Looking for a gentler semester? Start with courses where students have earned higher grades.
Highest historical GPA first. At least 100 letter grades over the five years through the selected term. Grades reflect past outcomes, not workload or a guaranteed result.
Historical grades cover up to five years through the selected term. Only courses with at least 100 letter grades are ranked.
LIS 601 introduces information studies, covering the language, literature, and professional contexts of information agencies and dissemination.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Students report a heavy reading load, but assignments are reasonable and practical with clear career relevance.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Fall 2025A field project analyzing library and information agency experiences through seminars, conferences, and consultations with specialists.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Allison Kaplan: Reviewer:1 characterizes the workload as busywork under Allison Kaplan, noting delayed feedback and contradictory syllabus materials.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to the archives profession, covering theory and practice of archives and records administration including appraisal, access, and preservation.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025LIS 602 introduces information organization and online searching, covering retrieval theories, database structures, and system evaluation.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
A group project constitutes 40% of the final grade, and students report receiving activities for systems the instructor spends little time covering.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025LIS 644 provides an overview of ICT, digital media, and standards in information agencies, focusing on technical knowledge and critical analysis of societal controversies.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026LIS 654 teaches concepts and skills for information services organizations, including assessment, planning, staffing, budgeting, and evaluation.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Fall 2025LIS 615 teaches systems analysis and project management methodologies for information professionals to design and develop information systems.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025LIS 603 introduces research, evaluation, and assessment practices for information professionals, covering project design and data analysis.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN 1 introduces the user experience design process, ethics, methods, and tools, including formative research and design proposals.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025LIS 855 examines management techniques for information agencies, covering materials control, operations, personnel, budgeting, and reporting.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026LIS 629 explores diversity in children's and young adult media, teaching skills to assess multicultural resources and develop inclusive collections.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Madge Klais: The course emphasized weekly assignments and online discussions, preventing students from completing all work at the last minute.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026LIS 639 introduces pedagogical theory and teaching skills for information professionals in libraries, archives, and museums.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The course involves significant theory study that students may struggle to apply to assignments.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026LIS 461 introduces ethical, legal, and policy issues in analytics and algorithms, teaching students to critically analyze debates and apply moral reasoning to case studies.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Alan Rubel, Clinton Castro: The course is typically graded on three short papers and in-class assignments, which reviewers describe as easy to manage. However, writing can be time-consuming for those new to philosophical analysis, and dense readings require careful attention to grasp the core arguments.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026JOURN/LIS 677 introduces concepts and tools for data analysis and visualization through instruction and a final project.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026LIS 707 introduces data visualization concepts, teaching students to plan, develop, and evaluate dashboards for effective communication and decision making.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Fall 2025LIS 202 explores information access barriers for low-income ethnic/racial minority communities and introduces the contemporary information society from a sociological perspective.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Assignments and exams are generally described as easy. Historical reviews note varying formats, with some instructors requiring no exams while others mandate essay exams.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Covers information architecture, interaction design, and usability through the development of a web-based product.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026LIS 668 covers core concepts and new developments in digital curation, preservation, and digital collections.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026LIS 440 introduces data science concepts, covering statistical tests, data management, programming, ethics, and visualization through real-world projects.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Assignments are repetitive with minor variable changes, and the course offers grace points, making it easy to achieve high grades with minimal effort.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to Computing provides a broad overview of computing topics like security, robotics, and AI, and algorithmic problem solving.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The workload involves daily in-person attendance and completing assignments posted after lectures, often requiring students to bring fully charged computers. Some reviewers note that outside work can be long and that the Canvas page is disorganized.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2023–Spring 2026LIS 751 introduces database management systems, design processes, and query development for information professionals.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Introduction to Digital Information teaches students to implement information infrastructures and analyze their social and policy impacts.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Dorothea Salo: Exams are open-note on Canvas and assess lecture attendance rather than memory. Projects are fun and easily graded.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Examines the book as an active technology and site of debate across history, digital humanities, media studies, and industry contexts.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Heather Wacha: Reviewers describe the course as potentially easy but made difficult by unclear grading criteria, or as tough grading that requires attending office hours for specific feedback.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Examines the social, legal, and historical contexts of information technologies and the moral questions surrounding them.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
The workload involves weekly reading and writing, including 3-4 one-page papers and two presentations. While some find the reading fascinating and papers easy, others suggest skimming is sufficient, and staying on top of readings is key to success.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026LIS 640 covers current issues in library and information studies not addressed in depth elsewhere or combining facets of existing courses.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Dorothea Salo: Reviewers consistently rated the difficulty as low, though one noted that assignments lacked instruction despite receiving specific criticisms.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026LIS 220 explores digital footprints, examining the technologies, ownership, and societal impacts of digital information tracking and privacy.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2024–Spring 2026LIS 875 examines current issues in technologies for information processing and retrieval within libraries and information agencies.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Devash Saxena : One reviewer found the material engaging and approachable, suggesting most students can succeed and learn a lot.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026LIS 510 introduces personal, social, and organizational concepts and skills for enhancing information security and privacy.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of Dorothea Salo: The course is characterized as fairly easy with video lectures and heavy reading requirements. Some assignments and readings were perceived as disconnected from the main course material.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026APPLIED DATABASE DESIGN introduces database applications, design principles, and SQL for real-world data problems.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviewers found the workload light, noting that assignments were straightforward and often completed during class. Exams were described as lecture-heavy, requiring preparation based on lecture content.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026Introduces human-centered interaction design for digital information systems, exploring core principles, cognition, and information science to develop new products and services.
Offering recorded · Fall 2026
Historical reviews of David McHugh: The course relies on one large group project, but reviewers report no plan to check on groups or ensure work is divided evenly.
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2022–Spring 2026