4-Year Bachelor of Information

What is a Bachelor of Information degree? 

The Bachelor of Information (BI) is a four-year undergraduate program that explores how people, information and technology shape the world around us. The program combines classroom learning, studio-based courses, and experiential learning opportunities that allow students to develop the technical, analytical, and design skills needed to understand and build information systems, while critically examining their social, cultural, and ethical implications. 

From data and algorithms to artificial intelligence, the BI program prepares students not only to use emerging technologies but also to evaluate, design, and shape them responsibly in a rapidly evolving world. Graduates will be prepared for careers across a wide range of fields and sectors, as well as to pursue advanced graduate and professional degrees. 

The BI program admits students directly from high school. 

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Program Features

• Four years, full-time
• Lecture and studio-based courses, with optional co-op opportunity
• Capstone course offers hands-on experience

Questions?

• Upcoming admission events
• ugadmissions.ischool@utoronto.ca

Bachelor of Information Highlights

Our world runs on data, algorithms and digital systems. Technology influences how we learn, communicate, work and participate in society.

The BI program prepares students to design, build, analyze and improve information systems responsibly and ethically. 

Students develop skills in areas such as: 

• Programming and data analysis 

• Cybersecurity and system design 

• User experience and information architecture 

• Privacy, data ethics and algorithmic accountability 

Graduates leave with the ability to understand how technology shapes society and to design systems that serve diverse communities. 

Hands-on learning is central to the BI program. Students participate in design studios, labs and applied projects that build skills in coding, analytics and problem-solving. 

Work-Integrated Learning and Co-op Option 

The program includes optional work-integrated learning opportunities that help students connect classroom learning with professional practice. After the launch of the new program, the Faculty plans to introduce a co-op option that would provide students with additional professional experience. 

Capstone Project

In the fourth year, students complete a year-long capstone project. They collaborate with entrepreneurs, community partners and interdisciplinary teams to develop solutions to real-world challenges, including inequality, environmental sustainability and access to education and healthcare. 

BI Students and Graduates

Missy Zhang (BI, Class of 2024). Business Analyst, HealthPRO Canada

Missy Zhang transferred to the two-year BI program in 2022 from Shandong University in China and graduated in 2024. She now works as a Business Analyst at HealthPRO Canada, helping connect healthcare teams with the supplies and solutions they need to care for Canadians.

Oliver Daniel (BI, Class of 2023). Full-stack Engineer, Katalyze AI

Oliver Daniel is a 2023 graduate of the two-year Bachelor of Information (BI) program. He now works as a full-stack engineer at Katalyze AI, a startup that uses artificial intelligence and statistical modelling to improve pharmaceutical manufacturing processes.

Erxun Ta (BI, Class of 2021). Senior Service Designer, AGCO

Erxun discovered a passion for research while completing her BI and later returned to the Faculty of Information to pursue an MI in User Experience Design and Information Systems Design. She now works as a Senior Service Designer at The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).

Students and graduate profiles from the two-year Bachelor of Information program. 

Program Essentials

Latest News

BI program proves catalyst for change 

When Oliver Daniel opened a University of Toronto newsletter back in 2021, he wasn’t looking for a new academic path. But a familiar face and a program he had never heard of – the Bachelor of Information (BI) – changed the course of his studies.  At the time, Daniel was enrolled in Arts & Science, pursuing a double major in computer science and linguistics. Still early […]

BI capstone projects connecting technology and society

Final year students in the Bachelor of Information Capstone Projects course (INF453H) recently presented their projects, which bring interdisciplinary approaches to real-world challenges and demonstrate the breadth of information practice while integrating technical development and user research. The six student teams were mentored by Professor Maher Elshakankiri. List of Projects: Organizing the Block-by-Block Digital Collection The […]

New four-year Bachelor of Information degree launches!

Applications will open in fall 2026 for the new program, with students beginning their studies in September 2027 The new four-year Bachelor of Information (BI) degree is designed for students who want to understand both the technical and human dimensions of the digital world. The program prepares students to design, build, analyze and improve information […]

Black History Month: The artist as ‘Afronaut’ and historian 

As part of their coursework, two BI students wrote about “Otherworld,” a multimedia exhibition presented at the Art Museum at U of T.

See more BI news

Careers for BI Graduates

BI Program Learning Outcomes

• Apply information practices to identify layers of system abstraction, understanding interactions, data representation, and design in cultural and social contexts.
• Discuss and critique the conceptual and philosophical foundations of representation, design, information organization, and computation.
• Analyse and deconstruct real-world problems utilizing emerging and established principles of informatics while considering the social and cultural dimensions.
• Analyse, conceptualize, and justify information system solutions that balance performance, accessibility, inclusivity, and security, while critically evaluating their social and cultural implications.
• Design, develop, and implement information systems that address real-world challenges through user-centred design, human-centred data science, and secure, inclusive practices.
• Analyse complex information practices within socio-cultural contexts, recognizing recurring intellectual and social opportunities and tensions.
• Assess the social, political, economic, and ethical entanglements of information creation, design, ownership, stewardship, and circulation.
• Formulate and evaluate practical responses to enduring and emerging problems relating to information technologies and practices in a manner that demonstrates ethical, cultural, and legal awareness.
• Plan the responsible use of data, information, and tools and techniques for knowledge handling and manipulation, cognizant of social and cultural issues.
• Propose and integrate project-based collaborative approaches to enable successful task distribution, facilitate team effectiveness, and support socially responsible project implementation.
• Formulate presentations and documentation that resonate with audiences with varying levels of technical knowledge and familiarity with the field of information and the specific questions that the subject matter addresses.
• Iteratively appraise personal professional competencies, recognize the need for improvement, and outline steps to address and enhance them.

Future Students

How do I become a Bachelor of Information Student?

Apply here