Bachelor of Informatics: A Unique Program
The B.Inf. program is the first of its kind in Canada. Its learning environment is patterned after the future workplace: you work in teams to find new solutions that reflect the information needs of the real world—socially, culturally, in real organizations.
The B.Inf. offers so much more than a traditional program. Check out these features:
- Integrated Studies: Get the whole picture!
- Professional Skills: Go beyond the technical stuff!
- Specialization in an Application Area: Study another field, too!
- Co-operative Education: Earn money!
- Program Structure: How does it all fit together?
- Reviews: What others have said about the B.Inf. program!
Integrated Studies
In B.Inf. you join a team of your fellow students in an exciting new integrated studies program where you see the links between disciplines. Profs from different departments teach as a team. You see the big concepts that unite computer science, math, the sciences, the humanities, and the arts.
The various disciplines are integrated around a sequence of themes which find expression in all disciplines—themes like data, information and knowledge; structures; patterns and searching; management of complexity; visualization; models of the real world; design; legal and ethical issues.
First and second year students have a dedicated classroom for the Integrated Studies courses. This will be the centre for work, displays, meetings and personal storage.
Professional Skills
In the Integrated Studies courses you develop skills in a wide variety of areas. You acquire professional skills, complementary to your technical skills, that employers want:
- Intellectual skills
- Problem-solving
- Creativity, lateral thinking and brainstorming
- Critical thinking
- Personal skills
- Time management
- Communication
- Reading
- Writing
- Listening
- Speaking
- Presenting
- Interpersonal skills
- Teamwork
- Conflict management
- Leadership
- Project management
- Negotiation
Learning activities include group projects, mentoring, journalling and field trips as well as conventional lectures, labs and tutorial. The co-op experience is an important part of the spectrum of learning activities.
Specialization in an Application Area
Technology is not used in isolation: the application occurs in the context of a human undertaking, and professionals need to have a deep understanding of that context. You choose a specialization area of study which is an application area of Information Technology.
Currently there is a choice of four specializations: Major in Health Informatics, Major in Software Systems, Major in Environment, Sustainability and Society, and Specialization of Your Own Design. (See the courses page for the courses you take these specializations.) Other new programs are also under development.
Co-operative Education
The B.Inf. program is a co-operative education program. Go to our co-op page for more information.
Program Structure
This chart shows the structure of the B.Inf. program. Each block is the equivalent of one 3-hour credit course lasting for one term. Get more details our courses page.
| Study Term | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (Fall) |
2 (Winter) |
3 (Fall) |
4 (Winter) |
5 (Fall) |
 |
6 (Summer) |
 |
7 (Winter) |
 |
8 (Fall) |
| Integrated Studies | Informatics core courses | |||||||||
| Integrated Studies | Projects | |||||||||
| Specialization courses | ||||||||||
| Electives | ||||||||||
Colour code: Informatics core Integrated Specialization Elective Co-op
Integrated Studies courses are taken by all B.Inf. students, regardless of specialization. They account for 60-40% of the credits in the first four terms. They combine a wide variety of disciplines (see above). In terms 1 to 4 they provide the foundations of informatics, computing, mathematics, and other disciplines. They continue in terms 5 to 8 with project activities. Students entering the program in year 2 take other specified courses instead of the first year integrated course.
Informatics core courses are six traditional courses taken by all B.Inf. students, regardless of specialization. They include courses in information security, databases, user interface design, web-centric computing, research methods, software engineering and project management.
Specialization courses are traditional courses in your chosen area where you will apply information technology. As you progress through the program, the number of these courses increases. There are usually twelve specialization courses in the program.
The timing of the specialization courses above can be modified. For example, courses are sequenced so that you can delay the start of your specialization to second year. Also, in the Major in Software Systems there are no specialization courses until term 4 (the second term of year 2).
Elective courses are any eight courses of your own choosing, although no more than four may be at the 1000 level. The electives allow you to explore possible specializations and to follow personal interests.
Coop work terms are scheduled after terms 5, 6 and 7. See the co-op page for more information.
Visit the courses page to see what courses you take in each group.
Reviews
We have asked a number of experts to review the plans for our new B.Inf. program. Here are some of their comments:
"I believe that the students studying in programs like Dalhousie University's Bachelor of Informatics will be the leaders of the technology industries tomorrow, and that is very exciting."
Kelly Lyons, PhD, Head, Centre for Advanced Studies
IBM Toronto Lab
"Congratulations on taking this bold initiative to establish a Bachelor of Informatics degree. By establishing such a degree, Dalhousie University will clearly be preparing its student body majoring in this discipline to better understand the role that this technology now plays and will certainly play in the future evolution of our society.... I wish you great success in this endeavor."
Milton Halem, PhD, Distinguished Information Scientist, Emeritus
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and
Research Professor, University of Maryland
"I expect the program to attract a more diverse student body as well as many students who would not choose the B.C.Sc. program. I would also expect the graduates to be attractive to IT companies."
Maria Klawe, PhD, Dean, School of Engineering and Applied Science and Professor of Computer Science
Princeton University, and
President Elect, Harvey Mudd College
