[Asis-l] Choosing a major? Think information science... and you may qualify for a $1, 000 scholarship

Monroe, Wanda G. wmonroe at email.unc.edu
Tue Sep 6 17:15:47 EDT 2011


Great jobs, an interesting and engaging program and $1,000 scholarships that will be awarded to two lucky students are all part of the Bachelor of Science in Information Science (BSIS) program at the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  

Be part of one of the fastest growing fields in the nation by applying to the BSIS program today!

Applications for North Carolina's only BSIS program and the minor in Information Systems will soon be accepted for the Spring 2012 semester. The application process begins September 8th with a deadline of October 11th, 2011.

Information science (IS) combines working with people, designing technology and developing information content.

For example, as an IS major, a student might be involved in designing/developing the Web site that reports the scores of the Tar Heel teams. The student would be concerned with the people trying to view the site (True Blue Fans), the technology used to support the site (the Web and perhaps a database behind the site) and the game scores (along with relevant quotes from the players, news items, etc.).

The BSIS program draws on our award-winning faculty's strengths such as usability human-computer interaction, open source development, database design, information retrieval and human-information behavior and is designed to prepare graduates for a variety of careers in the information industry. Our graduates go into positions of:

* Project Managers
* Social Media Managers
* Web Masters
* Knowledge Management Analysts
* Information Technology Analysts
* Software Quality Engineers
* Risk Management: Vulnerability Analysis, Disaster Recovery and Business Continuation
* Research Assistants
* And many more!

They work at organizations such as Credit Suisse, the United State Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Microsoft, Progress Energy, SAS, CISCO, the Department of Homeland Security, Aetna, Lulu Enterprises and the U.S. Census Bureau, to name just a few.

A 2009 "First Destination Survey" by the University's Career Services found that students graduating with a bachelor's degree in information science had the highest rate of employment (85.7 percent).

And, according to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 30 fastest-growing occupations from now until 2016 include a number of information science occupations. Network systems and data communications is listed as the number one fastest growing occupation in the nation. Computer software engineers, systems software developers and database administrators are included on the list that require a bachelor's degree.

Some of the exciting, emerging and growing fields of information science that students may wish to explore include:

* Social Networking (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
* Open Culture: Open Source Software, Open Access
* Intelligence: market intelligence, business and competitive intelligence
* Search Engine Marketing or Search Engine Optimization
* Cyber and Internet Security
* Data Forensics: e-discovery, data recovery
* Scientific Informatics

Undergraduate students who have completed at least the first semester of their sophomore year may apply for admission to either the major or minor program.

Two scholarships for $1,000 each will be awarded to newly admitted students into the BSIS major who meet the criteria of high scholastic achievement and a stellar essay.

For more information about our programs, contact us by calling 919-962-8366 or sending e-mail to: sils-ug at ils.unc.edu or by visiting the Web at: sils.unc.edu/programs/undergraduate

Quotes from our graduates...

"I believe that my coursework in SILS gave me an edge because it transformed how I view information and technology. SILS has taught me that information and supporting technologies exist and have merit because of their ability to connect people with each other and also with new ideas. These tools are more than just coding, tubes, and wires-they are about access, dissemination, and interaction with information that affects us everyday."
     - Alani Nichols, BSIS '11, Business Systems Analyst, Vanguard 

"The level of close interaction I was able to enjoy not only with my peers, but also with the outstanding professors, allowed me to feel like part of a family and not a major. Having access to and familiarity with the Dean and other staff is a college student's dream, especially at a large public institution like UNC. The relationships I built will continue well into the future. The breadth and relevance of the coursework ensures that I will now be able to work and excel in almost any field. The SILS program makes every student's success a priority and it truly made my Carolina experience." 
     - Mia Barnes, BSIS '09, Management and Program Analyst, FBI, Operational Technology Division, Forensics Support 

"SILS taught me how to understand and work with information systems by learning to think critically about information processes that are effecting organizations today."     
    - Jimmy Nguyen, BSIS '09, Technical Analyst, Information Technology Investment Banking Prime Services, Credit Suisse
 
"SILS gave me technical experience, but more importantly it helped me find out how to quickly find appropriate information and answers to problems, such that I can pick up a new technology easily." 
   - Garnett Matney, BSIS '09, Technical Analyst, Information Technology Investment Banking Prime Services, Credit Suisse 

"I think the BSIS program is excellent because it provides a comprehensive look at many different subject areas, while allowing for in-depth study into the topic of your personal choice. This way, you get to learn about and experience different methods for handling information and the technology behind these methods. I also think that the BSIS program provides an unparalleled faculty-student mentoring experience. Because of the small class sizes, I feel as though I get to know  each teacher personally as well as increase my learning exponentially because of their leadership in the field."
     - Ashlee Edwards, BSIS '11, Ph.D. student at School of Information and Library Science 

**********************************
Wanda Monroe
Director of Communications
School of Information and Library Science University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
100 Manning Hall, CB 3360
Chapel Hill, NC  27599-3360
Phone: 919-843-8337
Web: sils.unc.edu
Follow us on Twitter at: UNC SILS






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