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1 | Purple text indicates that the number or title has been changed effective Fall 2025 | [Purple text] indicates the pre-Fall 2025 course number. These courses, if completed prior to Fall 2025, will fulfill the enforced prerequisite in place of the respective new course number. | The most recent syllabus reflects the pre-Fall 2025 course. This will be updated as the first syllabi for the new iteration are collected. | |||||||||||||||
2 | Subject | Catalog # | Course Title Long (Short) | Pre-Fall 2025 Number + Title | Current Enforced Prerequisites | Current Advisory Prerequisites | Course Description | Credits | Tentative Term Offerings 2025-26AY | Typical Term Offered | Last Term Offered | Notes | Most Recent Syllabus | Cross Listed | Home Department | PRIMARY Class Assoc Requisite, Enrollment Requirement Grp | Additional Class Assoc Requisite, Enrollment Requirement Grp | |
3 | SI | 101 | Introduction to Programming with Python (IntroProg w Python) | 106 Programs, Information and People | This course introduces students with no/limited previous programming experience to topics including variables, loops, functions, file I/O, data structures, and APIs. You will learn to manipulate images and get data from the web. Group work is required, but students will also apply skills in an independent project. | 4 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Fall 2025 | SI 106 Syllabus | ALA (LSA) 118 | SI | ||||||
4 | SI | 110 | Introduction to Information Studies (Intr to Info Studies) | 110 | This course will provide the foundational knowledge necessary to begin to address the key issues associated with the Information Revolution. Issues will range from the theoretical (what is information and how do humans construct it?), to the cultural (is life on the screen a qualitatively different phenomenon from experiences with earlier distance-shrinking and knowledge-building technologies such as telephones?), to the practical (what are the basic architecture of computing networks?). Successful completion of this "gateway" course will give you the conceptual tools for an initial understanding of the politics, economics, and culture of the Information Age, providing a foundation for later study in Information or any number of other disciplines. You will be more thoughtful about thorny information issues, and more "information literate" than you were before. | 4 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Fall 2025 | SI 110 Syllabus | ALA (LSA) 119 STS (LSA) 110 | SI | ||||||
5 | SI | 201 | Data-Oriented Programming (Data-Oriented Prog) | 206 | Preceded by one of: (SI 101 [SI 106] or waiver), EECS 182, EECS 183, ENGR 101, ENGR 151 | Students develop their core programming and software development skills, to build competency and literacy in important areas that includes basic data structures, debugging and testing, using distributed code repositories, pattern matching, and programmatic gathering and processing of data. Applications in assignments and labs are oriented around data manipulation. | 4 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Fall 2025 | SI 206 Syllabus | 011318-UINF Fall Term Only, NA Winter Term | ||||||
6 | SI | 207 | Introduction to UX Design for Non-Majors (IntroUX-NonMajors) | 207 | User Experience Design is a discipline that revolves around enhancing the interaction between users and digital products or services. It encompasses a broad range of elements, including usability, accessibility, visual aesthetics, and overall user satisfaction. Throughout this course, we will delve into the fundamental principles of UX design, exploring topics such as user research, information architecture, interaction design, prototyping, and usability testing. We will also examine the importance of understanding user needs and preferences, and how to apply this knowledge to create designs. | 3 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Fall 2025 | New in Winter 2025 Not for students in the BSI program | ||||||||
7 | SI | 210 | Career Exploration in Information (Info Career Explor) | -- | BSI Students Only | This course introduces students to career opportunities in information fields. Students will reflect on their interests and goals, explore various career paths they could pursue with a BSI degree, discover and start to build a professional network, and learn about the skills and experiences needed to make progress toward their career goals. | 1 | Winter | Winter | -- | New in Winter 2026 BSI Students Only | 011318-UINF | ||||||
8 | SI | 211 | Special Topics (Special Topics) | -- | Special Topics in Information --- For details about the topics offered each term, please see: https://www.si.umich.edu/programs/courses/special-topics-courses. | 1-3 | Fall Winter | Varies | Fall 2025 | |||||||||
9 | SI | 261 | Introduction to Statistics with Applications (IntroStats-Apps) | -- | (SI 101 or waiver) or EECS 182 or EECS 183 or ENGR 101 or ENGR 151 | This course introduces students to foundational statistical concepts using Python, with a focus on practical applications in information analysis and user experience research and design. Topics include descriptive statistics, probability, distributions, hypothesis testing, and data visualization. Students will gain hands-on experience analyzing real-world data relevant to information systems. This course prepares students for advanced work in data-driven decision-making and user experience evaluation. | 3 | Fall | Fall | Fall 2025 | New in Fall 2025 | |||||||
10 | SI | 300 | Career and Internship Studio: Design Your Success (Career/Intern Studio) | 300 | BSI Students Only | In this course, students will engage in a synthesis of knowledge and skill formation as well as practice in internship/career readiness and professional development. This course will integrate practice, as well as peer coaching and facilitation in small group activities and reflection. Students will also be exposed to various industry and alumni speakers. At the end of this course students will be able to articulate and implement professional development and career readiness skills that provide for the foundation of success in the internship search, the internship experience, as well as future professional environments. | 1 | Fall | Fall | Fall 2025 | This is a 7 week course. Only open to students in the BSI program. | SI 300 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | |||||
11 | SI | 303 | Introducion to Qualitative Methods (Intro Qual Methods) | 422 Needs Assessment and Usability Evaluation | This course provides students with foundational skills for understanding user behavior and experiences through qualitative research. The course covers methods such as interviews, observations, and thematic analysis. Students will learn how to collect, interpret, and apply qualitative data to inform user-centered design decisions. This hands-on course prepares students for optionally taking advanced research and evaluation in user experience design and information systems. | 3 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Fall 2025 | SI 422 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | |||||||
12 | SI | 305 | Introduction to Information Analysis (Intro to IA) | 305 | Preceded or accompanied by (SI 201 [SI 206] or waiver or EECS 280 or EECS 281) and (SI 261 [STATS 250] or waiver) | In this course students will work with real-world data to practice core principles of information analysis. They will work on a structured project to learn how to draw insights from data, and how the field of information analysis works. | 3 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Fall 2025 | BSI Students Only | SI 305 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | |||||
13 | SI | 307 | Introduction to Design (Intro to Design) | 307 Introduction to User Experience Design | This course provides students with a foundational understanding of design principles within the context of user experience (UX). The course covers key concepts such as visual design, interaction design, and design thinking. Students will explore the role of empathy, creativity, and problem-solving in creating user-friendly products. Through hands-on projects, they will learn to design effective, intuitive interfaces, preparing them for more advanced work in UX design and development. | 3 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Fall 2025 | BSI Students Only | SI 307 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | ||||||
14 | SI | 310 | Introduction to Information Ethics (Intro Ethics) | 302 | This course explores the ethical challenges and opportunities that arise from the use of information technologies in modern society. The course will introduce theoretical frameworks and apply them to topics such as privacy, intellectual property, surveillance, and generative AI. Students will critically analyze case studies to understand how to apply ethical principles to the design, use, and governance of technologies. | 3 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Fall 2025 | SI 302 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | |||||||
15 | SI | 311 | Special Topics in Information (Spec Topics in Info) | 311 | Special Topics in Information For details about the topics offered each term, please see: https://www.si.umich.edu/programs/courses/special-topics-courses | 1-3 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Fall 2025 | SI 311 Syllabus | Some Topics: 011318-UINF | |||||||
16 | SI | 312 | Information Environments and Work (Info Environs & Work) | 310 | Preceded by: (SI 110 or waiver) | This course looks at information's role in organizations, including psychological, economic, management and sociocultural perspectives. Explores sense-making and effective communication, including the importance of "story-telling." Covers key humanistic perspectives and ethical issues related to information. Goes into the nature of requirements and helps students learn to "swim in a sea of data" in organizations. The course focuses on the importance of working at the frontier. | 4 | Fall | Fall | Fall 2025 | SI 310 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | ||||||
17 | SI | 313 | Introduction to Quantitative Methods (Intro Quant Methods) | -- | Preceded by (SI 261 [STATS 250] or waiver) and (SI 201 [SI 206] or waiver or EECS 280 or EECS 281) | This course provides students with a foundational understanding of quantitative techniques used to analyze data. Topics include basic statistics, probability, data collection, and interpretation. Students will learn to apply mathematical and statistical tools to solve practical problems, with a focus on understanding patterns and making data-driven decisions. This course is ideal for those seeking to build skills in quantitative analysis across various fields. | 3 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Fall 2025 | New in Fall 2025 | |||||||
18 | SI | 315 | Models of Social Information Processing (Models of Social Inf) | 301 | Preceded or accompanied by: (SI 201 [SI 206] or waiver) or EECS 280 or 281 | SI 261 OR STATS 250/206 OR DATASCI 101 | This course focuses on how social groups form, interact, and change. We look at the technical structures of social networks and explore how individual actions are combined to produce collective effects. The techniques learned in this course can be applied to understanding friend systems like Facebook, recommender systems such as Digg, auction systems such as Ebay, and information webs used by search engines such as Google. This course introduces two conceptual models, networks and games, for how information flows and is used in multi-person settings. Networks or graph representations describe the structure of connections among people and documents. They permit mathematical analysis and meaningful visualizations that highlight different roles played by different people or documents, as well as features of the collection as a whole. Game representations describe, in situations of interdependence, the actions available to different people and how each person's outcomes are contingent on the choices of other people. It permits analysis of stable sets of choices by all the people (equilibrium's). It also provides a framework for analysis of the likely effects of alternative designs for markets and information elicitation mechanisms, based on their abstract game representations. Assignments in the course include problem sets exploring the mechanics of the models and essays applying them to current applications in social computing. | 4 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Fall 2025 | SI 301 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | |||||
19 | SI | 316 | Interpersonal and Psychological Implications of Social Media (Media: Others & Self) | 315 | This course provides students with a strong theoretical foundation for approaching the ways in which new social media platforms can shape how interpersonal relationships are initiated, maintained, and developed as well as the implications of these tools for psychological processes. | 3 | Winter | Winter | Winter 2025 | SI 315 Syllabus | 019374-UINF or UMSI Minor | |||||||
20 | SI | 322 | Graphic Design (Graphic Design) | 320 | The conceptual part of the course covers the graphic design theory discourse. Students will reinforce the practical application of critical thinking; will learn how to apply it to a broader cultural, technological, and social context. Students will develop their aesthetic sensibilities and design skills through mastering visual language vocabulary, understanding principles of effective visual communication, solving creative problems, and developing analytical thinking, promoting thus their ability to respond professionally to rapidly changing needs of the modern world. While studying the elements of color, layout and grids, typography, illustrations, and web/digital design, students will build their own portfolio, in the hands-on part of the course, students will explore issues at the intersection of visual information and technology. They will work on versatile tasks related to digital graphic productions for web: file formats and images, background textures, collages, UI elements, grid-based website mockups for CSS frameworks. The tools and features of Adobe Creative Suite will allow students to get the necessary skills, providing them with hands-on experience, and familiarizing them with the standard professional tasks of the always-changing world of digital environment. | 4 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Fall 2025 | SI 320 Syllabus | ||||||||
21 | SI | 324 | Data Visualization | In an increasingly data-driven world, the ability to visualize data is critical. This course introduces the principles of data visualization, focusing on the Block Model. Through a series of hands-on exercises, students will be able to understand how to map visualization tasks on some useful abstraction, and then how to encode this abstraction by using the Grammar of Graphics, to create intuitive algorithms on Python to visualize data, using graphical representations. Python is one of the essential languages required in data science. Many data visualization libraries in Python are built to perform numerous functions, contain tools, and have methods to manage and analyze data. However, we do not just learn how to use tools, but we will explore some of the best practices when you need to create effective data visualizations. | 3 | Winter | Winter | Fall 2025 | Prior to Winter 2026, this course was offered as 311.037 Special Topics: Data Visualization | SI311.037 Syllabus | ||||||||
22 | SI | 325 | Mathematics for Information Analysis (Math for IA) | 325 | This course will cover mathematical concepts in linear algebra, optimization, probability, and statistics that are useful for information analysis. Students will become comfortable with basic math concepts and how they can be used to solve problems. A few important advanced topics and Python functions will also be covered. | 3 | Fall | Fall | Fall 2025 | SI 325 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | |||||||
23 | SI | 326 | Understanding AI: Concepts, Ethics, and Societal Impacts (Understanding AI) | -- | Explore how AI works and why it matters. This course introduces the basics of AI while examining how AI shapes and reflects social issues like bias, inequality, and surveillance. No coding required. You will build a strong foundation in how AI systems function and gain the tools to think critically about their ethical and societal impacts. | 3 | Fall Winter | Fall | Fall 2025 | New in Fall 2025 | ||||||||
24 | SI | 332 | Privacy & Surveillance in Digital Era (Privacy & Surveil) | -- | Ubiquitous technology, pervasive data collection, machine learning and artificial intelligence have led to an unprecedented ability for individuals and organizations to watch, observe, and surveil. This course will examine the intersections of observation, surveillance and privacy from a variety of interdisciplinary perspectives, and, informed by the past and present, critically explore potential future scenarios and outcomes. | 3 | Fall | Fall | Fall 2025 | Prior to Fall 2025 this course was offered as SI 311.149 | SI 332 Syllabus | |||||||
25 | SI | 334 | Persuasion and Social Influence (Persuade & Soc Influ) | 334 | Social Influence is one of the most pervasive and powerful mechanisms for behavior change whether you are an informatics professional who is building up your design tool-box, designing a new information system or managing a team. In this course we will learn why and under what conditions an individual's thoughts and actions can be influenced by those around them. The primary goal of this course is to introduce you to some of the theories and key research findings in the field of persuasion and social influence through the lens of economics and social psychology. The second goal is to have you applying the tools of influence from day one of the course: you will learn techniques for persuasive speaking, writing and designing. All written and oral assignments will use short and targeted exercises to gain fluency in applying the techniques and ideas of persuasion. Finally, the course will culminate in an application of these techniques in two case studies (one covering a management problem and one a design challenge). Though we will rely on theories, and learn about the key research findings, this course is suitable for anyone with any background but tailored directly to the needs of informatics students. The class will be heavily directed toward applying what we learn to practice and real world situations. Class meetings include a mixture of lecture and exposition through the use of experiments, an assortment of group activities and class discussion so that you can see and test some of the theories and techniques of social influence first hand. | 3 | Winter | Winter | Winter 2025 | SI 334 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | 19374-UNIF or UMSI minor, after 3rd week of registration | ||||||
26 | SI | 336 | Social Media in Organizations (Social Media in Orgs) | 335 | This course will address the technical, social, and psychological factors related to how organizations adopt and use social media technologies. Emphasis will be placed on how organizations can leverage social media to communicate with external stakeholders as well as support internal organizational processes such as collaboration, knowledge management, and innovation. | 3 | Winter | Winter | Winter 2025 | SI 335 Syllabus | 019374-UINF or UMSI Minor | |||||||
27 | SI | 338 | Web Design, Development, and Accessibility (WebDesign,Dev,Access) | 339 | Preceded by one of: (SI 101 [SI 106] or waiver), (SI 201 [SI 206] or waiver), EECS 182, EECS 183, EECS 280, EECS 281, ENGR 101, or ENGR 151 | This course provides a hands-on approach to learning responsive, accessible front-end programming for Web Design. Topics covered include HTML5, CSS3 (including Bootstrap framework), JavaScript, and the POUR design principles of accessible design. | 4 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Fall 2025 | SI 339 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | ||||||
28 | SI | 342 | Games & UX (Games & UX) | -- | This course is an introduction to the field of games user experience (UX) theory and practice. This course will use cross-disciplinary readings, lectures, and resources to explore the industry practice of games user research and game design, and the academic field of games research. It satisfies an undergraduate elective. | 3 | Winter | Winter | Prior to Winter 2026 this course was offered as SI 311.156 | SI 342 Syllabus | ||||||||
29 | SI | 345 | Data Manipulation (Data Manipulation) | 330 | Preceded by: (SI 201 [SI 206] or waiver) or EECS 280 or EECS 281 | SI 261 OR STATS 250/206 OR DATASCI 101 | Data analysis is crucial to application evaluation, as well as understanding users' information needs. When the data required are numerous we need an automated way to gather, parse, and summarize the data. In this course, you will learn to use Python and its modules to accomplish these tasks. | 4 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Fall 2025 | SI 330 Syllabus | 018983- UNIF & UT | |||||
30 | SI | 346 | Information Law and Policy | Artificial Intelligence, machine learning algorithms and other information technologies are taking on increased importance in our society. This course will examine whether the existing regulatory framework is prepared to address the moral, ethical and policy implications of these new technologies. What lessons can be drawn by recent attempts to regulate the Internet as we enter this new era of information technologies? | 3 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Winter 2025 | Prior to Winter 2026 this course was offered as 311.160 Special Topics: AI and the Law | SI 311.160 Syllabus | ||||||||
31 | SI | 347 | Human-Computer Interaction (Hum-Comp Interaction) | 388 Putting the H in HCI: Human Perception, Cognition and Mental Processes | This course explores the principles of designing intuitive and effective interfaces between humans and digital systems. The course emphasizes the psychological, social, physiological, and technical factors that influence user experience. Through hands-on design work, students will design and assess interactive systems, preparing them for advanced work in user experience design and development. | 3 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Fall 2025 | SI 388 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | 19374-UNIF or UMSI minor, after 3rd week of registration | ||||||
32 | SI | 348 | Accessibility, Disability, and Technology | This class will focus on how to think about disability in the context of design and socio-technical systems. Most accessibility content focuses on web accessibility for people who are blind or low vision. While this will be one component of the class, you will learn how to design for people with disabilities (e.g. hearing loss, cognitive decline, etc.) online and offline; how to design for visible and invisible disabilities; and how to design for permanent, situational, and temporary disabilities. | 3 | Winter | Winter | Winter 2025 | Prior to Winter 2026 this course was offered as 311.026 Special Topics: Introduction to Accessibility | SI 311.026 Syllabus | ||||||||
33 | SI | 350 | UX Field Research in the Public Sector (UX Public Field Rsrc) | 350 | Preceded by: (SI 110 or waiver) | Students work with governmental departments and nonprofit agencies to conduct user research around an information need determined by their partner organization. Students work in teams to collect direct user data, using multiple UX research methods. The deliverable is a recommendations report supported by evidence to our partner organizations. | 3 | Winter | Winter | Winter 2025 | SI 350 Syllabus | |||||||
34 | SI | 357 | Introduction to Development (IntroDevelopment) | 364 Building Data-Driven Web Applications | Preceded by (SI 201 [SI 206] or waiver) or EECS 280 or EECS 281 | This course offers students a foundation in coding and software development with a focus on user experience design. The course covers key programming concepts, web technologies, and front-end development, introducing languages such as HTML5, MySQL, PHP, JavaScript, and Python. Students will learn to build interactive, user-friendly interfaces and understand the technical aspects of creating digital products. This course prepares students for more advanced work in user-centered design and development. | 3 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Fall 2025 | SI 364 Syllabus | |||||||
35 | SI | 364 | SQL and Databases (SQL + Databases) | -- | This course will introduce the students to beginning and intermediate database concepts to prepare the student to use databases as part of a data analysis workflow. The students will learn data modelling, SQL Syntax, understanding how to evaluate different database systems for suitability, how to evaluate and improve the performance of database operations, how to use a database in a multi-step analysis process. | 1.5 OR 3 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Fall 2025 | Prior to Fall 2025 this course was offered as SI 311.049/SI 311.050 | SI 311.049/050/564 Syllabus | |||||||
36 | SI | 376 | AI in Practice: Tools & Problem Solving (AI in Practice) | -- | SI 326; (C- or better) | Put AI into action or choose not to. In this course, you'll explore real-world uses of AI across industries like health, education, and design. Using no-code tools, you'll evaluate when AI helps, when it harms, and how to make informed, ethical decisions about its use. | 3 | Winter | Fall Winter | New Winter 2026 | ||||||||
37 | SI | 378 | Building Interactive Applications (Bldg Interactive App) | 379 | [Preceded by (SI 201 [SI 206] or waiver) or EECS 280 or EECS 281] and [Preceded or accompanied by SI 338 [SI 339]] | This course introduces tools and techniques for building user interfaces that are reactive and response. It covers a variety of design heuristics for creating interfaces that are usable and accessible. It also teaches software design patterns to implement user interfaces at scale. | 3 | Winter | Fall | Winter 2025 | SI 379 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | ||||||
38 | SI | 385 | Data Exploration (Data Exploration) | 370 | Preceded by SI 345 [SI 330] and (SI 261 [STATS 250] or waiver) | The exploratory data analysis and visualization course aims to help students get started with their own data acquisition and exploratory analysis. Exploratory data analysis is crucial to evaluating and designing solutions and applications, as well as understanding information needs and use. Students in this course will learn basic concepts of information visualization and techniques of exploratory data analysis, using scripting, text parsing, structured query language, regular expressions, graphing, and clustering methods to explore data. Students will be able to make sense of and see patterns in otherwise intractable quantities of data. In this course students will be able to work with the Pandas, seaborn, and scikit-learn packages of Python. | 3 | Fall | Fall | Fall 2025 | SI 370 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | ||||||
39 | SI | 390 | Internship Experience and Seminar in Practical Engagement (Internship) | 390 | Optional practical experience opportunity for BSI students who perform at least 60 hours of work in a summer internship. Internship experiences for credit and enrollment in this course must be approved in advance by the UMSI Career Development Office. In this course, students will develop learning objectives, complete reflective assignments, and design an internship portfolio demonstrating internship outcomes. This course will support students' ability to derive deeper meaning from an integrated learning experience with the potential to contribute to life-long career development. | 1 | Fall Winter Spring Summer | Fall Winter Spring Summer | Fall 2025 | For BSI Students only. | SI 390 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | ||||||
40 | SI | 394 | Introduction to Automotive UX (Auto UX) | -- | Taught by industry professionals who currently work in the automotive industry, this course provides hands-on experience with the best practices and theory that exist within Automotive User Experience (UX) design space. Students will be asked to create designs of their own to convey their understanding. The primary context for this class will be the in-vehicle digital interfaces, but other devices such as mobile, web, and physical devices (ex. Charging stations, key fobs) will be referenced. This class will not cover exterior automotive design. | 3 | Fall | Fall | Fall 2025 | Prior to Fall 2025 this course was offered as SI 311.150 | SI 311.150 Syllabus | |||||||
41 | SI | 403 | Advanced Qualitative Methods (Adv. Qual Methods) | -- | Preceded by SI 303 [SI 422] | This course builds on skills from the introductory course, focusing on advanced techniques that may include in-depth interviews, ethnography, and participatory design. Students will refine their abilities in qualitative data collection, analysis, and synthesis, applying these skills to real-world information studies projects. Hands-on experience with methods such as grounded theory will prepare students to tackle complex user experience and information systems research challenges. | 4 | Winter | Winter | -- | New course in Winter 2026 | |||||||
42 | SI | 405 | Applied Generative AI (Applied GenAI) | -- | Preceded by SI SI 345 [SI 330], and SI 385 [SI 370] | This course provides a hands-on exploration of generative artificial intelligence with a focus on large language models (LLMs) and their applications. Students will learn how to build real-world generative AI applications using state-of-the-art LLMs through APIs and run local models. The course emphasizes applied techniques and approaches, rather than teaching theory or deep mathematical foundations. By the end of the course, students will be able to design, implement, and evaluate end-to-end generative AI systems using modern libraries and frameworks, all through Python-based development. | 4 | Winter | Winter | -- | New course in Winter 2026 | |||||||
43 | SI | 407 | Advanced Design (Advanced Design) | 482 Interaction Design Studio | Preceded by (SI 307 or SI 207) & SI 347 [SI 388] | This course builds on foundational UX principles, focusing on the creation of sophisticated, user-centered interactive systems. Students will explore advanced design techniques, including prototyping, iterative testing, and user feedback integration. Emphasis is placed on solving complex design problems through collaborative, research-driven approaches. Projects will challenge students to push creative boundaries while maintaining usability and accessibility, preparing them for professional UX design roles. | 4 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Fall 2025 | SI 482 Syllabus | 019374-UINF or UMSI Minor | ||||||
44 | SI | 410 | Ethics and Information Technology (Ethics&Info Technlgy) | 410 | Jr or Sr level standing | Applies an emergent philosophy of information to a variety of new technologies that are inherently social in their design, construction, and use. Learning modules include: social media interaction; remembering/forgetting; and game design ethics. By collaborating on building a wiki community, students explore ethical/unethical information behaviors and test information quality metrics. | 4 | Winter | Winter | Winter 2025 | This course is a ULWR | SI 410 Syllabus | AMCULT 410 DIGITAL 410 STS 410 | SI | 019374-UINF or UMSI Minor | |||
45 | SI | 411 | Advanced Special Topics in Information (AdvSpecTopicInfo) | -- | Varies by topic | Special Topics in Information For details about the topics offered each term, please see: https://www.si.umich.edu/programs/courses/special-topics-courses | 1-3 | Winter | Fall Winter | -- | ||||||||
46 | SI | 413 | Advanced Quantitative Methods (AdvQuant:Experiments) | 340 Experiment Design and Analysis | Preceded by (SI 261 [STATS 250] or waiver) and (SI 313 or SI 305) | This course builds on foundational skills from the introductory course, focusing on advanced statistical techniques in information studies. Students may explore topics including survey design, experimental methods (e.g., A/B testing), and server log analysis. Emphasis is placed on analyzing large datasets, performing regression and multivariate analyses, and generating data-driven insights. This course equips students with practical skills for applying quantitative methods to user experience, product design, and business decisions | 4 | Winter | Winter | Winter 2025 | ||||||||
47 | SI | 425 | Introduction to User Modeling (Intro to User Modeling) | 425 | Preceded by (SI 261 [STATS 250] or waiver) | This course introduces techniques to model user behavior from economic theory, behavioral economics, and computer science. Students learn to model preferences using observational and experimental data and evaluate the effectiveness of pricing and monetization strategies for digital products in the presence of network effects, changing digital advertising landscape, novel AI technologies, and privacy preferences. Student teams analyze case studies about user modeling in real world companies. | 3 | Fall | Fall | Fall 2025 | SI 425 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | ||||||
48 | SI | 428 | Online Communities: Analysis and Design of Online Interaction (Online Communities) | 429 | This course gives students a background in theory and practice surrounding online interaction environments. For the purpose of this course, a community is defined as a group of people who sustain interaction over time. The group may be held together by a common identity, a collective purpose, or merely by the individual utility gained from the interactions. An online interaction environment is an electronic forum, accessed through computers or other electronic devices, in which community members can conduct some or all of their interactions. | 3 | Fall Winter | Fall Winter | Fall 2025 | SI 429 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | |||||||
49 | SI | 432 | Information Technology and Global Society (IT & Global Society) | 430 | In this course, students will examine recent and current global events featuring information technology, and through both discussion and introspection, construct their own personal hypotheses of technology and society. Along the way, students will hear about the way in which information technology is touching the remotest places in the world, gain an introduction to formal theories of technology and society, and stress-test their critical thinking skills. | 3 | Winter | Winter | Winter 2025 | SI 430 Syllabus | STS 432 | SI | ||||||
50 | SI | 434 | Algorithms and Society (Algorithms and Society) | 431 | Algorithms are a set of rules for computers to follow. Algorithms affect myriad aspects of everyday life, from facial recognition to privacy to policing to social media. This course will examine the ways that algorithms impact individuals and communities, especially in ways that may not be obvious to people who are consumers of algorithmic technologies. We will investigate concepts of bias, discrimination, fairness, ethics, and justice, especially as they relate to attributes like gender, race, or health. Students will be tested via quizzes and will be given an opportunity to explore new ideas | 3 | Winter | Winter | Winter 2025 | SI 431 Syllabus | 019374-UINF or UMSI Minor | |||||||
51 | SI | 436 | Exploring Computational Thinking Through Making (Making for Info Prob) | 435 | This course uses making activities to introduce students to problem-solving skills associated with computational thinking. Students will utilize their foundational knowledge of computational thinking and making/tinkering to design solutions to a wide-variety of information problems. The course structure will include a combination of lectures, hands-on making activities, and small group presentations. | 3 | N/A | -- | -- | SI 435 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | |||||||
52 | SI | 457 | Advanced Development (Adv Development) | -- | Preceded by (SI 201 [SI 206] or waiver) and SI 357 [SI 364] | This course builds on foundational skills in web and database technologies, focusing on creating scalable, high-performance multi-user applications. Students will deepen their expertise in advanced database management, server-side programming, and web frameworks. Emphasizing real-world problem-solving, the course covers topics like optimization, security, and API integration. Students will develop complex applications using a combination of technologies such as MySQL, HTML5, PHP, JavaScript, Python, and mobile platforms. | 4 | Winter | Winter | -- | New in Winter 2026 | |||||||
53 | SI | 465 | Applied Machine Learning (AppldMachineLearning) | -- | Preceded by SI 325, SI 345 [SI 330], and SI 385 [SI 370] | This course introduces students to practical machine learning techniques for solving real-world problems in information studies. Building on skills in data manipulation, exploration, and mathematical analysis, students will learn to implement supervised and unsupervised algorithms, including regression, classification, and clustering. Emphasis is placed on model evaluation, tuning, and the ethical implications of machine learning. By the end, students will be able to apply machine learning models to support data-driven decision-making. | 4 | Winter | -- | New in Winter 2026 | ||||||||
54 | SI | 478 | UX Research at Scale (UX Research at Scale) | 467 | Preceded by SI 303 [SI 422] & SI 347 [SI 388] | This course provides a framework for developing and executing research programming to understand user needs and evaluate products and services in enterprise settings. Qualitative and quantitative research strategies and methodologies in common use will be covered, including remote unmoderated research, analysis of experience analytics, A/B testing, and advanced survey methods, among others. | 3 | Winter | Winter | Winter 2025 | SI 467 Syllabus | |||||||
55 | SI | 485 | Information Analysis Capstone I (IA Capstone I) | 405 | Preceded or accompanied by SI 305, 310 [302], 315 [301], 345 [330], 385 [370], and 425 | Students will learn about team development, positive group dynamics, professional interactions with clients, assessing project needs, development of initial project ideas, surveying related industry organization and technology, related information fields, decision-making, and working through challenging, conflicting, or ambiguous problems. On completion of the course, student teams will have created a cherent high-level project plan identified in collaboration with a client. | 2 | Fall | Fall | Fall 2025 | SI 405 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | ||||||
56 | SI | 487 | User Experience Design Capstone I (UX Capstone I) | 407 | Preceded or accompanied by SI 303 [SI 422], 307, 310 [302], 313, 347 [388], and 357 [364] | Students will learn about team development, positive group dynamics, professional interactions with clients, assessing project needs, development of initial project ideas, surveying related industry organization and technology, related information fields, decision-making, and working through challenging, conflicting, or ambiguous problems. On completion of the course, student teams will have created a cherent high-level project plan identified in collaboration with a client. | 2 | Fall | Fall | Fall 2025 | SI 407 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | ||||||
57 | SI | 491 | Independent Study (IndStudy) | 491 | Independent Study | 1-8 | N/A | |||||||||||
58 | SI | 495 | Information Analysis Capstone II (IA Capstone II) | 485 | Preceded by SI 305, 310 [302], 315 [301], 345 [330], 385 [370], 425, and 485 [405] | Advance project course for the Information Analytics Path. Students will apply skills learned in the Path to create a data-centered project that includes requirements analysis, data manipulation and analysis, and evaluation needs of a client. Example project settings include: analyzing customer/user interaction data for a commercial enterprise; constructing new datasets for business intelligence; or applying large-scale predictive analytics to improve a business or educational outcome. | 4 | Winter | Winter | Winter 2025 | SI 485 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | ||||||
59 | SI | 497 | User Experience Design Capstone II (User Exp Capstone II) | 487 | Preceded by SI 303 [SI 422], 307, 310 [302], 313, 347 [388], 357 [364], and 487 [407] | Advanced project course for the User Experience Path. Students will apply skills learned in the Path to create a project that includes aspects of requirements analysis, design, and evaluation needs of a client. Example project settings might include: constructing a website for an academic unit or organization, building a mobile health application, constructing a commercially viable product, or designing a patient-facing or clinical support system. | 4 | Winter | Winter | Winter 2025 | SI 487 Syllabus | 011318-UINF | ||||||