School of Informatics and Computing

Departmental E-mail: ilsmain [at] indiana [dot] edu

Departmental URL: www.ils.indiana.edu

(Please note that when conferring University Graduate School degrees, minors, certificates, and sub-plans, The University Graduate School’s staff use those requirements contained only in The University Graduate School Bulletin.)

Note: The School of Library and Information and the School of Informatics and Computing merged on July 1, 2013. Historical information for the Department of Information and Library Science can be found under earlier School of Library and Information Science Bulletins.

Curriculum

Curriculum
Courses
Faculty

Degrees Offered

• Master of Library Science
• Accelerated Master of Library Science
• Master of Information Science
• Accelerated Master of Information Science
• Specialist in Library and Information Science
• Graduate Certificate in Information Architecture
• Ph.D. in Information Science

Dual Master’s Degree Programs with the University Graduate School

• African American and African Diaspora Studies (M.A.) and Master of Library Science (M.L.S.)
• African Studies (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• Art History (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• Central Eurasian Studies (M.A.) and M.I.S.
• Central Eurasian Studies (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• Comparative Literature (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• English (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• Folklore and Ethnomusicology (M.A.) and M.I.S.
• Folklore and Ethnomusicology (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• History (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• History and Philosophy of Science (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• Latin American and Caribbean Studies (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• Musicology (M.A.) or Music Theory (M.M.) and M.L.S.
• Russian and East European Studies (M.A.) and M.I.S.
• Russian and East European Studies (M.A.) and M.L.S.

For additional information about admission and degree requirements for degrees granted by the School of Informatics and Computing, see the School of Informatics and Computing Bulletin.

Doctor of Philosophy in Information Science

Admission Requirements

A bachelor’s degree with a minimum grade point average of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale for undergraduate work and a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale for any previous graduate level work. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required and must have been taken within three years of application. An approximate minimum GRE score of  Verbal = 153, Quantitative = 144 and Analytical Writing = 4.0 is required; however, admission is competitive and higher GRE scores are expected. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for all applicants for whom English is not a native language; a minimum score of 600 on the TOEFL Paper-based Test (PBT) or 100 on the TOEFL Internet-based Test (IBT) is expected. Additional requirements include a personal statement of 800-1000 words; three letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources; a current curriculum vita or résumé; and a writing sample. The writing sample may be a single-authored publication, a technical white paper, a grant proposal, or a paper submitted to fulfill a course requirement.

Course Requirements

A total of 90 credit hours are required for the Ph.D. in Information Science. At least 60 of the 90 credit hours must be taken at the Bloomington (IUB) or Indianapolis (IUPUI) campuses of Indiana University. ILS courses required for the doctoral degree are: Z701 Introduction to Doctoral Research in Information Science (3 cr.); Z702 Doctoral Research Practicum I (3 cr.); Z703 Doctoral Research Practicum II (3 cr.); Z710 Doctoral Research Practicum III (3 cr.); and three sections of Z764 Seminar in Information Science (total of 9 cr.). Up to 15 credit hours of Z799 Ph.D. Thesis may be counted toward the required 90 credit hours.

Major

A minimum of 21 credit hours of graduate coursework, approved by the student's advisory committee, must be completed in the major area. The requirement for three sections of Z764 may be counted toward the total 21 credit hours for the major.

Minor

The outside minor generally consists of 9-15 credit hours. The number of credit hours, specific courses, and other requirements for the outside minor are determined by the minor department.

Research Skills

The research skills requirement consists of a minimum of 9 credit hours of basic and advanced research courses: one graduate level statistics course (3 credits) and two advanced courses (3 credits each) in graduate-level statistics, research methods, or research design.

Qualifying Examination

The qualifying examination in ILS consists of an extended written review and analysis of a problem area that addresses critical theoretical and methodological issues relevant to the problem area. The examination includes an oral presentation and defense of the qualifying paper.

Final Examination

Final examination for the Doctor of Philosophy in Information Science consists of a public oral defense of the doctoral dissertation.

Ph.D. Minor in Information Science

The outside minor in Information Science consists of four courses (12 credit hours) of graduate coursework in the Department of Information and Library Science. Coursework for the minor is identified in consultation with the ILS faculty member who serves as the outside member on the student's advisory committee. A qualifying examination is generally not required for the minor in Information Science.