BIS Information Science (Code 12240012)

Prof M Holmner
Office: IT-building 6-49, Hatfield Campus
Tel: +27 12 420 5215
E-mail: [email protected]

The increasing amount of information available and developing information needs have necessitated the training of information intermediaries to effectively facilitate the bringing together of users and the information they require.

This package focuses on the use of information technology and the processing of information products and is designed to train students in the management, retrieval and organisation of information, as well as to teach them how to add value to, package and distribute information. Students will also have the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in the management of one of the most important resources of enterprises – information and knowledge. Two or three specialisation options are available, depending on the electives chosen.

• The closing date is an administrative admission guideline for non-selection programmes. Once a non-selection programme is full and has reached the institutional targets, then that programme will be closed for further admissions, irrespective of the closing date. However, if the institutional targets have not been met by the closing date, then that programme will remain open for admissions until the institutional targets are met.
• The following persons will be considered for admission: candidates who are in possession of a certificate that is deemed by the University to be equivalent to the required National Senior Certificate (NSC) with university endorsement; candidates who are graduates from another tertiary institution or have been granted the status of a graduate of such an institution, and candidates who are graduates of another faculty at the University of Pretoria.
• Life Orientation is excluded when calculating the APS.
• Grade 11 results are used for the conditional admission of prospective students.
• A valid qualification with admission to degree studies is required.
• Minimum subject and achievement requirements, as set out below, are required.
• All lectures at the University of Pretoria are presented in English only.
• If Informatics is selected at first-year level, an achievement level of 5 is required in Mathematics.

The semester in which modules are offered may vary from year to year.

Teaching staff presenting the INL, INY, IMY and PUB modules

Minimum credits: 122 or 132

Fundamental modules (14 credits)

Code	Module	Prerequisites	Credits	Period
AIM 111	Academic information management 111		4	S1
AIM 121	Academic information management 121		4	S2
ALL 121	Academic literacy for information technology 121		6	S2
UPO 112	Academic orientation 112		0	Y

 

Core modules (68 credits)

Code	Module	Prerequisites	Credits	Period
INL 110	Information Science: Introduction to information science 110		12	S1
INL 120	Information Science: Organisation and representation of information 120		12	S2
INL 130	Information Science: Personal information management 130		12	S1
INL 140	Information Science: Information and communication technology 140		12	S2
OBS 114	Business management 114		10	S1
OBS 124	Business management 124	(OBS 114)	10	S2

 

Elective modules (40 credits*)
Select one group in consultation with the programme coordinator.

*Please note: Elective modules: Select one group in consultation with the programme coordinator, at least 40 credits from any modules at year level one OR Select 50 credits from the INF elective group. Students who obtained at least 4 (50% - 59%) for Mathematics in the NSC will be admitted to Informatics 112 and students who obtained at least 5 (60 - 69%) for Mathematics in the NSC will be admitted to Informatics 154, 164 and 171.

Group A (50 credits)

Code	Module	Prerequisites	Credits	Period
INF 112	Informatics 112	Maths level 4 in NSC or STK 113 (60%) and STK 123 (60 %) or STK 110	10	S2
INF 154	Informatics 154	Maths level 4 in NSC	10	S1
INF 164	Informatics 164	INF 154; AIM 101 or AIM 102 or AIM 111 and AIM 121	10	S2
INF 171	Informatics 171	Maths level 4 in NSC	20	Y

Or

Group B (40 credits*)

*Please Note: Because credits are not calculated in the same way in all faculties, students should take note that the total number of credits required for Group B is at least 40.

Code	Module	Credits	Period
	At least 40 credits* from any module(s) at year-level 1. Choose modules in consultation with programme coordinator. e.g.: 12 credits each: AFR 110 & AFR 120; AGL 110 & AGL 120; EFK 110 & EFK 120; ENG 110 & ENG 120; KRM 110 & KRM 120; SLK 110 & SLK 120; SOC 110 & 120; or 10 credits each: PAD 112 & 122	40*

Minimum credits: 160

Fundamental module (8 credits)

Code	Module	Prerequisites	Credits	Period
JCP 202	Community-based project 202		8	Year

 

Core modules (92 credits)

Code	Module	Prerequisites	Credits	Period
INL 210	Information Science: Information seeking and retrieval 210	AIM 101 or AIM 102 or AIM 111 and 121	20	S1
INL 220	Information Science: Representation and organisation 220	INL 210 or LP	20	S2
INL 240	Information Science: Social and ethical impact 240		20	S1
OBS 210	Business management 210	OBS 114 or OBS 124 with admission to examination in the other	16	S1
PUB 220	Publishing 220		20	S2

 

Elective modules (60-63 credits*)

Select one group in consultation with the programme coordinator.

*Please note: Because credits are not calculated in the same way in all faculties, students should take note that the total number of credits required for Group A is at least 63 and for Group B at least 60.

Group A (63 credits*)

Code	Module	Prerequisites	Credits	Period
INF 214	Informatics 214	AIM 101 or AIM 102 or AIM 111 and 121	14	S1
INF 225	Informatics 225	INF 112, AIM 101 or AIM 102 or AIM 111 and AIM 121	14	S2
INF 261	Informatics 261	INF 214	7	S2
INF 271	Informatics 271	INF 164, INF 171, AIM 101 or AIM 102 or AIM 111 and AIM 121	14	Year
INF 272	Informatics 272	INF 164, INF 171, AIM 101 or AIM 102 or AIM 111 and AIM 121	14	Year

Or

Group B (60 credits*)

Code	Module	Prerequisites	Credits	Period
INL 230	Information Science: User studies and dissemination 230		20	S1
INL 260	Information Science: Economics and politics of information 260		20	S2
INL 270	Information Science: Indigenous knowledge and communication 270		20	S2

 

Minimum credits: 145

Core modules (75 credits)

Code	Module	Prerequisites	Credits	Period
INL 310	Information Science: Information organisation 310		30	S1
INL 320	Information Science: Information and knowledge management 320		30	S2
INL 370	Information Science: Experiential learning project 370	INL 210, INL 220 and INL 310 or registered for INL 310	15	Year

 

Elective modules (minimum 70-90 credits*)
Select one group in consultation with the programme coordinator.
*Please note: Because credits are not calculated in the same way in all faculties, students should take note that the total number of credits required for Group A is at least 70 and 90 for Groups B and C.

Group A (70 credits*)

Code	Module	Prerequisites	Credits	Period
INF 315	Informatics 315	LP, INF 261, INF 225, INF 271 and INF 272	15	S1
INF 324	Informatics 324	LP, INF 261, INF 225, INF 271 and INF 272	15	S2
And at least 40 credits for Business Management or Communication Management in Year Level 3.			40

Or

Group B (90 credits*)

Code	Module	Prerequisites	Credits	Period
INL 340	Information Science: Digital repositories 340		30	S2
INL 360	Information Science: Socio-political aspects of information in a global context 360		30	S1
INL 380	Information Science: Competitive intelligence 380		30	S2

Or

Group C (90 credits*)

Code	Module	Prerequisites	Credits	Period
INF 315	Informatics 115	LP, INF 261, INF 225, INF 271 and INF 272	15	S1
INF 324	Informatics 324	LP, INF 261, INF 225, INF 271 and INF 272	15	S2
And at least 60 credits from Group B.			60

 

Quick links

• BIS Information Science yearbook
• BIS Multimedia Science degree
• BIS Publishing degree
• Virtual Reality and Interaction Lab
• Undergraduate modules presented by the Department of Information Science
• Postgraduate degrees in the Department of Information Science