Bachelor's Programme in IT and Information Systems

Bachelor in IT and information systems is a three-year program. The most important program goals are to present students with the phenomenon of digitalisation and to give opportunities to develop skills for a participation of future-oriented solutions. The content of the programme will present students with a wide range of ideas in development and use of information systems leading to insight into the effects of digitalisation. Through practical problem solving, experimentation with innovative solutions, teamwork, collaboration with companies, as well as theoretical and practical guidance, students will be able to explore important aspects of responsible, sustainable, and ethical use of information systems for individuals, organisations, and society at large. After completing the programme, the students will be able to contribute to the development of information systems (IS) in the context of a sustainable society.

In the fourth and fifth semesters the students can choose between electives in systems development, information systems security, innovation, and entrepreneurship. In the fourth semester the students also have the option to study abroad for an exchange semester.

In the fourth semester electives will be offered to the students who are not on an exchange. Electives can vary from one year to another and detailed information will be provided every year.

A minimum of 10 ECTS credits of a student’s electives must be in IT /IS subjects. 30 ECTS credits may be in other subject areas, for example, economics, law, social sciences, political science, or technology, etc. Other choices of electives are also possible, but the students have to contact the student advisor at the department for an assessment and obtain an approval. For electives from other programmes there is no guarantee that the course and exam schedule are collision-free.

Students are required to take a minimum of 10 ECTS credits of electives within IT/IS-courses. It is possible to apply for approval of alternative electives up to a maximum of 30 ECTS credits. These may be within other subject fields such as business administration/economics, marketing, law, social sciences, political science, technology or similar fields. Contact the student adviser for more information about the application process to get alternative electives approved as a part of the programme. Students taking alternative electives in parallel may have timetable collisions or collisions between examination dates.

By the end of the programme students will have acquired the following knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Knowledge

The students will:

• have a broad knowledge of digital transformation both in context of different businesses and society in general
• have a broad knowledge of key subject areas within systems development such as analysis, design, programming, algorithms, databases, and other current technologies
• have a systematic and coherent understanding of laws, regulations, and agreements in working life relevant to the subject areas of information technology and information systems
• have acquired coherent body of knowledge of the important role information technology and digitalisation can play in organisational and social development
• be familiar with research and development work within information systems, and be able to update their knowledge within the field

Skills

The students will:

• have specialised skills to analyse user needs, to model information systems, to program and to develop solutions, and to master relevant tools, techniques, and subject matter
• understand the organisational and financial consequences of digitalisation
• reflect on their own professional practice and be able to adjust under supervision
• participate actively and work independently in systems development projects and related project work

General competence

The students will:

• be able to plan and implement digital innovation projects and maintain information systems based on the needs of companies, both alone and as participant in a team
• have developed abilities for collaboration, communication, critical assessment and for dealing with paradoxes
• have conscious awareness of possibilities and limitations of information technology and digitalisation
• be able to take a position on issues of an ethical and practical nature related to the development and implementation of information systems and to digitalisation
• be able to update their own knowledge through literature searches, contact with professional environments, relevant user groups and apply and disseminate this in their own practice

Different forms of assessment are used in the programme, such as:

• Individual examination using digital tools
• Individual and in group reports
• Group report combined with an oral examination and with, an individual or a group grading
• Portfolio including both group and individual deliverables

IT and information systems are international subject areas. The study programme is based on international sources and global perspectives. Several courses are taught in English, and in these courses the students will meet exchange students from other partner-universities.

We recommend all students to use the opportunity to go on an exchange in the 4th semester. Exchange to one of the UiA's partner universities will provide unique experience and the opportunity to work and communicate in an international context. A semester studying abroad can also provide options for different subject combination than those offered within the programme, for example within subject areas like business administration/economics and management, eHealth, programming, and systems architecture. Students going on exchange in foruth semester will have to take a similar course as the compulsory course offered in the programme this semester, during the exchange semester. The study programme manager will assist students in finding a substitute course, as a part of the pre-approval of courses that students should take as a part of their semester abroad.

The department has a number of exchange agreements with popular universities our employees have a collaboration with, and we recommend the students to study at partner universities such as; Waterford Institute of Technology (Ireland), LUISS (Rome, Italy), Minho University (Portugal), Paderborn University (Germany) and University of Münster (Germany) University of Nebraska (USA) and Queensland University of Technology (Australia). Students may also apply to go to other partnerinstitutions, provided that there is an exachange agreement with UiA. It also requires a sufficient number of relevant subjects that can be approved as a part of the study programme and that there is a sufficient number of available places. An overview is available on UiA's website (look for internationalisation and studies abroad). Students studying abroad in Europe can apply for an Erasmus+ scholarship.

There is a great demand for the expertise in the areas of digital business understanding, sustainability, and digital transformation in the private and public sector. There is also a need for people with knowledge in business, economics and organizational sciences to be able to understand the interaction between technology and organization. The programme is suited for preparation of students for the positions such as analysts, system developers, programmers, consultants, and advanced level user support.

Candidates from the bachelor’s programme in IT and information systems will have the academic qualified to apply for admission to the Master's program in Information Systems, and the Master's program in Cyber Security (specialization in Cyber Security Management) at the University of Agder. The students completing the programme will also be qualified for further studies at several other institutions. Please note that other institutions may have additional requirements for admission.

Read more about career opportunities for social scientists at www.uia.no/karriereveier.