MIS Curriculum - "New" Fall 2007

The SLIS 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.

All students who enter the MIS program from Fall 2007 will complete the following set of required courses following the order below as closely as possible. Students who enter in the Spring or Summer II semesters and part-time students will be advised by Howard Rosenbaum MIS Program Director. Current SLIS students may select this curriculum option. The MIS is available only on the Bloomington campus.

Note: SLIS has new course numbers beginning with "S" that are effective Fall 2007.

Master of Information Science Curriculum (42 Credit Hours)

REQUIREMENTS (21 hours):

Fall semester

• S510 (L501) - Introduction to Information Science (3 cr.)
• S515 (L540) - Information Architecture (3 cr.)
• S511 (L546) - Database Design (3 cr.)

Spring semester

• S516 (L542) - Human Computer Interaction (3 cr.)
• S513 (L547) - Organizational Informatics (3 cr.)
• Programming Requirement (3 cr.)

Summer semester

• Electives

Second Fall semester

• S556 (L545) - Systems Analysis and Design (3 cr.)
• Electives

ELECTIVES (21 hours):

Flexible, creative, rich electives are offered. Your choices include:

• A wide variety of interdisciplinary SLIS Courses
• S605 (L596) - Internship in Library and Information Science (course credit 2-6 hours).
• Taking up to six credit hours in other IU departments (requiring an Outside Course Approval Form for each course).
• Computer Science A538 "Network Technologies and Administration" a SLIS cross-listed course. It counts as a SLIS elective—not as an outside course.
• S601 (L600) Directed Readings or S602 (L594) - Directed Research courses with SLIS faculty for (1-6 hours)—course approval forms are required.
• S603 (L595) - Workshop in Library and Information Science. Workshop in Library and Information Science. SLIS offers a changing series of technical 1.5 credit workshops of which you may take four (e.g. XML, EAD, Perl/CGI, Unix, Web Graphics, PHP).
• S604 (L597) - Topics in Library and Information Science , SLIS offers a changing selection of topics courses on professional issues (e.g., Computer-Mediated Communication, Ethnography and Fieldwork, The Semantic Web).

Technology Literacy Requirement

The School of Library and Information Science expects entering Master of Information Science students will have a basic level of computer literacy, meaning a familiarity with basic applications that will be used throughout the coursework. S401 (L401) - Computer Based Information Tools, provides this preparation. MIS students in the new Fall 2007 curriculum are not required to take this course, but are responsibile for the knowledge and skills taught in S401. These include:

• The ability to use applications including spreadsheets, databases, online searching tools and electronic mail and the ability to integrate the use of these tools.
• An understanding of and proficiency in the use of Internet-based tools (SSH, SFTP, and the World Wide Web), and Internet information resources.
• The ability to use the Unix, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows computer platforms to create and manipulate documents, and to transfer documents from one platform to the other.
• Familiarity with the basic concepts of online searching and retrieval, including controlled vocabulary, Boolean logic, indexing, search languages, and common bibliographic and full-text databases.
• The ability to use computer tools to communicate and share documents, using tools such as electronic mail, e-mail attachments, HTML and LISTSERV

It is important that all SLIS students have the knowledge and skills described above. Students who cannot demostrate the required skills, will be advised to take S401 (L401) in the second semester.

MIS Programming Requirement

The 3 credit hour open ended programming requirement can be fulfilled with a variety of programming courses in SLIS or waived if a student has programming experience.

Programming skills and languages are important tools for the study of information science and enable information professionals to:

• Design and implement data structures and algorithms for the storage and retrieval of information
• Manipulate, analyze, and display information
• Develop interfaces for visualizing and interacting with information

Additionally, programming concepts such as object-oriented design and model-view-controller (MVC) paradigms contribute to an understanding of information design, workflow, and processing.

Options to meet this requirement:

1. Take a SLIS programming course(s): S517 (L548), or two S603 (L595) 1.5 credit programming workshops (PHP, Perl CGI, or others being developed).
2. Take a graduate level programming course in another IU Department - and complete an "Outside Course Approval Form". MIS students can take up to six credit hours of coursework outside of SLIS.
3. Waive the requirement by completing a "Course Waiver Form", and having the form approved by the MIS Program Director. This will waive the requirement, and would substitute another 3 credit hours of electives.