Information & Communication Studies (ICS) equips you with the knowledge, skills, and tools to help you to make sense of a world where every aspect of human experience is affected by digital technology, media, data, and information in all formats. ICS explores digital information, social media, and communication and analyses their effects on societies, culture, politics, privacy, health, education and the many different spheres of public, private and personal life. Ultimately, ICS is about people, and understanding how people and technology interact and influence each other in the 21st Century.

First Year

All first year social sciences students study the core module, Societal Challenges in the Twenty First Century. Additional modules may include:

• Information and Social Media
• Digital Technology
• Digital Judgement: Truth, Lies & the Internet
• Information, Society & Culture
• Plus another subject
• Plus Elective module

Second Year

Students in ICS take the core module Critical Research Skills, and choose from additional option modules including:

• Core Competencies for Digital Citizenship
• Social Media & Participation in an Online World
• Exploring Text with Python
• Computer-Mediated Communication
• Social Studies of ICTs
• Contextual Design Inquiry
• Information & Collaboration in Organisations
• Theories of Media & Communication
• Data Dilemmas
• Plus another subject
• Plus Elective modules

Third Year & Fourth Year

ICS students deepen their disciplinary knowledge and understanding by choosing specialist and experiential modules to reflect their interests and career goals, including:

• The Digital Self
• Digital Media Ethics
• Digital Storytelling
• Web Publishing
• Web UX Evaluation
• Gender, Race and Media
• Digital Research Skills for Social Sciences
• Data Visualisation
• Artificial intelligence
• Research & Discovery module (4th Year only)
• Technology and Human Rights
• Digital Media & Climate Crisis
• Personal Information Management
• Information Architecture
• Plus Elective modules

In third year, students can apply for an optional paid internship for one trimester in a range of organisations in the public and private sector, which help to inform future career decisions through  real-world experience.

Assessment

Students attend lectures and tutorials and undertake independent study and project work. Assessment including a wide variety of digital projects.

For detailed information on subject content click here.

Students may study abroad for a year or a semester. Destinations include the USA, Australia, China and Canada.

Information & Social Computing is relevant for careers in: Web design and development, Social media, Social computing, User experience design, Investigative research, Publishing, Digital marketing and Business.

Graduates can progress to various Master’s courses:

• MSc Communication & Media, which prepares students for public and private sectors careers in digital media industries, communication regulation and policy, media design, management and research.
• MSc Human-Computer Interaction and MSc Information Systems, which prepare students in careers in human-computer interaction, usability, user experience, user research and information systems-related professions.
• Master of Library & Information Studies (MLIS), which prepares students for careers including librarianship, information consulting and digital media management.

Graduates can also pursue research careers by studying for a PhD.

• Level 5/6 QQI-FET
  
• Open Learning Entry Route
• Mature Entry Route
• DARE Entry Route
  
• HEAR Entry Route
  
• University Access
  

Fiona Smyth
UCD School of Information & Communication Studies,
Newman,
Belfield,
Dublin 4

Email: fiona.smyth@ucd.ie