UMD InfoDesign Major Requires 120 Credits for Completion

The University of Maryland has introduced a Bachelor of Arts in Technology and Information Design, known as InfoDesign, at College Park. The program, led by Faculty Program Director Elizabeth Bonsignore, Ph.D., focuses on the intersection of people and information, requiring a total of 120 credits for completion. The curriculum is structured to support students in developing a “start-up mentality” that emphasizes rapid prototyping and iterative assessment.

The major requires 45 credits specifically within the Technology and Information Design discipline, alongside 40 credits dedicated to general education requirements. Students must complete ten core courses and an additional 15 credits of upper-level major electives to meet the degree criteria. Benchmark courses include Design Across Campus, Introduction to Programming for Information Science, and Innovation Tools and Mindsets. These classes are designed to establish foundational knowledge necessary for more advanced studio work.

Focus on Social Impact and Systems Thinking

A central component of the InfoDesign degree is the application of technology in the service of the greater good. Students engage in courses such as Designing Fair Systems, Prototyping and Development Technologies Studio, and Cross-disciplinary Design Communication Lab. Graduates may become designers, planners, technology consultants, project managers, and entrepreneurs, in such fields as user experience, mobile development, healthcare, law, entertainment, policy, smart-city development, libraries and archives. The program restricts students from pursuing a double-major or double-degree with the Bachelor of Science in Information Science.

The pedagogical approach relies on laboratory and studio environments where students move from conceptualizing problems to deploying tangible solutions. By integrating systems-thinking, the program aims to train students to evaluate the ethical and equitable implications of their designs. Elective options allow for further specialization, with courses covering topics such as Information User Needs and Assessment, Design and Human Disability and Aging, and Privacy, Security and Ethics for Big Data.

Direct Enrollment and Change of Major Processes

Incoming students who are accepted to the university and designate Technology and Information Design as their preferred major are enrolled directly into the program. For students already attending the university, entry into the major requires a Change of Major process. The curriculum is built to foster a culture of critique, where students learn to use existing components to assemble new solutions.

The degree culminates in an integrated capstone project, which serves as an evaluation of a student’s ability to organize, implement, and audit solutions in socially embedded settings. For those interested in the specific structure of the major or the application process, the university directs inquiries to their official curriculum page or the department’s email at [email protected].