Graduate
Degree Programs
Master of Information Science (MIS)
Goals and Objectives of the Master of Information Science Program
The Master of Information Science (MIS) program is an interdisciplinary professional program designed to prepare students for lifelong careers in designing, managing, and consulting about information and communication technologies (ICT) and services in public, corporate, and nonprofit settings. The program couples best-practices training in the management and use of ICT with exposure to current information management and systems research; there is a strong emphasis on essential career development skills including written and oral communication, team building, analysis, and critical thinking that are necessary for assuming management positions in business, nonprofit, academic, and government organizations.
ILS has identified the following primary goals and objectives for the MIS program. Upon completion of this program, graduates will be prepared to:
Demonstrate understanding of research necessary for careers as information professionals
- Apply appropriate strategies, tools and technologies to represent, organize, and manage data and information
- Apply appropriate theories and empirical evidence for effective leadership, management, and collaboration
- Use critical thinking to evaluate information, technology, and services problems and challenges
- Synthesize and interpret relevant research findings for use in ICT project management
Adopt socio-technical and user-centered approaches to studying and working with information and communication technologies (ICT)
- Understand the management and organizational structures of information organizations
- Utilize effectively the theoretical and practical bases of information organization, architecture, storage, retrieval, and delivery systems
- Apply techniques from human-computer interaction, systems analysis, programming and database design, to analyze user needs and information systems in social and organizational settings
- Develop innovative solutions to address information, technology, and services problems and challenges
Work effectively within and across a variety of information settings and contexts
- Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with a variety of audiences
- Identify information and technical resources that will support an organization's activities
- Analyze, evaluate, and manage ICT to support organizational activities and work practices
- Demonstrate knowledge of relevant concepts and theories of organizational behavior for managing people, information, and technology in public and private sector organizations
Participate successfully and responsibility in the information professions
- Explain socio-economic, cultural, policy, and ethical issues involved in the design, development, management, and use of ICT
- Engage in life-long learning, making effective use of the range of information resources (research and popular writings, professional organizations) that support information work
MIS DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
The MIS program helps to educate a distinctive information professional, one whose expertise includes understanding the human side of information and information technologies and applying this understanding to practical problems. The curriculum has been designed to provide a sound conceptual foundation for developing leadership-oriented careers and enabling students to develop expertise in one or more specific areas. 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 in the IU Department of Information and Library Science.
A maximum of 6 graduate credit hours from outside the IU Department of Information and Library Science may, in certain circumstances and with approval (using the "Outside Course Approval Form"), be applied to the MIS degree. These 6 credit hours may be taken at Indiana University, or at another university. Outside courses are warranted only when they are relevant to the student's career objectives and will contribute more to the enrichment of their programs than would additional ILS 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.
MIS Requirements: (36 cr.)
Foundation Courses (18 cr.)
- ILS-Z 510 Introduction to Information Studies (3 cr.)
* Must be fulfilled before you complete 18 credit hours - ILS-Z 511 Database Design (3 cr.)
- ILS-Z 515 Information Architecture (3 cr.)
- ILS-Z 516 Human-Computer Interaction (3 cr.)
- Programming Requirement (e.g. ILS-Z 517, Z 656, approved Z 603)
Complete one course from the following:
- ILS-Z 513 Organizational Informatics (3 cr.)
- ILS-Z 556 Systems Analysis and Design (3 cr.)
Technology Literacy Requirement
Basic digital literacy is essential to your success as an information professional.
You are expected to have basic technology skills upon entering the MIS degree program - or to acquire those skills in your first semester. The following list includes technologies with which you should be competent. These are IT Training courses offered at no cost by University Information Technology Services (UITS) - descriptions and links to all of the courses below can be found at this website.
Standard productivity tools, such as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) or open source alternatives
- Word 2013: The Essentials
- PowerPoint 2013: The Basics
- Excel 2013: The Basics
Basic Unix commands, including copying, moving, and deleting files and directories; and editing text files with vi, emacs, or pico
- Unix: The Basics
- vi: Unix Text Editing
- Common communications and file transfer tools such as ssh, sftp, and scp
Basic HTML and CSS for creating web pages and other digital content
- HTML5 and CSS: The Basics
- Cascading Style Sheets: The Basics
- Cascading Style Sheets: Layout & Design
- CSS3: An Overview
- Dreamweaver CS6: The Basics
- Bibliographic management tools
- Zotero
- EndNote: The Basics
Indiana University's University Information Technologies Services (UITS) offers many excellent training opportunities, including instructor-led workshops and self-paced online courses. As an IU student, you can take advantage of these training opportunities at no additional charge.
You can also develop required skills through many free online training opportunities, such as those offered by Codecademy.
Accelerated Master of Information Science
The accelerated program allows you to take 12 graduate-level credits during your senior year in the Department of Information and Library Science concurrently with your remaining undergraduate requirements. With this approach, once you complete your undergraduate degree, you will only need 24 credits to earn a master's degree, which can be completed in one year.
Students apply for the program during their junior year and are eligible for ILS courses during their senior year. Students complete 12 credits of graduate coursework during their senior year amd 6 more graduate credits the summer after graduation. Summer work can either be graduate coursework or an internship. Students can complete the Accelerated Master's degree by taking 9 credits of coursework in each of the next two semesters.
The requirements for the degree are the same as the regular MIS or MLS degree, and no courses taken at the undergraduate or graduate level are allowed to count towards both an undergraduate and a graduate degree.