Applied Computing and Informatics, Bachelor of Science

Applied Computing and Informatics Program (ACMP)

The Applied Computing and Informatics (ACMP) program is tailored for those who aspire to make a difference with computing in a range of domain areas from web development to healthcare to game design. Enrolling in ACMP is a choice to focus less on theory and more on solving real-world challenges. Our curriculum is designed to immerse students in the core areas of data analytics, software development, and user experience design, ensuring that the solutions developed are not only technologically advanced but also user-centric and engaging.

Pathways for Specialization

Design and Innovation: This pathway is ideal for students with a passion for creating aesthetically pleasing and functional technological solutions. It emphasizes the importance of understanding user needs and incorporates principles of startup thinking into the design process, preparing students to become pioneers in technological innovation.

Biomedical Informatics: Tailored for students interested in the intersection of computing and healthcare, this pathway focuses on applying informatics principles to biomedicine and healthcare challenges, equipping students with the skills needed to make significant contributions to medical advancements and patient care.

Fast Track

The School of Interdisciplinary Informatics (SI2) has developed a Fast Track program for highly qualified and motivated students providing the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in an accelerated time frame.  With Fast Track, students may count up to 9 graduate credit hours towards the completion of their undergraduate program as well as the graduate degree program. Students will work with both undergraduate and graduate advisors to ensure graduate classes selected will count toward both programs, should a student wish to earn a graduate degree in a separate College of Information Science & Technology (CIST) area than their undergraduate degree.

Program Specifics:

  • This program is available for undergraduate students pursuing any CIST undergraduate degree desiring to pursue an MS in either the same or a related CIST field. 
  • Students must have completed no less than 60 undergraduate hours.
  • Students must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0.
  • Students must complete the Fast Track Approval form and obtain all signatures and submit to the Office of Graduate Studies prior to first enrollment in a graduate course.
  • Students will work with their undergraduate advisor to register for the graduate courses.
  • A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for graduate coursework to remain in good standing.
  • Students remain undergraduates until they meet all the requirements for the undergraduate degree and are eligible for all rights and privileges granted undergraduate status including financial aid.
  • Near the end of the undergraduate program, formal application to the graduate program is requiredAll applicants will need to meet any other admission requirements established for the MS in selected CIST program. The application fee will be waived if the applicant contacts the Office of Graduate Studies for a fee waiver code prior to submitting the MS application.
    • Admission to Fast Track does NOT guarantee admission to the graduate program. 
    • The admit term must be after the completion term of the undergraduate degree.

Contact

For more information, contact the College of IS&T Academic Advising Office at 402.554.3819.

Website

Applied Computing and Informatics, Bachelor of Science Requirements

A minimum of 120 credit hours is required for a Bachelor of Science degree in applied Computing and Informatics. Thirty of the last 36 hours must be University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) courses. Registering for courses without having taken the stated prerequisites could result in administrative withdrawal.

To obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Computing and Informatics, a student must fulfill the university, college and departmental requirements. Some courses may satisfy requirements in more than one area, but credit is awarded only once, thereby reducing the total number of credit hours for the degree to 120. (This total does not include prerequisites.)

General Education Requirements - 46 Hours Required
Minimum of “C-“required
Fundamental Academic Skills 15
ENGLISH COMPOSITION I
ENGLISH COMPOSITION II
Writing in the Discipline
PUBLIC SPEAKING FUNDS
ARGUMENTATION AND DEBATE
INTRODUCTION TO MATHEMATICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL THINKING
DATA LITERACY AND VISUALIZATION
QUANTITATIVE LITERACY
QUANTITATIVE REASONING FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
COLLEGE ALGEBRA WITH SUPPORT
DATA LITERACY AND VISUALIZATION
ELEMENTARY STATISTICS
Distribution Requirements 31
Natural Science - From two disciplines and at least one lab - 7 hrs
Social Science - From two disciplines - 9 hrs
Humanities and Fine Arts - From two disciplines - 9 hrs
Global Diversity - 3 hrs
US Diversity - 3 hrs
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS - 61 Hours Required
**Course will satisfy UNO's Geneal Education requirement
^Course requires pre-requisite(s)
All of the Following:43
LEARN AND EARN: COLLEGE AND CAREER SUCCESS (^)
COMPUTER SCIENCE PRINCIPLES (** ^)
INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION SECURITY (**)
HUMAN-CENTERED COMPUTING (** ^)
DIGITAL HEALTH AND BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS (**)
INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING USING PRACTICAL SCRIPTING (^)
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE I
ACMP 2000
DATA ANALYSIS AND MACHINE LEARNING
ACMP 2100
FUND OF SOFTWARE & HARDWARE CONST.
ACMP 2400
DEVOPS & PLATFORM ENGINEERING
INTRODUCTION TO APPLIED STATISTICS FOR IS&T (^)
APPLIED COMPUTING AND INFORMATICS SEMINAR (^ taken 3 times for 1 cr each)
ADVANCED COMPOSITION FOR IS&T (** ^)
ACMP 3100
DATA STRUCTURES FOR INFORMATICS or CSCI 3320 DATA STRUCTURES
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ETHICS (** ^)
APPLIED COMPUTING AND INFORMATICS CAPSTONE PROJECT I (^)
Extension Courses - Select 18 credit hours from the following courses or complete an approved concentration:18
ACMP 2900
SPECIAL TOPICS
CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION (^)
DESIGN METHODS AND PROTOTYPING (^)
APPLIED BIOINFORMATICS (^)
NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING (^)
SPECIAL TOPICS IN IT INNOVATION (^)
USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN (^)
BIOINFORMATICS ALGORITHMS (^)
DATABASE SEARCH AND PATTERN DISCOVERY IN BIOINFORMATICS (^)
COMPUTERIZED GENETIC SEQUENCE ANALYSIS (^)
INTERNSHIP IN APPLIED COMPUTING AND INFORMATICS (^)
INDEPENDENT STUDIES (^)
CALCULUS I (^)
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE II (^)
MATHEMATICAL FOUNDATIONS OF COMPUTER SCIENCE (^)
DISCRETE MATHEMATICS
SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION (^)
MANAGING THE DATABASE ENVIRONMENT (^)
CYBERSECURITY POLICY AND AWARENESS (^)
CRYPTOGRAPHY (^)
PRINCIPLES OF SECURE SYSTEM DESIGN (^)
DIGITAL FORENSICS (^)
MOBILE DEVICE FORENSICS (^)
ETHICAL HACKING - MALWARE ANALYSIS (^)
ETHICAL HACKING - NETWORK ANALYSIS (^)
INTRODUCTION SOFTWARE ENGINEERING (^)
*This area may also be used to satisfy concentration requirements.
ELECTIVES
 Elective hours as required to reach a total of 120 hours

Applied Computing and Informatics Concentrations

Applied Computing and Informatics- No Concentration Four-Year Plan

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
CIST 1010 LEARN AND EARN: COLLEGE AND CAREER SUCCESS 1
CSCI 1200 COMPUTER SCIENCE PRINCIPLES 3
CSCI 1204 COMPUTER SCIENCE PRINCIPLES LABORATORY 1
ENGL 1150 ENGLISH COMPOSITION I 3
CMST 1110 PUBLIC SPEAKING FUNDS 3
ACMP 1010 HUMAN-CENTERED COMPUTING 3
 Credits14
Spring
ENGL 1160 ENGLISH COMPOSITION II 3
CIST 1400
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE I
or INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING USING PRACTICAL SCRIPTING
3
CIST 2500 INTRODUCTION TO APPLIED STATISTICS FOR IS&T 3
BIOI 1000 DIGITAL HEALTH AND BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS 3
CYBR 1100 INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION SECURITY 3
 Credits15
Second Year
Fall
ACMP 2000 Data Analysis and Machine Learning 3
ACMP 2100 Fundamentals of Software & Hardware Construction 3
Free Elective 3
Free Elective 3
Social Science/US Diversity Requirement 3
 Credits15
Spring
ACMP 2990 APPLIED COMPUTING AND INFORMATICS SEMINAR 1
ACMP 2400 DevOps & Platform Engineering 3
Extension/Concentration Course 3
Free Elective 3
Free Elective 3
 Credits13
Third Year
Fall
ACMP 2990 APPLIED COMPUTING AND INFORMATICS SEMINAR 1
3 3
CIST 3110 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ETHICS 3
Humanities Requirement 3
Extension/Concentration Course 3
Free Elective 3
 Credits16
Spring
ACMP 2990 APPLIED COMPUTING AND INFORMATICS SEMINAR 1
ACMP 3100 Data Structures for Informatics 3
Extension/Concentration Course 3
Extension/Concentration Course 3
Free Elective 3
Free Elective 3
 Credits16
Fourth Year
Fall
CIST 3000 ADVANCED COMPOSITION FOR IS&T 3
Humanities Requirement 3
Social Science Requirement 3
Free Elective 3
Free Elective 3
 Credits15
Spring
ACMP 4580 CYBERSECURITY CAPSTONE 3
Extension/Concentration Course 3
Extension/Concentration Course 3
Free Elective 3
Free Elective 3
Free Elective 1
 Credits16
 Total Credits120

This roadmap is a suggested plan of study and does not replace meeting with an advisor. Please note that students may need to adjust the actual sequence of courses based on course availability. Please consult an advisor in your major program for further guidance.


This plan is not a contract and curriculum is subject to change


Additional Information About this Plan:
University Degree Requirements: The minimum number of hours for a UNO undergraduate degree is 120 credit hours. Please review the requirements for your specific program to determine all requirements for the program. In order to graduate on-time (four years for an undergraduate degree), you need to take 30 hours each year.


Placement Exams: For Math, English, Foreign Language, a placement exam may be required. More information on these exams can be found at https://www.unomaha.edu/enrollment-management/testing-center/placement-exams/information.php


**Transfer credit or placement exam scores may change suggested plan of study
 

Applied Computing and Informatics (ACMP)

ACMP 1010  ACTIVATING INNOVATION IN SOCIETY (3 credits)

This course surveys and applies the use of qualitative methods, especially interview-based research, in order to maximize the insight that informs and activates the innovation process, with emphasis on technological innovation.

Prerequisite(s): Not open to non-degree graduate students.

Distribution: Social Science General Education course

ACMP 1110  INTRODUCTION TO IT INNOVATION (3 credits)

In almost every modern human endeavor, creativity and Information Technology are essential. In the Internet age, information has become a commodity that is available to everyone. Similarly, current technology has largely become commoditized. Therefore, creating new value is becoming the basis for successful professionals. This course introduces students to tools, techniques, and methods for generating innovative information technology ideas and solutions. It teaches them to think about future possibilities and equips them with the ability to critically evaluate proposed innovations and ideas. The goal of the course is to increase students' ability to creatively solve challenging problems in new ways using information technology. This class is inherently interdisciplinary as IT now touches every aspect of modern academic pursuits.

Prerequisite(s): Not open to non-degree graduate students.

ACMP 2150  AUDIO FOR MULTIMEDIA (3 credits)

This course provides an overview of audio production techniques as they pertain to multimedia.

Prerequisite(s): Not open to non-degree graduate students.

ACMP 2220  APPLIED IT INNOVATION (3 credits)

The course extends the concepts learned in the Introduction to IT Innovation course and focuses on market dynamics and monetizing innovations. It moves past idea generation and focuses on identifying and gathering resources, innovation implementation, sustainable innovation models and how ideas can be monetized. The goal is for students to take their original ideas from concept to initial implementation with thoughts towards commercialization. Upon completing the course, students will have created at least a rudimentary implementation of an original idea and have a defensible plan for how the idea can be monetized.

Prerequisite(s): ACMP 1110/ITIN 1110 & CIST 1400. Not open to non-degree graduate students.

ACMP 2990  IT INNOVATION SYMPOSIUM (1 credit)

The seminar exposes students to information technology innovators from multiple industries and varied backgrounds. It teaches the practical aspects of IT Innovation from those that have done it and are doing it in both research and practice. The purpose is to cause students to reflect on applying innovation to the real-world, connect them to the innovation community and to equip them with best practices and tools to make their innovations a reality.

Prerequisite(s): Enrollment in the IT Innovation Major or IT Innovation Minor. Not open to non-degree graduate students.

ACMP 3100  MUSIC INFORMATICS (3 credits)

Surveys the use of digital music data in the study, composition, performance, analysis, storage, and dissemination of music. Various computational approaches and technologies in music informatics including music information retrieval will be explored and implemented by students. (Cross-listed with MUS 3100).

Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of one of the following three courses satisfies the prerequisite requirement: CIST 1300 or MUS 3170 or MUS 3180. Not open to non-degree graduate students.

ACMP 3180  ELECTRONIC MUSIC PRODUCTION (3 credits)

An exploration of the potentials of electronic music. Concepts of electronic music are presented through the use of a computer, software, and appropriate hardware. Students create assignments that demonstrate the application of basic techniques. (Cross-listed with MUS 3180).

ACMP 3330  PRODUCT DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT (3 credits)

This course will cover elements and principles of excellent product design and development. The history of design will be reviewed and overarching tenets of design will be introduced. The course will particularly focus on innovation and students will be expected to develop an original concept and create quality designs and low-fidelity prototype implementations of their unique idea. The proposed solutions must be novel and meet a real-world market need. This course will be hands-on and will examine developmental models for innovation.

Prerequisite(s): ACMP 2220/ITIN 2220. Not open to non-degree graduate students.

ACMP 4000  SPECIAL TOPICS IN IT INNOVATION (3 credits)

This course is designed to acquaint students with issues which are current to the field or emerging trends in the IT Innovation area. Topics will vary across terms. This course may be repeated, but no topic may be taken more than once. (Cross-listed with ACMP 8006).

Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Additional prerequisites may be required for particular topic offerings.

ACMP 4090  MANAGING COLLABORATIVE ENGAGEMENT (3 credits)

This course will provide students with the opportunity to develop knowledge and strategies for leading teams, enhancing collaboration, building consensus, problem solving in teams, facilitating group processes, and designing collaborative workspaces. (Cross-listed with BSAD 8096, MGMT 4090, SCMT 4090).

Prerequisite(s): Junior standing or permission of instructor.

ACMP 4260  USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN (3 credits)

User experience (UX) design is concerned with the application of user-centered design principles to the creation of computer interfaces ranging from traditional desktop and web-based applications, mobile and embedded interfaces, and ubiquitous computing. This course provides in-depth, hands-on experience with real world application of the iterative user-centered process including contextual inquiry, task analysis, design ideation, rapid prototyping, interface evaluation, and reporting usability findings. (Cross-listed with CSCI 4260, CSCI 8266, ACMP 8266).

Prerequisite(s): Required: C- or better in CIST 2500 and junior standing, or by permission of instructor. Recommended: C- or better in CSCI 4250 or ACMP 3330/ITIN 3330.

ACMP 4440  AGILE DEVELOPMENT METHODS (3 credits)

The course presents an introduction to agile development methods for IT application development. Students will also learn Unified Modeling Techniques as they go through the agile iterations. This course is a foundation course for the IT Innovation capstone course.

Prerequisite(s): CSCI 4850 or ISQA 3310. Not open to non-degree graduate students.

ACMP 4500  INDEPENDENT STUDIES (1-3 credits)

A variable credit course for the junior or senior who will benefit from independent reading assignments and research type problems. Independent study makes available courses of study not available in scheduled course offerings. The student wishing to take an independent study course should find a faculty member willing to supervise the course and then submit, for approval, a written proposal (including amount of credit) to the IT Innovation Undergraduate Program Committee at least three weeks prior to registration.

Prerequisite(s): Written permission required.

ACMP 4510  INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION INTERNSHIP (1-3 credits)

The purpose of this course is to provide the students with an opportunity for practical application and further development of knowledge and skills acquired in the ITIN undergraduate program. The internship gives students professional work experience and exposure to the challenges and opportunities faced by professionals in the workplace.

Prerequisite(s): Junior/Senior standing and permission of School of interdisciplinary Informatics Director. Not open to non-degree graduate students.

ACMP 4720  INNOVATION VENTURES (3 credits)

This team-based course provides students with the opportunity to practice the basic tools of business discovery and validation. Concepts and techniques in innovation, entrepreneurship, and strategy will be used to aid students in the venture creation process. Important considerations impacting the viability of the venture post formation will also be explored. Practical real-world experimentation is the central component of the course and will help students to conceive, develop, and launch their own innovative ventures. (Cross-listed with BSAD 8726, ENTR 4720, ACMP 8256, MGMT 4720, MKT 4720).

Prerequisite(s): ACMP 1110/ITIN 1110 and junior standing or above or by instructor permission.

ACMP 4880  SYSTEMS SIMULATION AND MODELING (3 credits)

The course provides an introduction to the modeling and simulation with special emphasis on decision-theoretic models and rational decision-making. The ability to make good decisions is key to individuals and organizations and studying, understanding and improving decisions is vital to success. Students are given a background into systematic decision-making processes, and then are introduced to formal methods for decision modeling and analysis. Building on these foundational models, students learn how to perform process modeling and optimization. Finally, the course concludes with a look at psychological biases and traps that may affect decision-makers. (Cross-listed with ISQA 4880).

Prerequisite(s): CIST 1400, CIST 2500, or equivalent.

ACMP 4980  APPLIED COMPUTING AND INFORMATICS CAPSTONE PROJECT I (3 credits)

This course serves as Part 1 of the capstone project for the Applied Computing and Informatics program. As such the student will design a prototype of an IT product or service as well as a business case pertaining to what is required to launch their project commercially. This effort will be under the guidance of an advisory committee.

Prerequisite(s): ACMP 4440/ITIN 4440. ACMP 4980 is for seniors in the BS in Applied Computing & Informatics degree. Before enrolling in ACMP 4980 student must gain approval from the ACMP Program Committee, of their Emphasis Area. Not open to non-degree graduate students.

ACMP 4990  APPLIED COMPUTING AND INFORMATICS CAPSTONE PROJECT PART II (3 credits)

This course serves as Part 2 of the capstone project for the Information Technology Innovation program. Following the designs and business plan developed in Part I ACMP 4980, the student will create a prototype of an IT product or service as well as refine and implement the required business aspects involved in launching their project commercially. This effort will be under the guidance of an advisory committee.

Prerequisite(s): ACMP 4980/ITIN 4980. This course is for seniors who are enrolled in the BS in Applied Computing and Informatics degree. Not open to non-degree graduate students.