least one of the following criteria to be eligible to enroll in ICS H21:

  • Minimum 620 on each of 2 of 3 sections of the SAT; or
  • Member of the UCI Campuswide Honors Program; or
  • Verification of score of 3 or higher on AP Computer Science A exam; or

Eligible students will be provided an authorization code (required) for course enrollment at the time of their summer orientation/registration session.

» BREN SCHOOL OF ICS HONORS PROGRAM

Allows juniors and seniors majoring in Computer Science, Computer Science and Engineering, Informatics, or Information and Computer Science to pursue advanced work in one of many research areas.

Students admitted to the program participate in an honors seminar, conduct independent research under the guidance of a faculty member, and write a research paper.

More information about eligibility criteria and benefits of successful completion of the honors program is available at the Honors program web site.

» INDEPENDENT RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

The School encourages all majors to take advantage of this valuable experience, and faculty advertise many research opportunities every year.

Students are also encouraged to participate in the campus Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), which offers guidance and grant funding for student-proposed independent research, and sponsors programs which provide summer stipends for students working on faculty-guided research.

» CAMPUSWIDE HONORS PROGRAM

Available to selected high-achieving students from all academic majors from their freshman through senior years. For more information see the CHP web site.

» EDUCATION ABROAD PROGRAM

Upper-division students have the opportunity to experience different cultures while making progress toward degree objectives through the Education Abroad Program (EAP).

EAP is an overseas study program which operates in cooperation with host universities and colleges throughout the world.

» OTHER PROGRAMS OF INTEREST

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Still not sure?

Prospective and current students interested in learning more about the Bren ICS degree options are encouraged to meet with the Associate Dean, counselors and student ambassadors in the Bren ICS Student Affairs Office.

They will help you determine which of our majors and minors best support your academic strengths and interests.

CONTACT:
Bren ICS Student Affairs Office
Information and Computer Science Building I, Suite 352
Irvine, CA 92697-3430
Phone: (949) 824-5156
Email: ucounsel@uci.edu

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