ISC Core Courses & Program Tracks

ISC Core Courses

The internet studies curriculum is designed to help students become creative problems solvers that can design and develop websites using current web technologies. While learning how to create websites, students also become familiar with internet history and contemporary debates regarding the societal implications of the internet and digital technologies.

CSCI 102 - Computer Mediated Communications (4 credits)

Knowledge

Internet skills, with an emphasis on the Internet as a medium of political and business communication, research, cultural exchange and worldwide collaboration. Basic principles of effective Web site organization and design.

Skills

Create and organize static websites. Students will become familiar with HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), and JavaScript.

Experience

Create and organize static Web sites; create valid well-formed HTML, XHTML, HTML5 web pages. Design Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and include Javascript and Java applets. Work with images, image-maps and simple DHTML (Dynamic HTML).

CSCI 202 - Dynamic Web Pages (4 credits)

Knowledge

Principles and technologies required to produce and distribute Web content, with a focus on site architecture and client-side dynamic pages. Students will become familiar front-end web development and design.   

Skills

Create and organize static websites. Students will become familiar with HTML (HyperText Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), and JavaScript.

CSCI 348 - Web Development Fundamentals (4 credits)

Knowledge

Server-side programming, database design, content management systems and frameworks, project management and maintenance, and design principles, site architecture, and usability. Student gain experience developing an interactive, database driven website.

Skills

Server-side languages and frameworks, mySQL; structured query language (SQL), usability evaluations.

Experience

Develop an interactive, database driven web storefront.

CSCI 403 - Practicum/Internship (3 credits)

The purpose of this course is to round out the classroom experiences with actual web development on a live site. Evaluation for this work will be determined, in part, by results such as usability and user acceptance. Students obtain real work experience with projects that are either internal to the center or in partnership with regional companies and non-profit organizations.

Student teams will be assigned to these projects. Oversight by Center faculty will ensure that the students get an experience equivalent to an internship. The requirements for the internship are that it provide an actual team-oriented development experience, provide an intellectual challenge in analysis and design, and that there is constructive communication between the Center faculty and the job supervisor regarding performance.

ISC Program Tracks

Web Programmer Certification

This certificate is designed with the Computer Science major in mind. It is focused less on content and more on code. After completing the ISC Core Courses Web Programmer students take the following three courses:

CS 342 Web Scripting (4 credits)

Prereq: CSCI 330.

For CS majors and non-majors seeking Web programmer certification from the Internet Studies Center. Development of programs and scripts for Web server applications and implementation of dynamic web pages in both Unix and Windows environments. The course includes a study of various scripting languages, and database access through database management systems. Implementations PERL, PhP, Python, Ruby and JSP, their DBM interfaces and the MySQL database management system. 

CS 442 Advanced Web Programming in Java (4 credits)

Prereq: CS342.

For CS majors and non-majors seeking Web programming certification from the Internet Studies Center. Advanced network, applet, and server applications in Java. GUIs, Web spiders and Web search algorithms, security, remote method invocation and Java Beans.
 

These courses are offered to CS majors and any non-majors who have completed the prerequisite programming courses. Web programmers should be familiar with all aspects of scripting (both client- and server-side), database specification and interface. Ideally they will get experiences in both Unix and NT server environments.

Web Programming students will then get hands-on experience with an internship or practicum.

Content Developer Program

Content Developer

The Web Content Developer Track is designed with the Liberal Arts Major in mind. This Track focuses on creating, developing, maintaining content of web sites while using technical Web skills to achieve these objectives. After completing the ISC Core Courses Content Developer students take designated courses within their major.

Majors currently identified for this option are:

Art Majors
  • DSGN 360 and DSGN 361 
Communications Majors
  • COMM 244 and 318, plus one other course determined by major advisor. 
English Majors
  • English 302 and 402, plus one other course determined by major advisor. 
Journalism Majors
  • JOUR 305, 309 and 330. 
Marketing Majors
  • MKTG 476 and 483. 
Other Majors
  • Consult with the ISC Director, Computer Science Department, Communications Facilities Building (CF479) 

For all other majors there is another option to receive a certificate as a Content Developer. This option is essentially the same as the current minor. A student in any other major can take two courses in either English or Journalism (writing and editing in electronic medium) and a Communications course (emphasizing group interactions). These courses are open to non-majors.

Web Content students will then get hands-on experience with an internship or practicum.