Degree Planning
Steps to completing your degree
Once students have been admitted to the major, they typically follow the steps below to complete their degree:
- Attend iWelcome Week and Informatics New Student Orientation in September
- Take junior-level core courses: CSE 123, 143 or CSE 163; choose one of CSE 373, INFO 442 or INFO 443; INFO 300; INFO 330; INFO 340; INFO 360; INFO 380; and two INFO 35x courses
- Begin applying for internships in autumn quarter (recommended)
- Declare your major option by spring of junior year (recommended)
- Begin taking major electives/degree option classes spring of junior year
- Complete a summer internship (recommended)
- Apply to graduate in autumn of senior year
- Take the Capstone course sequence: INFO 490 & INFO 491 and present at spring Capstone event. Alternatively, you can complete a research Capstone. See the Informatics Capstone page for details.
- Sign up for graduation ceremonies (iSchool Convocation and UW Commencement) and order graduation materials
Declaring an option
Students may also declare a degree option in either Data Science or Biomedical and Health Informatics to have that phrase added to their transcript. Completing an option requires taking four electives from within that option’s focus area:
- Data Science Option: INFO 370, INFO 371, INFO 430, INFO 474, or other data science electives.
- Biomedical and Health Informatics Option: BIME 300, BIME 435, INFO 468, INFO 478.
Completing an option is not required. Students may declare a degree option at any time, but typically file the necessary change of major forms after their spring quarter, so that they are correctly listed in the system prior to applying for graduation the following autumn.
Sample course plans
The curriculum plans below can be used to help you plan the remainder of your time in the major. The course schedule reflected on this page is typical of the path students will follow to complete their degree, but individuals may choose to pursue their own path to degree completion.
Current UW Students: Junior year course schedule example
Autumn | Winter | Spring |
---|---|---|
INFO 300 Research Methods in Informatics (5 credits) | INFO 330 Databases & Data Modeling (5 cr) | INFO 351 Information Ethics & Policy (5 cr) |
INFO 201 Technical Foundations of Informatics (5 cr) | Choose between CSE 123: Introduction to Computer Programming III (4 cr), CSE 143: Computer Programming II (5 cr) and CSE 163: Intermediate Data Programming (4 cr) | INFO 340 Client-Side Development (5 cr) |
INFO 360 Design Methods (4 cr) | INFO 380 Information Systems Analysis & Design (5 cr) | INFO Elective |
Current UW students: senior year course schedule example
Autumn | Winter | Spring |
---|---|---|
Choose between CSE 373, INFO 442 or INFO 443 (4-5 cr) ** | INFO 490 * Capstone (4 cr) | INFO 491 * Capstone (4 cr) |
INFO Elective | INFO Elective | INFO Elective |
Elective | Elective | Elective |
* These courses are only offered during the quarters noted above.
** Choose one of these three options:
- CSE 373: Data Structures & Algorithms (4 credits)
- INFO 442: Cooperative Software Development (5 credits), not offered every quarter
- INFO 443: Software Architecture (5 credits), not offered every quarter
Transfer students: junior year course schedule example
Autumn | Winter | Spring |
---|---|---|
INFO 200 Intellectual Foundations of Informatics (5 cr) | INFO 300 Research Methods in Informatics (5 cr) | INFO 351 Information Ethics & Policy (5 cr) |
INFO 201 Technical Foundations of Informatics (5 cr) | INFO 330 Databases & Data Modeling (5 cr) | INFO 340 Client-Side Development (5 cr) |
INFO 360 Design Methods (4 cr) | Choose between CSE 123: Introduction to Computer Programming III (4 cr), CSE 143 Computer Programming II (5 cr) and CSE 163: Intermediate Data Programming (4 cr) | INFO Elective |
Transfer students: senior year course schedule example
Autumn | Winter | Spring |
---|---|---|
INFO 380 * Product and Information Systems Management (5 cr) | INFO 490 * Capstone (4 cr) | INFO 491 * Capstone (4 cr) |
Choose between CSE 373, INFO 442 or INFO 443 (4-5 cr) ** | INFO Elective | INFO Elective |
INFO Elective | Elective | Elective |
* These courses are only offered during the quarters noted above.
** Choose one of these three options:
- CSE 373: Data Structures & Algorithms (4 credits)
- INFO 442: Cooperative Software Development (5 credits), not offered every quarter
- INFO 443: Software Architecture (5 credits), not offered every quarter