GSLIS is pleased to announce plans to launch a Master of Science degree in information management (MS/IM). The proposal for the new degree was approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education on December 1.
The MS/IM will be tailored to preparing individuals for information-intensive professional roles in a broad range of employment sectors. The curriculum was designed to meet the growing demand for well-prepared information professionals in a rapidly changing workforce.
“Graduates with this new degree will have the advanced information management and analysis skills that are in demand today, and this preparation will be grounded in our School’s interdisciplinary, human-centered approach to information systems and services,” said Dean Allen Renear.
The MS/IM will complement the current Master of Science degree in library and information science (MS/LIS), a program that has been ranked number one by U.S. News & World Report for nearly two decades. “Our master’s program in LIS remains the heart and soul of our School. We plan to grow the MS/LIS, and through its influence on the content of the new degree, bring the culture and values of librarianship to more information professions and settings,” said Renear.
The new degree will be offered on campus and online, with the latter drawing on the experience and infrastructure of the School’s successful Leep online learning option. Students in the program will complete 40 credit hours, including three required courses:
- LIS 542: Data, Statistical Models and Information;
- LIS 543: Sociotechnical Information Systems; and
- LIS 561: Information Modeling.
Students will be able to choose electives in a range of areas, and the program will offer course groupings customized to specific career pathways, including: privacy, trust, security, and ethics; data science and analytics; information architecture and design; and knowledge management and information consulting.
The MS/IM will be a STEM-designated program, which allows international students to remain in the country and gain work experience through Optional Practical Training (OPT) for an extended period of time. Graduates of STEM-designated programs are allowed to apply for a 24-month extension of their post-completion OPT, provided certain employment conditions have been met.
Plans are underway to admit the first cohort of students, who will start the program in Fall 2016. The MS/IM will initially be offered on campus, with plans to expand to online enrollments starting in Spring 2017. The application deadlines will be:
- Fall 2016 admission: June 10, 2016 (revised from June 15, 2016)
- Spring 2017 admission: October 15, 2016
For more information about the MS/IM degree, please contact Professor Michael Twidale, program director, at gslis-infomanagement@illinois.edu.