Why Study Information Science?

What is Information Science?

Information science is the study of how people use data and technology. Our faculty are world-class experts on how people use social media during disasters, how blind users can read data visualizations, how recommendation algorithms can treat people fairly, and how families learn together with technology.

Why does it matter?

Software is now a core part of people's everyday lives, from finding a job, to reading the news, meeting each other, or getting help in an emergency. Information science trains you not only to build software, but also to ask whether it works for people in society. This degree trains you to design and build technology and understand its social and ethical impact on the world.

What do you do as an INFO major?

In , you will learn to program, design interfaces, analyze datasets, run studies with users, and debate ethical case studies. Our exciting curriculum includes classes like AI and Society, where students break down how generative AI works and what it is doing to jobs, creativity, learning, and the environment. It also includes hands-on opportunities like the Digital Legacy Clinic, where students train to help real clients manage the online accounts of loved ones who have died.
Outside class you can join a faculty research lab as an undergraduate, present your projects at the INFO Showcase each semester, and join the INFO Buffs club which runs networking and professional-development events around data, design, and technology.
The skills lead to different careers depending on which courses you lean into. Interface design and human-computer interaction courses lead to UX design and user research careers. Data analysis and visualization courses lead to data analyst and business intelligence roles. Ethics, law, and policy courses lead to technology policy and responsible-AI work. Our alumni have gone to jobs like data scientist at NVIDIA and product designer at Spectrum.
Read news coverage about our students

How do I learn more?

Ready to look closer? See the BS in Information Science for the undergraduate degree program, Degrees & Opportunities for minors and graduate programs, or how to apply.

Student Voices: Why ĢӰ?

Emelia Mantz, BS Student

"Information science is a unique blend of data, design, and communication that offers so many career avenues for students to explore. You want to analyze data? Design an app or website? Be a data journalist? You’re in the right place. What really sets it apart, though, is its close-knit community. Professors know you by name and support your individual growth. This balance is what makes me so happy to call Information Science my major."

Aiden Dowling, BS Student

“After transferring from a different university, I finally found a home in information science. As someone who loves design but would also like to develop practical skills alongside it, information science offers the perfect combination. With such an interdisciplinary major, I have had the opportunity to take classes that genuinely fascinate me as well as classes that make me feel prepared to jump into the tech industry. The diverse course options combined with passionate faculty make for a major I would recommend to anyone.”

Josh Romain, BS Student

"I'm grateful for Information Science and the community that has guided me. Faculty who genuinely invest in your success and peers who challenge you to grow. They show you the world through a different lens that applies to all aspects of life. The major itself trains you to see patterns, think critically, and build real skills that go beyond the classroom. Whether you know exactly where you're headed or you're still figuring it out, Information Science sharpens your instincts and sets you up for wherever you want to go.”

Contact the Department of Information Science

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CMDI Department of Information Science (INFO)
1045 18th Street, UCB 315
Boulder, CO 80309

303-735-7581