Plan Your Program

Students complete 40 graduate credit hours to earn an MS in information management. All MSIM students must complete the three required courses: IS 507 Data, Statistical Models, and Information (4 credit hours); IS 504 Sociotechnical Information Systems (4 credit hours); and IS 515 Information Modeling (4 credit hours) or IS 455 Database Design and Prototyping (4 credit hours). These courses are foundational for all areas of the field and provide a context for future coursework in areas of specialization. The remaining credit hours provide a great deal of flexibility, allowing students to customize the MSIM based on their individual career goals.

Customize your program

• These pathways merely serve as guides for students as they plan their courses and experiential learning opportunities.
• Students choose courses and experiences that uniquely fit their academic and professional goals.

Other course options

Independent Study (IS 589)

Independent Study enables the intermediate or advanced student opportunity to:

• undertake the study of a topic not otherwise offered in the curriculum.
• pursue a topic beyond or in greater depth than is possible within the context of a regular course.

Independent Study should be a rigorous investigation of a highly specific topic, calling for student initiative, and requiring the formal structure of:

• a written proposal including scope and purpose;
• a reasonable specific statement outlining the method to be used; and 
• a description of the form in which the final product will be presented (e.g., written report, mediated presentation).

Independent Study is not available as an alternative version of a course otherwise offered on a regular basis by the School. 

To register for Independent Study:

Review and complete all sections of the Independent Study form.

Forms take up to 10 business days to process.

IS Internship (IS 569)

The IS Internship course provides a mechanism for full-time or part-time practice of information science with an external client, company or community partner. This course is for 0 credit hours and is graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) basis. Students are fully responsible for the coordination of the pre-professional practice arrangements (applications, employer contact, contract negotiations, etc.). At the completion of the internship course students must submit a written reflection of their work and their experience. A grade will be submitted by the internship coordinator upon receipt of the reflection.

*If using IS 569 for CPT requirements, please refer to the CPT registration requirements. If you are NOT using IS 569 for CPT, please proceed to registration instructions below:

To register for this internship:

• Complete the IS 569 registration form
• Once the webform is received and approved, Admissions and Records staff will email the student registration information to allow enrollment in the course.

Non-iSchool courses

• You may transfer up to 12 hours of graduate credit hours from several other departments at Illinois that can be applied to the 40 required graduate credit hours for the master's degree. Enrollment in other courses is subject to department approval.

Supplemental degree programs

Graduate Minors

• On-campus students may be interested in pursuing one of the graduate minors offered at Illinois.