The
BSIR Program
The Bachelor of Science Degree in Information
Resources (BSIR) program is a cutting edge interdisciplinary
and cross-functional program that prepares graduates
for careers helping individuals and organizations
effectively use information resources and information
technology.
Mission
The BSIR aims to prepare graduates to be information
and technology-literate, and to effectively deal
with the theory, organization, management, and
implementation of information resources and associated
technologies in interdisciplinary and cross-functional
environments. We strive to
- Educate all students, particularly
women and minorities;
- Open rewarding career opportunities
by allowing students to combine the IR program
with another area of study;
- Serve the state of Wisconsin
through education, community service, and collaborative
research efforts;
- Expand relationships with business
and industry to develop and advance
research in information resources and technology
and its applications in interdisciplinary environments;
and
- Graduate future leaders in
the rising information economy of Wisconsin
and the world.
Program Competencies
The core courses in the BSIR program encompass
the study of the concepts and tools of information
science, information architecture, and information
technology. Information Science is the study of
the organization, storage, retrieval, dissemination,
and use of information. Information Architecture
is investigation, analysis, organization, and
implementation of information content where users'
needs and specifications are the major importance.
Information Technology is the collection of tools
that make it possible to access and use information.
Information science, information architecture,
and information technology are becoming tools
of most disciplines.
The successful student in the BSIR program will
demonstrate the following competencies:
- The conceptual aspects of information science
and information technologies
- The organization and architecture of information
in the context of users' needs
- Human side of the technology and user-centered
information system and service development
- Storage and retrieval systems
- The management of the information resource
and information flow
- The use of information and communication technology
for managing and organizing information and
content
The cutting-edge interdisciplinary and cross-functional
nature of the BSIR program builds in the flexibility
for students to apply the BSIR competencies to
one or more associate areas of study.
The associate area of study is a set of courses
outside of the IR major- normally a minor in another
field of study. This aspect of the program opens
rewarding career opportunities to students.
The interdisciplinary and cross-functional BSIR
prepares graduates for careers helping individuals
and organizations effectively use information
resources and information technology. Graduates
of the BSIR program will be immediately employable,
particularly in firms that rely on the effective
use of information in a interdisciplinary and
cross-functional environment. Some graduates will
go directly into entry-level jobs in business
and industry sectors that rely heavily on information
as a raw material or as a product. Other graduates
may go on to graduate study in various disciplines
such as information studies, information resources
management, computer science, or telecommunications.
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