Applied Data and Information Science

About the applied data and information science major

Your car—like your phone and even that new fridge—collects information nonstop. As corporations, nonprofits, and other institutions seek to realize the potential of data at an extreme scale, highly skilled data professionals are turning this information into usable knowledge.

If you’re interested in the growing and evolving field of data work and information science, the Bachelor of Science in Applied Data and Information Science degree is designed for you. This major prepares you to meet the developing information needs of businesses, hospitals, and other employers. Students have the opportunity to specialize in applied data science or applied information science in this major.

Skills and abilities this major develops: data curation, data management, data ethics, analyze complex data, data visualization, legal aspects of data practices, and data dissemination.

Engaged learning experiences

Regardless of your major or future career, engaged learning is vital to your present and future. It makes you more marketable for jobs and professional schools upon graduation, it enables you to build deeper connections with faculty and staff in your field of study, and it makes your learning personal by connecting your interests and values with the curriculum from your classes. Check out the three ideas below for places to get started, or learn more at IU Indianapolis’s Institute for Engaged Learning website.

Student organizations

Luddy Indianapolis has many student organizations, which are a great way to build your skills, network, and grow as a professional.

Professional work experience

Grow your skills through internships or part-time jobs. Learn more through Luddy Indianapolis Career Services.

Study abroad

Study abroad allows you to learn, grow, and gain new skills. Luddy Indianapolis has two programs in Greece and Finland.

Opportunities after graduation

Employment of data scientists is projected to grow 36% from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. About 13,500 openings for data scientists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as retirement (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2022).

According to the IU Indianapolis First Destination Survey in 2021, the average starting salary reported for graduates from the School of Informatics and Computing was $60,205, and the median was $55,000.

The national median annual salary for data scientists was $100,910 in 2021 (Occupational Outlook Handbook).

(This section is intended for informational purposes, not prediction of actual salary.)

Graduates in applied data and information science can pursue many advanced degrees, such as the following:

Applied data science
Business (M.B.A.)
Computer information technology
Computer science
Informatics
Library and information science

Quick facts

Sample coursework

Applications of data mining
Applied cloud computing for data intensive sciences
Data fluency
Data policy and governance
Information infrastructure
Mathematical Foundations of Informatics
Visualizing Information

Possible careers

Data analyst
Data curator
Information architect
Logistics manager
Market research analyst
Software Developer
Survey Researcher

Where could I work?

Cummins
Eli Lilly
IU Health
Regenstrief Institute
Roche
Salesforce
State of Indiana

Complementing interests

IInvestigative

CConventional

Get your interest code

Where to get more information

Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering

American Statistical Association

American Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Cluster

This major belongs to the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) cluster. The STEM cluster is the academic home of University College students pursuing majors in the sciences, technology, engineering, informatics, and computing. The STEM cluster partners with students on their academic advising and career plans to guide them into their degree-granting schools.

Learn about the STEM cluster

Learn about other clusters

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