SILS Curriculum Task
Force
Preliminary Overview of Organizational
Master’s Courses at Peer Institutions
Fall 2008
Format of Entries
GENERAL NOTES:
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS (when available):
Compiled September 2008
University of California at Berkley
http://www.ischool.berkeley.edu/
GENERAL NOTES:
First Year Required Courses
There are four required courses in the first year. During the first semester students take courses in Information
Organization and Retrieval and Distributed Computing Applications and Infrastructure.
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202. Information Organization and Retrieval
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206. Distributed Computing Applications and infrastructure
During the second semester students take courses in Social and Organizational Issues of Information and
Society and Information Law and Policy.
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203. Social and Organizational Issues of Information and Society
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205. Information Law and Policy
The remaining units for the first and second semesters are composed of electives.
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS:
202. Information Organization and Retrieval
Three hours of lecture per week. This course introduces the intellectual foundations of information organization
and retrieval: conceptual modeling, semantic representation, vocabulary and metadata design, classification, and
standardization, as well as information organization and retrieval practices, technology, and applications,
including computational processes for analyzing information in both textual and non-textual formats. Students
will learn how information organization and retrieval is carried out by professionals, authors, and users; by
individuals in association with other individuals, and as part of the business processes in an enterprise and
across enterprises.
203. Social and Organizational Issues of Information and Society
Three hours of lecture per week. The relationship between information and information systems, technology,
practices, and artifacts on how people organize their work, interact, and understand experience. Individual,
group, organizational, and societal issues in information production and use, information systems design and
management, and information and communication technologies. Social science research methods for
understanding information issues.
Related Electives
Information Design and Architecture
Information design and architecture is devoted to developing techniques for the organization, classification, and
labeling of information, on one hand, and for information navigation, search and retrieval, and content analysis,
on the other. This involves automated creation, assignment, and analysis of metadata and metadata standards.
The ability to enhance information access and sharing relies as well on networked and distributed systems,
database design, and document engineering. These techniques are applied in many contexts, including web
sites, corporate intranets, digital libraries, online communities, and business processes, and to many types of
information, including text, images, video, music, and software.
214: Needs Assessment and Evaluation of Information Systems
219: Privacy, Security and Cryptography
240: Principles of Information Retrieval
243: Document Engineering
246: Multimedia Information
250: Computer-Based Communications Systems and Networks
257: Database Management
Drexel University
http://www.ischool.drexel.edu/
GENERAL NOTES:
Library and Information Services - A Concentration within the MS
This is a generalist concentration that includes key professional skills and an orientation to both a work
setting and a relevant elective.
Library and Information Services Concentration Courses
In addition to the successful completion of the six required courses, students in the Library and
Information Services concentration complete five concentration courses and four elective courses chosen
in consultation with the student's advisor.
Current Required Courses (6 courses)
• INFO 503: Introduction to Information Systems Analysis
• INFO 510: Information Resources and Services I
• INFO 511: Information Resources and Services II
• INFO 515: Action Research
• INFO 520: Professional and Social Aspects of Information Services
• INFO 640: Managing Information Organizations
Required Concentration Courses (5 courses)
Students will take the following courses required for the concentration:
INFO 652 Internet Information Resource Design
INFO 660 Cataloging & Classification
INFO 665 Collection Development
and choose one work setting course* and one public or technical services course from the following list:
Work Settings:
INFO 650 Public Library Service
INFO 651 Academic Library Service
* It is anticipated that additional courses in this area will be developed within the next year
Public Services
INFO 672-681 (specialized reference courses (INFO 672, 673, 674, 675, 677, 680, 681),
INFO 649 Library Programming
Technical Services
INFO 663 Technical Processes in Libraries,
INFO 664 Library Automation
INFO 662 Metadata and Resource Description (proposed new course)
Electives (4 courses)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/
GENERAL NOTES:
The master's degree program requires 40 hours of graduate study, including two core courses, "LIS 501:
Information Organization and Access" and "LIS 502: Libraries, Information, and Society." Additionally, each
semester, students pursue electives from a broad range of LIS course offerings. MS students may also opt to
earn up to 12 hours in graduate electives through other UIUC courses and/or request transfer of LIS coursework
from an ALA-accredited master's program (maximum 8 hours) or, alternatively, graduate level coursework
from any accredited institution (maximum 4 hours).
The usual full-time course load is 12 hours during the fall and spring semesters, four hours during the four-week
Summer Session Term I, and eight hours during the eight-week Summer Session Term II. A master's degree
candidate with a full-time load can complete the 40 hour program in two semesters and one summer, though
many students choose to continue in the program for an additional semester or two. Master's degree students
must complete all requirements for the degree within five years after registering for graduate work. International
students pursuing the degree on-campus are required to maintain full-time status (the equivalent of 12 hours in
each semester of the academic year).
Entry
Students usually enter the master's program in the fall semester and take the required core courses, "LIS 501:
Information Organization and Access" and "LIS 502: Libraries, Information, and Society." Students may also
enter the program in the spring and summer semesters.
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS:
LIS501
Info Org and Access [Information Organization and Access]
Credit
4 GR hours
Description
Emphasizes information organization and access in settings and systems of different kinds. Traces the
information transfer process from the generation of knowledge through its storage and use in both print and
non-print formats. Consideration will be given to the creation of information systems: the principles and
practice of selection and preservation, methods of organizing information for retrieval and display, the operation
of organizations that provide information services, and the information service needs of various user
communities. Required M.S. degree core course.
Master of Science Curriculum
The GSLIS master's curriculum is categorized into seven clusters that reflect different aspects of library and
information science:
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Information organization and knowledge representation
Information resources, uses, and users
Information systems
History, economics, policy
Management and evaluation
Social, community, and organizational informatics
Youth literature and services
Information organization and knowledge representation
490AR Designing universally accessible WWW resources
490KN Visualizing and navigating knowledge networks
490UM Understanding multimedia information
490W2A Web structures and information architecture
507 Cataloging and classif I
511 Bibliography
577 Cataloging and classif II
581 Adm use archival materials
590CS Seminar in classification systems
590DM Document modeling
590EB Enumerative, descriptive, historical and textual bibliography
590I Indexing & abstracting
590IA Information architecture
590II Interfaces to information systems
590IM Information modeling
590IQ Information quality
590KR Knowledge representation and formal ontology
590KRW Document, text, work
590LW Web design and construction for organizations
590MD Metadata in theory and practice
590RM Records management
590RO Representing and organizing information resources
590TC Thesaurus construction
University of Maryland-College Park
http://ischool.umd.edu/
GENERAL NOTES:
Master of Library Science (MLS)
Program Requirements
The program for the MLS degree requires 36 credit hours of academic work to be completed with a minimum
average of B within five calendar years from the first registration. In the non thesis option, all credits are course
work. The thesis option requires 30 credits of course work and 6 credits of thesis research. While a full-time
student can complete the Master's Degree Requirements in a calendar year, the more usual and recommended
course of study requires approximately 18-24 months.
Students have flexibility in completing the program. Students may take courses in daytime and evening and
may change from part-time to full-time and vice versa, as their circumstances permit. Most MLS courses are
offered both day and evening on a regular rotation; however, there are a few courses that are only offered during
the day or evening.
The History/Library Science (HiLS) specialization requires 54 credit hours for the MLS and MA in History.
The time limit for completion of all degree requirements for the dual degree specialization is five years.
Each student works with a faculty advisor to design a suitable course of study. Five courses are required upon
entry into master's study:
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LBSC 601 Information Use, OR LBSC 605 Archival Principles, Practices and Programs (for students in
the Archives, Records, and Information Management specialization), OR LBSC 640 Library Media
Specialists as Information Professionals (for students in the School Library Media specialization)
LBSC 635 Management and Administration for the Information Professional
LBSC 650 Information Access
LBSC 670 Information Structure
LBSC 690 Information Technology
MIM - Strategic Management of Information Concentration
The Strategic Management of Information Concentration is intended for those students who want to follow the
“CIO” (Chief Information Officer) or general management path. This concentration is designed for
professionals who require a strong understanding of the role of information and technology in the management
and operation of the organization, but who themselves are not directly involved in the actual development of
applications or systems.
The Strategic Management of Information concentration puts a heavy emphasis on courses that focus on both
general and more specialized information management concepts.
The requirements to achieve the MIM degree with a concentration in Strategic Management of Information are:
a) Core courses (9 credits)
Three core Information Management (INFM) courses are required to be taken at the beginning of the program
(among the first 18 credits of the program) since they are foundational:
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INFM 600 Information Environments (3 credits)
INFM 603 Information Technology and Organizational Context (3 credits)
INFM 605 Users and Use Context (3 credits)
MIM - Individual Program Plan
Requirements
The Individual Program Plan is intended for those students who want to follow the “internal advancement”
path, where as information professional they need general knowledge in Information Management and
Technology, customized to their particular circumstances, to advance within their current profession and
organization. These students may decide to split their electives between the two concentrations or to look to
other departments to satisfy their individual needs.
The requirements to achieve the MIM degree following the Individual Program Plan are:
a) Core courses (9 credits)
Three core Information Management (INFM) courses are required to be taken at the beginning of the program
(among the first 18 credits of the program) since they are foundational:
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INFM 600 Information Environments (3 credits)
INFM 603 Information Technology and Organizational Context (3 credits)
INFM 605 Users and Use Context (3 credits)
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS:
LBSC 670 Organization of Information (3)
Prerequisite: permission of department.
Functions and evaluation of document and information retrieval systems; analysis and representation of data,
information, knowledge, language, and text; metadata for the control of documents and other objects.
University of Pittsburgh
http://www.ischool.pitt.edu/
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS:
LIS 2001 - ORGANIZING INFORMATION
Introduction to basic concepts, principles, and practices of information organization in diverse environments.
Includes: terminology and models of organizing information; nature of user information needs and implications
for information organization; principles of information representation, authority control, subject analysis,
classification, controlled vocabularies and natural language, standards and display of information. Required for
all MLIS students except students declared in the Archives & Records Management Specialization.
Plan of Study for MSIS Degree
The course of study for the Master of Science in Information Science (MSIS) degree consists of a minimum of
36 credits. The 36 credits are to be distributed as follows:

6 credits in the Mathematical and Formal Foundations area. INFSCI 2000: Introduction to
Information Science and INFSCI 2020: Mathematical Foundations are recommended as the two
Foundations courses. INFSCI 2000 is required unless exempted by advisor.

6 credits in the Cognitive Science area or Cognitive Systems area. INFSCI 2300: Human
Information Processing is recommended as the first course in this area, unless the student has had prior
coursework in cognitive psychology. INFSCI 2130: Decision Analysis and Decision Support Systems
may be used to meet the Cognitive Science requirement with permission of the advisor.

18 credits in the Systems and Technology area or Cognitive Systems area. Students are required to
take either INFSCI 2500: Data Structures or INFSCI 2592: Architectures and Assembler Language,
unless they have completed equivalent undergraduate coursework. Some TELCOM courses may be used
to meet the Systems and Technology requirement with permission of the advisor.
6 credits as Electives from any course listed in the previous categories or any other remaining course in the
Information Science program, including those in the Profession area.
Rutgers University
http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/
GENERAL NOTES:
Organization of Information
Lead course
520 - Organizing Information
Central courses
521 - Knowledge Representation for Information Retrieval
522 - Cataloging and Classification
523 - Classification for Information Display and Discovery
Specialization courses
NA
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS:
Organizing Information
[17:610:520]
Credits:
3
Pre-requisites:
(none)
Co-requisites:
(none)
Description:
Introduction to the options and methods for describing and organizing messages, texts, and documents of all
types (audio, visual, linguistic, graphic, multimedia) for retrieval. Classification; indexing languages,
vocabulary management, and thesauri systems; human and machine techniques; and rationales for decisions
about the organization of materials In various contexts. Students apply theory by designing and evaluating an
Information retrieval (IR) database.
Course Objectives
Learn how to organize information in collections in order to help users satisfy their information needs.

Achieve understanding of
o basic concepts and established standards associated with the organization of information in
collections
o similarities and differences between human and computer indexing
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Acquire experience in using and designing organizational schemas
Develop skills in evaluating indexing systems
Syracuse University
http://ischool.syr.edu/
GENERAL NOTES:
MSLS- Primary Core: 19 credits
Courses in the Core fall into three categories:
Introductory Courses
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IST 511 Introduction to the Library and Information Profession
IST 601 Information and Information Environments (1 credit)
Information Resources Courses
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IST 605 Reference and Information Literacy Services
IST 613 Library Planning, Marketing, and Assessment
IST 616 Information Resources: Organization and Access
Management and Policy Courses
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IST 614 Management Principles for Information Professionals
IST 618 Survey of Telecommunications and Information Policy
MSIM
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IST 601 Information and Information Environments (1 credit)
IST 621 Introduction to Information Management: Concepts, Contexts, and Career Options (gateway
course)
IST 614 Management Principles for Information Professionals
IST 618 Survey of Telecommunications and Information Policy
University of Washington
http://www.ischool.washington.edu/
GENERAL NOTES:
MLIS
Curriculum
The MLIS program consists of 63 quarter credits, consisting of nine core courses (totaling 33 credits) and 30
elective credits. The electives allow opportunities for specialization and emphasis. The degree also has a
portfolio or thesis requirement. MLIS requirements are the same for students in the Residential MLIS and
Online MLIS programs. All requirements for the degree must be completed within six years.
Core Curriculum
The core curriculum required of all MLIS students totals 33 credits, made up of nine courses which are
organized around the life cycle of information. This organizing framework examines the life cycle of
knowledge, leading from creation and publication of information through evaluation, selection, organization,
retrieval, access and use in the creation of new knowledge.
This framework serves two important purposes. It provides an overall conceptual structure which acts as a
foundation for later coursework and experiences, and it organizes the core curriculum in terms of order and
coherence of courses and topics. Courses in the core cover the following topics:
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LIS 500 The Life Cycle of Information (2 credits)
LIS 510 Information Behavior (4)
LIS 520 Information Resources, Services and Collections (4)
LIS 530 Organization of Information and Resources (4)
LIS 550 Information in Social Context (4)
LIS 560 Instructional and Training Strategies for Information Professionals (3)
LIS 570 Research Methods (4)
LIS 580 Management of Information Organizations (4)
One 4-credit Information Technology Core Course which you can choose from a menu of options such
as information retrieval, XML, conceptual database design, and network system administration. (4)
Click here for more information.
Course descriptions may be found in the UW Course Catalog.
Master of Science in Information Management (MSIM)
Two Pathways to a Degree
Executive MSIM
For professionals who have been working in an information field for three or more years, the Information
School offers the Executive MSIM program, which is tailored to meet the needs of busy working professionals.
Core classes are held Friday evenings and during the day on Saturdays, electives on weekday evenings; all
courses use work-centered projects to allow students to bring their new-found knowledge immediately into the
workplace. Students in the Executive MSIM program come from a variety of organizations, including Boeing,
Microsoft, the Seattle Times, AOL, Washington State Department of Transportation, Fred Hutchinson Cancer
Research Center, and Starbucks, among many others.
Executive MSIM Curriculum Plan.
NOTE: This is a new curriculum plan, and it only applies to incoming first year students.
Day MSIM
The full-time MSIM program (often referred to as “Day MSIM”) complements a bachelor’s degree in business,
arts, or sciences by opening new doors for career possibilities. Classes are offered during the traditional Monday
through Friday schedule. Additional electives and an internship are required for completion of this program to
provide in-depth knowledge in areas of student interest. Enrollment in the program is open to national and
international applicants, and applicants to this program need not have prior experience in an information field.
Day MSIM Curriculum Plan.
NOTE: This is a new curriculum plan, and it only applies to incoming first year students.
Curriculum
Effective Fall 2008, new courses and optional specializations will be added to the IMT curriculum.
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS:
LIS 500 The Life Cycle of Information (2)
Overview of the major concepts, processes and systems, actors, and operations in the life cycle of information.
Introduction to the creation, publishing and distribution, evaluation and selection, organization, access, retrieval,
and use of information. Exploration of the social context in which these processes and their stakeholders
interact. Credit/no credit only.
LIS 530 Organization of Information and Resources (4)
Introduction to issues in organization of information and documents including: analysis of intellectual and
physical characteristics of documents; principles and practice in surrogate creation, including standards and
selection of metadata elements; theory of classification, including semantic relationships and facet analysis;
creation of controlled vocabularies; and display and arrangement. Prerequisite: LIS 500, which may be taken
concurrently.