Undergraduate Courses (both IT and ICT courses)

iSchool-3yr-Course-Rotation-UG-sp24-fa26 (PDF revised (10-.27-23)

NOTE: The Undergraduate Course Rotation Schedule includes a list of courses scheduled to be offered during the terms shown. Additions or deletions to the schedule may be made in any semester to meet course demand, to introduce new courses, adjust for faculty availability, insufficient enrollments, and/or budget constraints. While this document does not represent a guarantee, the iSchool will make every effort to provide the courses as scheduled.

Refer to your specific degree requirements page for detailed information about program requirements. When selecting courses, make sure you review the course prerequisites to verify your eligibility for a class. Students who have not successfully completed the required course prerequisites may be dropped for ineligibility.

Course Descriptions

CGS 2821 Introduction to Website Design (3)
This course teaches proper website design techniques to students from all degree programs. Topics include visual design and graphics, information architecture, usability and accessibility, communication, adaptation to audience, markup languages, and development tools and processes. Coursework is focused on applying website design principles and techniques to projects in the students’ disciplines. The course is gauged for beginners who are computer competent; it does not teach computer programming.

COP 2258 Problem Solving with Object-Oriented Programming (3)
The ability to solve problems creatively using computational methods has become important to professionals in many disciplines. This interdisciplinary course is designed for students who are not necessarily intent on becoming computer programmers but are interested in understanding the principles that govern Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) and software development in order to assist with problem-solving in their own disciplines.

The course addresses a variety of topics including algorithm building principles, problem-solving strategies, how to analyze problems to identify requirements, and how to design an object-oriented solution. Students design, write, and debug computer programs. This course has been approved as meeting the requirements for Computer Competency. In order to fulfill FSU’s Computer Competency Requirement, the student must earn a “C–” or better in the course. This course is open to all majors. The School of Information will evaluate transfer credit requests for incoming majors.

IDS 2141 Innovation & Emerging Technologies (3)
This course provides students with the opportunity to work hands-on with emerging technologies in an innovative setting that encourages critical thinking, interdisciplinary perspectives, and lifelong learning skills. It introduces students to tools and techniques used to design, develop, and evaluate innovative technologies, guides students through the development of their own technological innovations, and offers students a historic perspective on technological innovation through a wide variety of emerging technologies. This course has been approved for:

  • Scholarship in Practice
  • Computer Competency
  • E-Series/State-Mandated Writing designations.

IDS 2144 Information Ethics for the 21st Century (3)
This course identifies past, present and future information ethics challenges and encourages students to develop their own standpoints from which to address them. The primary purpose of this course is to provide students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to make informed ethical decisions about information production, management and use. Students explore and apply a wide range of ethical theories to examine critical information ethics issues raised by recent advances in information and communication technology.
NOTE: This course was previously listed as IFS 2041.

IDS 3493 Empowering Health Consumers in the eHealth Era (3)
This course explores the use of emerging technologies for health information seeking, health promotion and disease prevention, and for supporting the treatment and management of chronic illnesses. It promotes an interdisciplinary, user-centered and evidence-based approach for developing health IT systems to support health consumers. Students will learn how to assess users’ information needs, competencies, and health behaviors in order to develop accessible, useful, and effective solutions. They will also study issues and concerns influencing adoption of these technologies at different levels.
NOTE: This course can substitute for LIS 4772 Intro to Consumer Health Informatics for those pursuing a Certificate in Health Information Technology.
This course was previously listed as IFS 3037.

IDS 3634 (formerly ids 2634)  Information Literacy & Society (3)

This course introduces students to the concepts of information literacy and what it means to be information literate in 21st century society. Students will address persistent questions associated with information literacy by learning searching skills, gathering information from primary and derivative sources, and conducting information quality analyses. Students will work with information in real-world content domains to analyze and represent information effectively. Information literacy and the skills needed to locate, evaluate, store, and understand how information flows in real-life domains such as health, politics, economics, and science are key to our ability to examine, interpret, and explain how personal, political, cultural, economic, and social experiences and/or structures shape the world. Persistent questions that emerge as we work to understand information and develop information literacy include: What is the value of information? How, and why, should we evaluate information? What are the consequences of the ways in which we evaluate information? What does it mean to have an information literate society?

  • Upper Division Writing
  • Digital Literacy

IDS 3683 (formerly IDS 2683) The Unintended Consequences of Information Technology (3)
This course explores the societal implications and unintended consequences of information technology. It provides students the opportunity to explore how society’s increased reliance on information technology has changed the way we interact with each other and the world around us, question assumptions about their use of everyday information technologies, and discuss strategies for weighing the pros and cons of the sociotechnical trade-offs we make as we work with information resources, services, systems, and technologies. The course will help students develop the digital literacy skills necessary to use information technologies effectively, safely, and ethically for the social good, make smart decisions about our shared future in the information society, and understand how information technologies are shaping modern society, legally, culturally, and ethically.

  • Ethics (ETH)
  • Upper-Division Writing (UDW)
  • Digital Literacy (DIGLIT)

LIS 2360 Web Applications Development (3)
Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites, but computer fluency is assumed. This includes being able to: install programs, open and save files, and navigate files on a computer.

This course introduces students to industry best practices and standards in proper website design and development, using object-oriented programming techniques. Topics include visual design and graphics, information architecture, usability and accessibility, communication, adaptation to audience, markup languages, and development tools and processes. Coursework is focused on applying website design and development principles and techniques to projects.

Through a series of examples and projects, students learn basic programming concepts while building an understanding of the power and complexities of modern web programming languages. The course provides a solid foundation in computer programming for the web: syntax and data structures, conditionals, objects, scope, the DOM and event handling. This course is offered in the traditional classroom setting and online.

LIS 2527 Digital Storytelling in Information Environments (3 )
Digital storytelling uses virtual spaces and digital technologies to support human oral storytelling. This course helps students build their presentation skills through an understanding of the role of storytelling in the context of information environments such as the family, library, school, business, and social media. Students will learn how to use stories to understand these environments better and to communicate, teach, learn, lead, and advocate when operating within them. Students will learn traditional stories, write original stories, and present stories in class exercises and assignments. Students will also learn to critique story presentations and to provide constructive feedback to other developing storytellers.
NOTE: This course is approved to meet the University Oral Communication Competency Requirement (OCCR) .

LIS 2780 Database Concepts (3)
This course examines relational database management systems using a typical, commercial DBMS, such as Microsoft Access and/or MySQL and Oracle. Topics include data modeling, database design, implementation, forms and reports, and remote access to databases. The goal of this course is to provide students with a basic understanding of database design, implementation, and management concepts and techniques.

LIS 3021 Technical Communication for the Information Professions (3)
The ability to communicate about technical or specialized topics to various audiences is critical to making information usable and accessible and is an important skill for all information professionals to have. This course emphasizes the principles of clear and effective written and oral communication as applied in information technology fields. It covers technical and professional documents and oral presentation formats generated and used by information professionals.

LIS 3201 Research and Data Analysis in Information Technology (3)
This course provides students with an understanding of methods and tools used by information professionals for research and data analysis. It focuses on both quantitative and qualitative methods in information technology professions including surveys, interviews, need assessments, requirements analysis, and transaction log analysis. It provides students with the opportunity to conceptualize an IT problem, develop a research plan, and design methods for assessing, collecting, analyzing, and reporting research data.

Research, in the context of IT professions, deals with the ability to assess a situation, seek multiple perspectives, gather more information if necessary, and identify key issues that need to be addressed. Analytical thinking is a critical skill required for identifying appropriate solutions for streamlining complex work processes and improving communications in organizations.

LIS 3353 Information Technologies (3)
This course provides a solid foundation in the fundamental concepts, theories and principles in information technology and discusses critical issues surrounding their use and how they impact everyday life. An understanding of the concepts and principles underlying the design and use of digital devices, computer hardware, software, telecommunications, networking and multimedia is an integral part of any IT curriculum.

LIS 3706 Information Systems and Services (3)
Prerequisites: LIS 2780. This course provides an overview of information systems concepts and practice including system management, maintenance, assurance, and reporting services, physical and human resources. It includes an introduction to information system hardware components, operating systems, scripting languages, with practical training in databases and networked servers. In addition, this course provides practice in managing the people, processes and events (planned or otherwise) involved in information system management.

LIS 3778 Cybersecurity for Digital Citizenship (s)
This course provides a series of up-to-date topical lectures and discussions on state-of-the-art cybersecurity that will orient the digital citizen for the future. The course prepares students to understand the most common cyber-threat types, hacking techniques and fundamental protection strategies, as well as software approaches for data and information systems. Assignments will involve analyzing threat and attack scenarios across multiple domains, along with tactics for protection. The course is purposefully designed to engage students in critical thinking for analysis and discussion of fundamental cybersecurity topics, rather than offering technical hands-on exercises.

LIS 3781 Advanced Database Management (3)
Prerequisites: LIS 3784. This course explores various topics in database management systems (DBMSs), using various industry-standard commercial DBMSs (e.g., MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle), as well as non-relational data repositories (i.e., NoSQL databases). Administration, security, stored procedures, triggers, transactions, functions, data mining, data warehousing, data analytics, remote access, and distributed version control systems are some of the topics covered. The student is expected to demonstrate an understanding of these database/data repository concepts through creating, deploying, and utilizing various relational, and non-relational database designs.

LIS 3784 Intermediate Database Management (3)
Prerequisites: LIS2780 Database Concepts

Database analysis/management transcends a wide range of skills from data modeling, analysis, scripting, to understanding users, what they do, what they want, as well as statistical analysis and data mining–and, how the developer can meet all of those needs, and code the necessary solutions! This course examines relational database management systems using typical, commercial DBMS, including MySQL, MS SQL Server, Oracle, as well as an introduction to NOSQL (i.e., nonstructured data). Topics include data modeling, database design/implementation, forms and reports, as well as remote access to databases.

The goal of this course is to provide students with an intermediate understanding of database design, implementation, and management concepts and techniques.

LIS 3793 Information Architecture (3)
This course provides an introduction to the scope and methods of information architecture including project strategy; project scope; audience research; organization schemes, categories, and labels; identifying functional and content requirements; and interface design. The course will emphasize the interrelationships of these components and stress the importance of developing communication skills within teams and with clients. This course has been approved as meeting the requirements for:

  • Scholarship in Practice (SIP)
  • Upper-Division Writing (UDW).

LIS 4022 Writing for the Information Professions (3)
Offers practical hands-on experience with forms and practices of technical and professional writing, including documentation, correspondence, audience analysis, writing for social media, evaluation, and review. Emphasizes clear, concise, and effective writing in information technology settings, both within organizations and for user services.

  • Upper-Division Writing (UDW)

 

LIS 4331 Advanced Mobile Applications Development (3)
Prerequisites: All students taking LIS4331 are required to have: (a) previously taken and passed (with a C- or higher final grade) LIS4381 Mobile Web Application Development, OR (b) instructor approval.

This concepts- and projects-oriented course examines advanced techniques of mobile application design and development. Course applications will utilize and integrate specific mobile device features involving interface design and testing, with a priority on data handling and validation methods, life cycle events, local and remote process services, location based facilities, device sensors, network and web application programming interfaces (APIs), as well as including multimedia components. In addition, industry best-practices will be employed for real-world applications, including testing and debugging utilizing software development methods and tools.

Furthermore, the course will also provide students with a general understanding of bringing mobile applications to market, registering their products at official portals and stores, and the details involved in distributing their applications to mobile users.

LIS 4351 User Experience Design (3)
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the user experience design process, and is intended to familiarize students with the methods, concepts, and techniques necessary to make user experience design an integral part of developing information interfaces. The course provides students with an opportunity to acquire the resources, skills, and hands-­‐on experience they need to design, develop, and evaluate information interfaces from a user-­‐ centered design perspective.

LIS 4368 Advanced Web Applications Development (3)
Prerequisites: LIS 2780, LIS 2360, COP 2258. This course provides a foundation in developing web applications with an emphasis on server-side concepts, tools and methods. Topics include basic web application programming, advanced object-oriented programming (OOP) and web application development. Students enrolled in this course will develop basic programming skills in a modern web development environment, understand web application development principles and be able to find and use web application development resources on the Internet.

LIS 4369 Extensible Enterprise Solutions (3)
Prerequisites: LIS 2360, LIS 2780, COP 2258. Application design and development are much needed skills in current professional job markets, as are data science, analytics and visualization. Procedural programming, as well as object-oriented programming (OOP), are widely accepted and used methodologies for designing modern systems. This course will provide the foundational aspects of application design, data analytics and visualization using procedural and OOP programming concepts and techniques, employing various application development tools, such as Python, R Language, Jupyter Notebooks, Pandas, Numpy, Matplotlib, ggplot2, and other related data science and visualization packages.

LIS 4380 Social Media Management (3)
This course explores the tools and techniques of professional social media management through hands‐on work with designing and managing social media campaigns. Students participating in this class will actively design, implement, and coordinate a series of social media management tasks that build a foundation in social media management while allowing students to gain valuable leadership, communication, and organizational skills. They will also explore the different issues and concerns may influence the widespread adoption and implementation of social media at the individual and national levels.

LIS 4381 Mobile Web Application Development (3)
Prerequisites: LIS 2360, LIS 2780, COP 2258. This course focuses on concepts and best practices for developing and managing “mobile-first” technology projects. It covers processes and requirements for developing mobile web applications and principles for effective interface and user experience design. Students will also examine different issues and concerns that may influence the widespread adoption and implementation of mobile web applications.

LIS 4480r Information Technology Leadership (3)
This course focuses on LEADERSHIP which includes individual and group communication, project planning, strategy, and individual development, with a focus on Information Technology and its uses. Students participating in this class will actively design, implement, and coordinate numerous ongoing projects that build a strong team atmosphere and allow students to gain valuable leadership, communication, and organizational skills within the context of contemporary IT organizations. Projects focus on exposing, engaging, and recruiting women and minorities to the IT/computing field, promoting the IT/ICT major, community technology engagement, and K-12 tech initiatives. Students will address specific issues relating to leadership, management, and motivation within the context of contemporary IT organizations. Students will be actively involved in mentoring other students and will serve as role models for their peers. Together, students will learn and share ideas about leadership in order to develop both a personalized theory of leadership and a leadership action plan for the future. This class gives us an opportunity to explore what leadership means, what it requires, and how it is done.

LIS 4482 Introduction to Networks and Telecommunications (3)

A foundation course in networking technologies and management of modern data networks, with emphasis on the building blocks of local area networks. Subjects covered include networking architectures, topologies, models, layers, protocols, IP subnetting, equipment, operating systems, security and various tools/utilities.

LIS 4488 Network Administration for the Information Professional (3)
Prerequisite: LIS 4482. This course focuses on the planning, design, configuration, operation, and management of computer networks containing data communication devices, servers, workstations, and networked applications and support systems. It introduces students to administrative techniques inherent to basic operating systems, and also to enterprise management systems required by larger organizations. Students examine and discuss issues of scalability, performance management, and integration of internal resources with external resources such as cloud-based systems.

LIS 4708 IT Professions (3)

Prerequisites:

  • LIS3021 Technical communication for the Information Professional
  • LIS3353 Information Technologies

The goal of the College of Communication and Information is to equip students with the knowledge required to work productively with people, to communicate effectively, to manage information purposefully and to apply technology innovatively for the benefit of individuals and organizations. This course is designed to assist graduating seniors to articulate what they have learned from their training in each of these four areas through the preparation of an Interactive Resume and Career Portfolio. Class discussions and assignments will help students prepare for their chosen career path by providing perspectives on the issues that they will face upon entering their career as information professionals.

LIS 4761 Data Mining and Analytics (3)

  • Prerequisite: LIS 2780 Database Concepts
  • Prerequisite OR Co-requisite: LIS3201 Research and Data Analysis in IT

This course provides an introduction to data analytics, which is defined as the extensive use of data, statistical and quantitative analysis, predictive and exploratory models to drive decisions and actions. Students will learn basic concepts and essential algorithms for data analytics, including data cleaning, association rule mining, data warehousing, predictive modeling, clustering, and text mining.  Students will also learn to use mainstream tools such as Weka, Orange Data Mining, MetaMap, and Tableau to solve data analytics problems with real-world datasets. Further, the students will evaluate the data analytics models, interpret the results, and understand their limitations. The students will form groups, conduct a project of data analytics, and use the tools introduced in the course to tackle the problem. This course is appropriate for students with basic knowledge and skills in database management systems. Prior programming skills are helpful but not required.

LIS 4774 Information Security (3)

COURSE PREREQUISITES: Basic knowledge of systems, servers, networking and database are preferred.

This course provides a comprehensive, integrated and up-to-date overview of computing security. We will examine theoretical concepts that form a foundation for information systems security. The topics include—but are not limited to—cybersecurity overview, cryptographic tools, user authentication, access control, malicious software, denial-of-service attacks, intrusion detection, firewalls and intrusion prevention systems, and buffer overflow. The discussion of these topics will provide students with broad and new perspectives on contemporary issues in cybersecurity. We will also adopt a practical, hands-on approach to examining several fundamental security technologies. This course provides students with an opportunity to advance their critical thinking ability and troubleshooting skills to address cyber threat issues. Basic knowledge of systems, servers, networking and database are preferred.

LIS 4776 Advanced Health Informatics (3)
Prerequisite: LIS 4785. This course introduces students to emerging technological solutions that can help improve healthcare delivery and healthcare decision-making. It builds upon and extends the foundations presented in the basic health informatics course and introduces practical solutions for real-life problems faced by healthcare organizations. Students will learn how to address various health IT issues and implementation challenges in the current healthcare environment. They will develop a solid practical skill set to enter the healthcare industry as health informatics specialists.

LIS 4777 Advanced Information Security (3)
Prerequisite: LIS 4774. This course provides advanced knowledge on organizational computing security and contemporary issues in cybersecurity. Topics include trusted computing and multi-level security management, including risk assessment, IT controls, security auditing, along with technical networking and communication security (e.g., Internet security protocols and standards, and Internet authentication applications). The course adopts a practical, hands-on approach to examine several fundamental security technologies learned from LIS4774 such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, operating systems security, vulnerability assessment scanners as well as the legal and ethical aspects of penetration testing and hacking. Students will also have an opportunity to advance their critical thinking and troubleshooting skills in a sandbox solving current cyber threat issues.

LIS 4785 Introduction to Health Informatics (3)
The growth of healthcare in the economy has generated the need for skilled information professionals specifically knowledgeable about emerging technical solutions that can help improve healthcare delivery and health decision making. This course presents how theory and practice in healthcare, strategy, information technology, communications, and law are integrated in the management and delivery of health care in various situations. Focus is on the emerging specialization in the healthcare industry that combines expertise in healthcare, information technology, and information management.

LIS 4905r Directed Individual Study (1-3)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Guided studies for individual professional and subject needs. May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours. (S/U grade only.)

LIS 4910 Information Technology Project (3)

  • lis3353
  • lis3021 OR mcc2000

This course provides students with a broad perspective of project management through an information technology project. Students develop IT project management skills, IT product development, and hands-on experience that they need to develop a product idea, project
management knowledge, and evaluation of their IT project.

LIS 4930r Special Topics in Information Technology (3)
Prerequisites: Three of the following: LIS 3201, LIS 3353, LIS 4276, LIS 4351. A directed and supervised investigation of selected problems, issues, and trends in information studies, with an emphasis on research. It is anticipated that each offering will be different because of the evolving nature of the subject matter. May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours.

LIS 4938 Seminar in Information Studies (3)
Prerequisites: Senior standing and three of the following: LIS 3232, LIS 3342, LIS 4276, and LIS 4351. This seminar involves intensive reading and preparation of position papers concerning current issues in information studies, followed by discussions of these papers with faculty and information specialists.

LIS 4940r Internship in Information Technology (1-6)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Students will work under the guidance and supervision of a professional in an organization which provides information services. The work is guided by learning objectives agreed upon by the site supervisor, the Internship Coordinator, and the student. Students must adhere to the human resource policies of the site organization. Throughout the course, students will reflect upon, analyze, and comment on their work activities and work environment with electronic discussions and individual journal entries to frame that experience. The course offers an ideal opportunity to test theory in practice and to gain experience in a realistic information provision environment.

LIS 4970r Honors Work in Information Studies
This course provides an opportunity for students to engage in independent and original research in a specialized area beyond the current curriculum in information technology.