Science Informatics

What is a Science Informatics major?

Science Informatics integrates knowledge from a range of disciplines including computing, information modelling and human-computer interaction. Graduates will develop skills in understanding, manipulating, visualising, integrating and exploiting data and information; these skills are crucial to many industries, particularly medical/health industries, and research in biological and physical sciences.

Why study Science Informatics?

During the Information Age, information was particularly valuable because it was a scarce resource. Today, the focus has shifted from the capture and distribution of information to understanding, manipulating, visualising, integrating and exploiting data and information.

The Science Informatics major reflects this expanded focus. Students will learn about a range of disciplines including computing, information modelling and human-computer interaction. In doing so, students will develop an understanding of the application of informatics to solving current problems in various domains.

We live in exciting times. Be in the midst of it with Science Informatics. Further information on informatics is available from http://www.informatics.unimelb.edu.au/.

What will the course look like?

This is an example of a course plan for a student who has decided to major in Science Informatics and is also interested in knowledge, thinking and learning, music and other science areas of study.

Sample course plan

Bachelor of Science major: Science Informatics

First year
Informatics 1: Practical Computing	Mathematics	Biology	What is Knowledge and How do we Acquire it
Informatics 2: People, Data and the Web	Mathematics	Biology	Music and Health
Second year
Informatics 3: Content Management	Genetics	Genetics	Thinking, Reasoning and Learning
Information Modelling	Visualising Information	Genetics	Cabaret!
Third year
Distributed Information	Science Informatics in Practice	Genetics	Ways of Knowing and Learning
Human Computer Interaction	Mobile Computing	Genetics	Sounding Off: Music and Politics

Key/Legend

	Subjects leading to a major in third year (A major in the Bachelor of Science is four subjects studied in third year in a specific area of science, technology or engineering systems)
	Other science areas of study to complement the major
	Breadth subjects (Subjects outside science, or integrating science with humanities and social sciences)

The course plan displayed is a sample only. The University gives no warranty and accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or the completeness of the material. No reliance should be made by any person on the material, but instead should check for confirmation with the originating or authorising faculty, department or other university body.

Please see http://www.bsc.unimelb.edu.au/bachelor/study for further information.