Information Science, Systems, and Technology (BS)

College of Engineering

Program Website

Program Description

Digital information technologies have become pervasive in science, engineering, manufacturing, business, finance, culture, law, and government, dramatically changing the way people work and live. The proliferation and significance of these new technologies demands a new focus in engineering education—one that remains rigorous and technically oriented but is simultaneously devoted to integrating engineering design, theory, and practice within the social and organizational contexts in which these complex digital information systems are employed.

The Information Science, Systems, and Technology (ISST) major studies the design and management of complex information systems. Just as structural engineers and nanofabricators use physics at radically different scales, so also there is a scale difference between the focus of the ISST major and the more traditional, look-under-the-hood majors in Computer Science and Operations Research and Industrial Engineering. Rather than focusing on the computing and communication technologies that underlie digital information systems, the ISST major emphasizes information systems engineering in broad application contexts, where issues at the confluence of information science, technology, and management are the primary concerns.

Note: Students may not double major in both CS and ISST or ORIE and ISST.

The ISST major is available to students in the College of Engineering. In addition to completing all of their ISST major requirements, ISST majors must complete all of their College of Engineering requirements.

Honors Program

The B.S. degree with honors is granted to engineering students who satisfy the requirements given on the "Undergraduate Study and Graduation Requirements " page as well as the following requirements.

  • Cumulative GPA ≥ 3.5 at the time of application and maintained through graduation
  • 3 credit hours of ISST graded course work at or above the 5000-level (graded courses only; no 1 or 2 credit seminars or 2 credit project courses)
  • 6 credit hours of INFO 4900 Independent Reading and Research with an ISST faculty member, spread over at least two semesters, with at least A– each semester

The ISST research is expected to result in a programming project or a written report (or both). The courses taken for these 9 credit hours cannot be applied to any other major requirements.  

Criteria for Good Academic Standing 

Affiliated students must meet college requirements for good standing. In addition, students in the ISST major must meet the following criteria for good standing at the end of each semester: 

  • Earn a semester GPA of 2.3 or higher 
  • Earn a semester GPA of 2.5 or higher in all courses used towards the ISST major and all Engineering Math courses 
  • Earn a grade of C- or higher in CS 2110/ENGRD 2110, ENGRD 2700, and all courses used towards the ISST major. Note: If a lower grade is earned, the course must be retaken 
  • Complete a minimum of 14 academic credits per semester 
  • No failing grades 
  • Take at least two core ISST courses the first semester after affiliation 
  • Complete all core ISST courses prior to the final semester of study (students must pre-enroll, as permitted by the relevant department, in any remaining core coursework by the end of their 3-2 semester)