Florida State University 2007-2008 General Bulletin Undergraduate Edition
Information Technology
College of Information
Professors: Bertot, Dennis, Dresang, C. Jörgensen, McClure, Riccardi, Wiegand; Associate Professors: G. Burnett, K. Burnett, Douglas, Everhart, Gathegi, Gross; Assistant Professors: Burke, Currim, Fleischmann, Kazmer, Kim, Latham, Lustria, Marty, Mon, Newell, Randeree, Stivilia, Tripp; Other Personnel: Barrager, Brooks, Chavez-Hernandez, Doffek, Drouillard, Franklin, P. Jörgensen, Jowett, Koontz, Kotrla, Marks, Miner; Professors Emeriti: Aaron, Blazek, Conaway, DePew, Hart, Hunt, Jahoda, Logan, Robbins, Summer, Trezza
The College of Information offers a bachelor's degree in information technology, a master's degree accredited by the American Library Association, a specialist degree, and a doctor of philosophy degree. Refer to the "College of Information" chapter of this General Bulletin or to the college's Web site at http://www.ci.fsu.edu for more details concerning degree programs and other information. For complete details of graduate degree requirements, plus a description of the College of Information and its facilities and opportunities, refer to the Graduate Bulletin.
Computer Skills Competency
All undergraduates at Florida State University must demonstrate basic computer skills competency prior to graduation. As necessary computer competency skills vary from discipline to discipline, each major determines the courses needed to satisfy this requirement. Undergraduate majors in information technology satisfy this requirement by earning a grade of "C–" or higher in CGS 2060, CGS 2064, or CGS 2100. Students are strongly encouraged to complete CGS 2064 if possible.
State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites
The State of Florida has identified common course prerequisites for this University degree program. These prerequisites are lower-level courses that are required for preparation for the University major prior to a student receiving a baccalaureate degree from Florida State University. They may be taken either at a community college or in a university lower-division program. It is preferred that these common course prerequisites be completed in the freshman and sophomore years.
The following lists the common course prerequisites or approved substitutions necessary for this degree program:
1. COP XXXX (college-level programming course in C, C++, or Java)
2. CGS X060
3. MAC X105
Note: CGS 3408 (prerequisite: MAC 1140 or MAC 2233) may be substituted for COP XXXX.
Definition of Prefix
LIS—Library and Information Studies
Undergraduate Courses
LIS 2568. Multicultural Issues in Information Resources for Youth (3). Introduces students to diversity within Western society. Employs strategies for analyzing print, electronic, and digital information resources for youth that will assist students in understanding race, ethnicity, class, gender, disability, and age issues in the contemporary cultural context.
LIS 3021. Technical Communication for the Information Professions (3). Course covers technical and professional documents generated and used by information professionals. Attention will be given to the writing process with emphasis on audience analysis, document design, collaboration, and peer editing.
LIS 3201. Research and Data Analysis for Information Professionals (3). This course provides students with an overview that emphasizes the user's perspective in the analysis of information needs and preferences. It also offers the fundamentals for a broad approach with a unifying structure to understanding human information-seeking behaviors.
LIS 3267. Information Science (3). This course presents the history, philosophical bases, concepts, theories, and methodologies of information science. It also emphasizes the definitions and properties of information, formal and informal information systems, information origination, transfer, classification, formatting, and use.
LIS 3353. Technologies for Information Services (3). Beginning beyond the computer literacy level, the course develops an appreciation for the application of computer hardware, software, and information systems for the provision of information services. Highlights features and offers up-to-date coverage of technical developments with examples of real-world software applications and the principles by which computer systems and their networks support information seekers.
LIS 3946r. Field Study in Information Studies (1–6). Prerequisite: Consent of adviser. Provides students with an unpaid work experience within a major area of information studies. May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours.
LIS 3949r. Cooperative Education Work Experience (0). (S/U grade only.) Prerequisite: Consent of adviser. Paid work experience with a firm or agency to be determined on an individual basis.
Advanced Undergraduate Courses
LIS 3706. Information Systems and Services (3). Prerequisites: LIS 3267, 3353. This course provides practical hands-on experience implementing the concepts and practices of structuring information in digital information systems. This includes digital representation of a variety of forms of information, the storage and retrieval of this information, indexing structures, and searching algorithms.
LIS 3784. Information Organization and Communication (3). Prerequisites: LIS 3267, 3353. This course teaches the concepts and practices of structuring information for use in activities inherent to data- and information-based technology design. Topics include the surrogation and aggregation of information entities and the role of models in representing information appropriately.
LIS 3793. Information Architecture (3). Prerequisites: LIS 3267, 3353. This course provides an introduction to the scope and methods of information architecture in any setting, but emphasizes its application to the Web. The course examines the elements of an information architecture and some common technologies needed to design and create these elements.
LIS 4264. Systems Approach in the Information Environment (3). An introduction to the systems approach for problem solving in an information seeker's environment. The theories and concepts of information science are integrated with a variety of practical tools for the structured design and analysis of information systems.
LIS 4276. Quantitative Methods in Information Studies (3). Prerequisites: LIS 3201, 3602 and senior standing or consent of instructor. Details practical methods for collecting and analyzing quantitative data. Includes hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, contingency tables, correlation, and experimental design.
LIS 4277. Usability and Usefulness of Information Systems (3). Prerequisites: LIS 3201; 4276. Introduces students to the concepts of cognitive and human information processing, their application to information systems design, and the assessment of the usability and usefulness of information systems.
LIS 4301. Electronic Media Production (3). Prerequisite: LIS 3353. The understandings, skills, and techniques needed for the production and utilization of various types of electronic graphic resources, with particular emphasis on visual literacy, the evaluation of graphic resources, design standards, and the visual representation of information. Students will evaluate existing materials and design and produce materials for both electronic and print formats, including pages for the World Wide Web, slide shows for visual support of verbal presentations, and documents produced with desktop publishing software.
LIS 4351. Interface Design (3). Prerequisite: LIS 3353. Introduction to the basic theory of computer interface design for information specialists and the fundamental concepts and techniques of computer programming.
LIS 4365. Advanced Web Applications (3). Prerequisite: LIS 4301. Course introduces the concepts and technical needs of client and server side application technologies for World Wide Web information servers. Teaches students how to evaluate the effectiveness of WWW applications. Acquaints students with resources available for design, production, and evaluation of WWW information servers and assists students in developing strategies for locating these sources. Students gain hands-on experience in Web application production, including: PERL/CGI, JavaScript, server authentication techniques, synchronized multimedia, and hypertext authoring.
LIS 4366. Web Site Development and Administration (3). Prerequisite: LIS 4301. Issues and techniques related to the planning, production, and management of large World Wide Web sites, including information on organization and design, hardware and software, and cutting-edge development tools. Special emphasis paid to information provision and the role of Web developers as providers and managers of information resources.
LIS 4410. Societal Implications of the Information Age (3). An introduction to the evolving role of information in the "Information Age." Emphasizes information services in society and contemporary information resources that fulfill society's information needs. Considers the nature of electronic sources of information as well as other information formats and sources.
LIS 4481. Managing Information Resources and Services (3). Prerequisites: Three of the following: LIS 3201, 3267, 3353, 3602, 4276 and 4351. An introduction to management science and administrative issues as applied to information resources management (IRM), information centers, and information services. An emphasis is placed upon management functions, concepts, and principles. IRM definitions and issues. IRM implementation and strategies. Life-cycle management and career opportunities.
LIS 4482. Managing Networks and Telecommunications (3). Prerequisite: LIS 3353. This is a foundation course in the use of networks and telecommunication to provide information. Focus is on modern data networks, especially building blocks of local area networks (LANs). The course deals with concepts, technical requirements, and a variety of management issues.
LIS 4488. Network Administration for the Information Professional (3). Prerequisites: LIS 3353, 4482. Provides the information and skills necessary to perform competently in the role of network administrator or network system manager within a library and/or information center environment. Introduces students to the design, operation, and management of networked systems from local area networks to the Internet. Includes communication concepts, and technical and application issues, with a focus on managing a network.
LIS 4642. Electronic Information Sources and Services (3). Prerequisite: LIS 3602. An introduction to the processes of electronic information retrieval including some theoretical principles, laboratory experiences, and selected current research issues.
LIS 4701. Information Representation (3). Prerequisites: LIS 3267; 3602. Course addresses the principles and techniques of organizing non-bibliographic information sources including unpublished and transitory materials such as archival and manuscript collections, business/office records, ephemera, and local databases. Course focuses on locally produced resources created for a narrowly defined, specific, and possibly restricted information user group.
LIS 4708. Perspectives on Information Technology (3). Corequisite: LIS 4910 or consent of instructor. This is the capstone course in the information technology degree program. The course provides students with a broad prospective on the information technology field, the skills required to succeed in the field, and a familiarity with emerging technologies. It also allows students to complete their information technology portfolio. The course consists of discussions of issues in the information technology profession, emerging technologies, and directed work on the student's degree portfolio.
LIS 4770. Information and Image Management (3). Describes the scope and the problems involved in the administrative management of records. Emphasis centers upon the importance of managing and controlling records from the time of their creation until their vital deposition.
LIS 4774. Information Security (3). An introduction to the concepts, policies, and issues associated with digital computer and network security and the skills necessary to assess and improve the security of servers, desktop systems, and digital networks.
LIS 4905r. Directed Individual Study (1–3). (S/U grade only.) Guided studies for individual professional and subject needs. May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours.
LIS 4910. Information Technology Project (3). Prerequisite: Senior standing or permission of instructor. Students work in teams and individually to manage, design, implement, and evaluate an information technology project. Students are also given evaluation and guidance on improving artifacts from projects entered into their degree portfolio during other courses within the degree program.
LIS 4930r. Special Topics in Information Studies (3). Prerequisites: Three of the following: LIS 3201, 3267, 3353, 3602, 4276, and 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). Prerequisite: Senior standing and three of the following: LIS 3232, 3267, 3342, 3602, 4276, 4351. The 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 Studies (1–6). (S/U grade only.) Prerequisites: LIS 3201, 3353, 3602 and consent of adviser. Acceptable work experience in the information industry that expands and integrates classroom work. Internship may be paid or unpaid. May be repeated for a maximum of six (6) semester hours.
LIS 4941. Information Technology Practicum (3). This course provides a broad overview of the information technology used by the College of Information, including the college's local area network, the help desk, and the Mary Alice Hunt Learning Laboratories. This course is a practicum designed to provide experiential learning.
LIS 4970r. Honors Work in Information Studies (1–6). Prerequisites: Member of the University honors program and information technology major. Course provides an opportunity for students to engage in independent and original research in a specialized area beyond the current curriculum in information technology. May be repeated to a maximum of nine (9) semester hours. To graduate with honors in information studies, the student must complete six (6) semester hours of course work with at least a "B–"or better and an overall 3.2 GPA or higher.
Graduate Courses
LIS 5105. Communities of Practice (3).
LIS 5203. Assessing Information Needs (3).
LIS 5241. International and Comparative Information Service (3).
LIS 5260. Information Science (3).
LIS 5263. Theory of Information Retrieval (3).
LIS 5270. Evaluating Networked Information Services and Systems (3).
LIS 5271. Research in Information Studies (3).
LIS 5275. Usability Analysis (3).
LIS 5313. Design and Production of Media Resources (3).
LIS 5316. Information Graphics (3).
LIS 5350. Design and Development of Computer Information Retrieval Systems (3).
LIS 5362. Design and Production of Network Multimedia (3).
LIS 5364. Web Site Development and Administration (3).
LIS 5367. Advanced Web Applications (3).
LIS 5408. Management of Information Organizations (3).
LIS 5411. Introduction to Information Policy (3).
LIS 5413. Seminar in Information Policy (3).
LIS 5416. Introduction to Legal Information (3).
LIS 5417. Introduction to Legal Resources (3).
LIS 5418. Introduction to Medical Informatics (3).
LIS 5426. Planning, Evaluation and Financial Management (3).
LIS 5484. Introduction to Data Networks for Information Professionals (3).
LIS 5487. Information Systems Management (3).
LIS 5489. Network Administration (3).
LIS 5511. Management of Information Collections (3).
LIS 5512. School Collection Development and Management (3).
LIS 5513. Preservation of Information Materials (3).
LIS 5524. Instructional Role of the Informational Specialist (3).
LIS 5564. Information Needs of Children (3).
LIS 5565. Information Needs of Young Adults (3).
LIS 5566. Multicultural Literature and Information Resources for Children and Young Adults (3).
LIS 5567. International Literature for Children and Young Adults (3).
LIS 5576. Information Needs of Adults (3).
LIS 5590. Museum Informatics (3).
LIS 5603. Introduction to Information Services (3).
LIS 5703. Information Organization (3).
LIS 5711. Cataloging and Classification (3).
LIS 5736. Indexing and Abstracting (3).
LIS 5737. Subject Analysis (3).
LIS 5771. Information and Image Management (3).
LIS 5782. Database Management Systems (3).
LIS 5900r. Directed Individual Study (1–3). (S/U grade only.)
LIS 5916r. Issues in Information Studies (1–3).
LIS 5945r. Internship (0–12). (S/U grade only.)
LIS 6205. Issues in Information Behavior (3).
LIS 6269. Seminar in Information Science (3).
LIS 6278. Issues in Theory Development (3–5).
LIS 6279r. Research in Information Studies (3).
LIS 6289. Seminar in Education for Information Studies (3).
LIS 6662. Seminar in Information Policy (3).
LIS 6759. Seminar in Intellectual Access (3).
LIS 6909r. Directed Individual Study (1–8). (S/U grade only.)
LIS 6911r. Research Collaboration (1–5).(S/U grade only.)
LIS 6919r. Issues in Information Studies (1–5).
For listings relating to graduate course work for thesis, dissertation, and master's and doctoral examinations and defense, consult the Graduate Bulletin.