2024-2025 Undergraduate Course Catalog 
    
    Oct 08, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Course Catalog

Innovation, Society and Technology, BS


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Contact:

Laurie Ferger
Program Director
(315) 443-2911
 

Introduction:

The School of Information Studies offers a bachelor of science degree (B.S.) in Innovation, Society, and Technology.  This program is for students interested in research, innovation, and social justice in the impact of technology in society.

 The recent article, “A Crisis of Ethics in Technology Innovation”, MIT Sloan Management Review, March 2020 demonstrates the need for individuals with a background in ethics and social justice in the information technology industry. This degree program satisfies student demand at the Syracuse University School of Information Studies (iSchool) for a general program in information studies that provides research-focused students the opportunity to gain expertise in the modern impact and societal challenges of information technology.

Students in this program will receive coursework in information studies, information innovation, information technology, and information in society.  Graduates may continue their studies in a graduate program or provide expertise in the societal impacts of technology at an organization.

Student Learning Outcomes


In addition to the comprehensive iSchool Bachelor of Science learning outcomes students are expected to achieve in the course of earning their Bachelor’s degree, students in the Innovation, Society and Technology major at the iSchool are also expected to achieve the following learning outcomes:
 
  • Employ critical thinking skills in identifying, evaluating, and designing innovative practices in the age of digital transformation.
  • Examine and critique how individuals, organizations and society are created and impacted by data and information technology in the age of digital transformation.

iSchool Bachelor of Science Degree Requirements- Innovation, Society and Technology


The B.S. degree in Innovation, Society and Technology requires 120 credits, distributed as indicated below.

Innovation, Society and Technology Curriculum: 30-31 credits


Innovation, Society and Technology Primary Core: 12-13 credits


Students who transfer into the iSchool as an IUT or add an iSchool major after their first year of study, are not required to take IST101.

Concentrations and Electives: 15 credits


Students must complete five additional iSchool courses to fulfill their IS&T elective requirement. Students are required to complete one iSchool concentration which typically consists of three courses.  The remaining two courses may be any IST 100-599 level courses or IDS courses

Completing a concentration allows students to select course work that matches their professional interests and planned career paths.  Students may petition the Undergraduate Program Director to approve three courses to be considered a concentration in an area of interest that is not shown in the official list of concentrations. These three courses must provide depth in an area of study.

Courses cannot be used to satisfy both a core requirement, a concentration, and an IST elective.  Students select from one of the following concentrations below.  Please note each concentration has one or more required course.

Students must declare their concentration in the spring semester of Sophomore year.

Digital Retail Strategies Concentration


Students who pursue the 18-credit Digital Retail Strategies concentration will be required to take three RMT courses and one additional IST elective, as RMT classes do not count towards the 15 credit IST elective requirement.

Innovation, Design, and Startups Concentration


All three IDS courses below are required.

University Wide Requirements


The iSchool participates in students’ knowledge and skill development through the Shared Competencies, Syracuse University’s institutional learning goals that highlight the knowledge and skills students can expect to gain through their major courses, liberal arts requirements and co-curricular activities.

All incoming and external transfer students are required to take FYS101, a 1-credit course.

IDEA


All incoming and transfer students are required to take a 3-credit IDEA course that can be selected from the approved IDEA Course Requirement list .

IST courses appearing on the approved IDEA course requirement list may be taken to fulfill both the IDEA requirement and/or a core or concentration requirement.

Skills Electives: 15-17 credits


Programming Skills


Students are required to complete the computer programming course listed below.  Petitions will not be accepted to substitute IST256.

Quantitative Skills: 6-8 credits


Students are required to attain minimum competence in mathematics by completing the quantitative skills requirement of the Liberal Art Core curriculum of the College of Arts and Sciences.

All IS&T majors are required to attain minimum competence in mathematics. Students may satisfy this requirement by completing the quantitative skills requirement of the Liberal Arts Core curriculum of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Arts & Sciences Divisional Requirements: 12 courses, minimum 36 credits


Students are required to take three courses in each of the three divisions of the Arts and Sciences-Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Social Sciences, and Humanities. In addition, three courses in any of the divisions must be completed to fulfill this requirement.

Students are required to complete a minimum of 60 credits of coursework in the College of Arts & Sciences. Courses from Communication Skills, Quantitative Skills and A&S Divisional Requirements will all count towards the A&S minimum credit requirement. Additional A&S courses will be required to reach the 60 credit minimum requirement.

General Electives: 21-24 credits


Students need 120 credits to graduate from Syracuse University.  If after meeting all program and University requirements, the student is still lacking to meet the 120 credits needed for graduation, students can take any undergraduate Syracuse University course to reach the graduation credits total.  Students can concentrate on a minor, a dual degree, a combined degree, an internship experience, or study abroad to reach the minimum of 120 credits required for graduation. 

Courses appearing on the approved IDEA course requirement list may be taken to fulfill both requirements: General elective and IDEA.

International Experience


Students will be required to complete one international experience to graduate with their iSchool undergraduate degree.  iSchool Immersion courses that require domestic travel do not fulfull this requirement.  Students can fulfill their international requirement in one of the following ways

  • Semester abroad
  • University exchange
  • Short term abroad program
  • International Internship
  • Coursework (6 credits from approved list)
  • Approved international component - by petition

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