Master of Information Science (M.I.S.)

Goals
Objectives
M.L.S. / M.I.S. Common Core Requirements
Course Requirements

Goals of the M.I.S. program

The school has identified the following goals for the Master of Information Science program:

1. To develop an understanding of the theoretical and empirical bases of information science.
2. To promote an understanding of the economic, social, and strategic value of information.
3. To showcase a range of information analysis and management techniques.

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Objectives for Students in the M.I.S. Program

Students who complete curricular and other requirements of the program will be able to:

1. Analyze information needs and plan and develop information delivery/access systems for business, industry, government, academic, or nonprofit organizations.
2. Understand the nature and role of the information industry.
3. Understand and use communication and information technologies in support of organizational objectives.
4. Develop appropriate information management strategies and policies for organizations.

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M.L.S. / M.I.S. Common Core Requirements

Note: SLIS now offers a dual M.I.S./M.L.S. degree option (see "Dual Master's Degree Programs" in this bulletin).

A candidate for either the Master of Library Science or the Master of Information Science degree must complete at least three of the following courses:

L503 User Needs and Behavior in Theory and Practice

L505 Organization and Representation of Knowledge and Information

L509 Introduction to Research and Statistics

Management component (if not counted toward the M.I.S. or M.L.S. core requirements): either L527 Management of Libraries and Information Centers or L547 The Organizational Information Resource.

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Course Requirements

A candidate for the Master of Information Science degree must complete 42 credit hours of graduate course work; at least 36 credit hours must be taken from the IU School of Library and Information Science. A maximum of 6 graduate credit hours from outside the IU School of Library and Information Science may, in certain circumstances and with the permission of the dean, be applied to the M.I.S. degree. These 6 credit hours may be taken in other schools and departments of Indiana University or in another appropriately accredited collegiate institution. Outside courses are warranted only when they are more relevant to students' career objectives and will contribute more to the enrichment of their programs than would additional SLIS courses. Ordinarily, permission for such outside course work must be obtained before enrolling in the course. The course must be completed with a grade of B or higher, must not be applied to another degree (except in the case of a recognized dual-degree program), and must be taken within the five-year time frame allowed for completion of the degree.

M.I.S. Core Requirements: In addition to the common core course requirements noted above, students in the M.I.S. degree program must, in consultation with the faculty advisor, select at least four of the following seven M.I.S. core courses:

L542 Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction

L543 Strategic Intelligence

L544 Information Technology Standardization

L545 Systems Analysis and Design

L546 User-Centered Database Design

L547 The Organizational Information Resource (unless counted toward the common core management component)

L548 Computer Programming for Text Management

M.I.S. Elective Courses: In addition to the seven courses (21 credit hours) taken together from the common and M.I.S.-specific cores, students must select a minimum of 21 credit hours of elective courses to complete the 42 credit hours required for the M.I.S. degree. Elective courses for the M.I.S. degree may be chosen from the common core, the M.I.S. or M.L.S. core, or the large pool of other SLIS courses available to all master's degree students. In no case may more than 6 credit hours to be applied toward the degree come from the workshop courses listed under the L595 course number. Care must be taken to ensure that prerequisites have been satisfied before registering for any course.

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