Information Course Schedule Fall 2026

This course is a survey of technologies that power the user interfaces of web applications on a variety of devices today, including desktop, mobile, and tablet devices. This course will delve into some of the core front-end languages and frameworks (HTML/CSS/JavaScript/React/Redux), as well as the underlying technologies that enable web applications (HTTP, URI, JSON). The goal of this course is to provide an overview of the technical issues surrounding user interfaces powered by the web today, and to provide a solid and comprehensive perspective of the web’s constantly evolving landscape.

This course introduces students to the data sciences landscape, focusing on learning how to apply data science techniques to uncover, enrich, and answer the questions you will encounter and originate in the industry. After an introduction to data science and an overview of the course, students will explore decision-making in organizations and big data’s emerging role in guiding tactical and strategic decisions. Lectures, readings, discussions, and assignments will teach how to apply disciplined, creative methods to ask better questions, gather data, interpret results, and convey findings to various audiences in ways that change minds and behaviors.

15 weeks; 3 hours of lecture per week. This course introduces the intellectual foundations of information organization and retrieval: conceptual modeling, semantic representation, vocabulary and metadata design, classification, and standardization, as well as information retrieval practices, technology, and applications, including computational processes for analyzing information in both textual and non-textual formats.

This course introduces the basics of computer programming that are essential for those interested in computer science, data science, and information management. Students will write their own interactive programs (in Python) to analyze data, process text, draw graphics, manipulate images, and simulate physical systems. Problem decomposition, program efficiency, and good programming style are emphasized throughout the course.

The ability to represent, manipulate, and analyze structured data sets is foundational to the modern practice of data science. This course introduces students to the fundamentals of data structures and data analysis (in Python). Best practices for writing code are emphasized throughout the course. This course forms the second half of a sequence that begins with INFO 206A. It may also be taken as a stand-alone course by any student that has sufficient Python experience.

In this course, students will learn how to design technologies that work well and meet the needs of their users, how to communicate and defend your design decisions, and how human-centered design fits into the broader product development lifecycle. Students are introduced to the field of human-computer interaction (HCI) and build a strong foundation in user experience (UX) design. This course is designed to help students understand how design fits within the product development lifecycle and to practice key skills you’ll need as a UX practitioner in industry.

This course is a graduate-level introduction to HCI research. Students will learn to conduct original HCI research by reading and discussing research papers while collaborating on a semester-long research project. Each week the class will focus on a theme of HCI research and review foundational and cutting-edge research relevant to that theme. The class will focus on the following areas of HCI research: ubiquitous computing, social computing, critical theory, and human-AI interaction. In addition to these research topics the class will introduce common qualitative and quantitative methodologies in HCI research.

Succeeding in today’s distributed, technology-rich companies demands effectively leading and influencing others. This dynamic, interactive course is designed for ambitious professionals who are looking to have an impact, whether just starting out or already managing teams. Drawing heavily from social psychology and organizational behavior, this course goes beyond theory to develop real-world approaches. Students will engage with case studies and hands-on exercises to build the practical, research-backed skills needed to drive business impact with leadership and influence. A key focus is understanding workplace hierarchies and social dynamics, equipping students to thrive in complex, organizations — whether in tech or beyond.

The introduction of technology increasingly delegates responsibility to technical actors, often reducing traditional forms of transparency and challenging traditional methods for accountability. This course explores the interaction between technical design and values including: privacy, accessibility, fairness, and freedom of expression. We will draw on literature from design, science and technology studies, computer science, law, and ethics, as well as primary sources in policy, standards and source code. We will investigate approaches to identifying the value implications of technical designs and use methods and tools for intentionally building in values at the outset.

This course introduces students to experimentation in data science. Particular attention is paid to the formation of causal questions, and the design and analysis of experiments to provide answers to these questions. This topic has increased considerably in importance since 1995, as researchers have learned to think creatively about how to generate data in more scientific ways, and developments in information technology has facilitated the development of better data gathering.

This course is a survey of technologies that power the user interfaces of web applications on a variety of devices today, including desktop, mobile, and tablet devices. This course will delve into some of the core front-end languages and frameworks (HTML/CSS/JavaScript/React/Redux), as well as the underlying technologies that enable web applications (HTTP, URI, JSON). The goal of this course is to provide an overview of the technical issues surrounding user interfaces powered by the web today, and to provide a solid and comprehensive perspective of the web’s constantly evolving landscape.

Students will receive no credit for C262 after taking 290 section 4. Three hours of lecture and one hour of laboratory per week. This course explores the theory and practice of Tangible User Interfaces, a new approach to Human Computer Interaction that focuses on the physical interaction with computational media. The topics covered in the course include theoretical framework, design examples, enabling technologies, and evaluation of Tangible User Interfaces. Students will design and develop experimental Tangible User Interfaces using physical computing prototyping tools and write a final project report. Also listed as New Media C262.

Three hours of lecture per week. Introduction to many different types of quantitative research methods, with an emphasis on linking quantitative statistical techniques to real-world research methods. Introductory and intermediate topics include: defining research problems, theory testing, causal inference, probability and univariate statistics. Research design and methodology topics include: primary/secondary survey data analysis, experimental designs, and coding qualitative data for quantitative analysis. No prerequisites, though an introductory course in statistics is recommended.

Three hours of lecture per week. Theory and practice of naturalistic inquiry. Grounded theory. Ethnographic methods including interviews, focus groups, naturalistic observation. Case studies. Analysis of qualitative data. Issues of validity and generalizability in qualitative research.

This course provides students with real-world experience assisting politically vulnerable organizations and persons around the world to develop and implement sound cybersecurity practices. In the classroom, students study basic theories and practices of digital security, intricacies of protecting largely under-resourced organizations, and tools needed to manage risk in complex political, sociological, legal, and ethical contexts. In the clinic, students work in teams supervised by Clinic staff to provide direct cybersecurity assistance to civil society organizations. We emphasize pragmatic, workable solutions that take into account the unique needs of each partner organization.
More information and application

This course brings students together as a product team to apply data science and analytics skills to nonprofit and academic research projects. Students gain hands-on experience working with real-world data, using both foundational and advanced techniques — such as machine learning, data engineering, and online experiments — to generate actionable insights and solutions.

When, why, and how do we seek to produce data about the human body? This seminar course offers a sociological introduction to the relationship between the body and information technologies, examining the ethics, politics, and consequences of bodily datafication. Units will examine medical, military, scientific, and consumer technologies, as well as the data-intensive techniques and global markets shared between them. We will work to understand how data practices have constructed our knowledge of human difference, as well as how histories of bodily inquiry have shaped contemporary practice in information science. For their final project, students will have the opportunity to develop either a research paper or an artifact which critically engages with the production, use, or interpretation of some form of body data. This course is suitable for students interested in digital health and wearable technologies; the political economy of personal data; and/or the social study of science, technology and medicine.

The Global Rights Innovation Lab Clinic (GRIL) offers students a unique opportunity to integrate digital technologies into legal advocacy. Our particular field of application is human rights, but this approach is broadly transferable to other areas of law and client-facing work in the fields of data science, public policy, and other social sciences.

GRIL students utilize data-driven and technological advancements for groundbreaking legal advocacy strategies. Serving organizational clients — grassroots organizations, national and international public interest and human rights groups, GRIL provides advocacy support and strategies to forge new pathways to address human rights challenges. GRIL clients want to harness data analysis, data science, and visualization to advance human rights investigations, litigation before national and international courts, or social justice policy advocacy.

The Global Rights Innovation Lab Clinic (GRIL) offers students a unique opportunity to integrate digital technologies into legal advocacy. Our particular field of application is human rights, but this approach is broadly transferable to other areas of law and client-facing work in the fields of data science, public policy, and other social sciences.

GRIL students utilize data-driven and technological advancements for groundbreaking legal advocacy strategies. Serving organizational clients — grassroots organizations, national and international public interest and human rights groups, GRIL provides advocacy support and strategies to forge new pathways to address human rights challenges. GRIL clients want to harness data analysis, data science, and visualization to advance human rights investigations, litigation before national and international courts, or social justice policy advocacy.

The Global Rights Innovation Lab Clinic (GRIL) offers students a unique opportunity to integrate digital technologies into legal advocacy. Our particular field of application is human rights, but this approach is broadly transferable to other areas of law and client-facing work in the fields of data science, public policy, and other social sciences.

GRIL students utilize data-driven and technological advancements for groundbreaking legal advocacy strategies. Serving organizational clients — grassroots organizations, national and international public interest and human rights groups, GRIL provides advocacy support and strategies to forge new pathways to address human rights challenges. GRIL clients want to harness data analysis, data science, and visualization to advance human rights investigations, litigation before national and international courts, or social justice policy advocacy.

How do you create a concise and compelling User Experience portfolio? Applying the principles of effective storytelling to make a complex project quickly comprehensible is key. Your portfolio case studies should articulate the initial problem, synopsize the design process, explain the key decisions that moved the project forward, and highlight why the solution was appropriate. This course will include talks by several UX hiring managers who will discuss what they look for in portfolios and common mistakes to avoid.

Students should come to the course with a completed project to use as the basis for their case study; they will finish with a completed case study and repeatable process. Although this class focuses on UX, students from related fields who are expected to share examples and outcomes of past projects during the interview process (data science, product management, etc.) are welcome to join.

One hour colloquium per week. Must be taken on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. Prerequisites: Ph.D. standing in the School of Information. Colloquia, discussion, and readings designed to introduce students to the range of interests of the school.