Curriculum
The Master of Science in Library and Information Science (MSLIS) program requires the completion of 36 credits. Most students complete the program in one to two years, depending on their course load. A maximum of seven years is permitted. Subject to approval, up to six graduate credits relevant to a student’s career goals may be taken before admission to the school or transferred from another accredited institution. Students who have graduated from the School of Information Studies with a Bachelor of Science in Information Management and Technology may receive a waiver for six of the 36 credits.
Three themes run throughout the courses in the MSLIS program:
- Focus on users
- Effective leadership and management of information and information organizations
- Appropriate and effective use of information technologies
Curriculum
The curriculum consists of three main elements:
- Core Courses: The MSLIS core provides a foundation for further study and encompasses essential professional concepts and competencies.
- Exit Requirement: The exit requirement allows students to integrate classroom knowledge with real-world work experience.
- Electives: Electives deepen understanding of core MSLIS principles, as well as providing broader contexts and perspectives.
All courses are three credits unless specified otherwise.
I. Primary Core: 19 credits
Courses in the Core fall into three categories:
Introductory Courses
- IST 511 Introduction to the Library and Information Profession
- IST 601 Information and Information Environments (1 credit)
Information Resources Courses
- 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
- IST 614 Management Principles for Information Professionals
- IST 618 Information Policy
II. Exit Requirement: 3 credits
Exit Requirement: Internship or Independent Study (3 credits)
There are two ways to fulfill the exit requirement:
(1) Internship (IST 971) or School Media Practicum (IST 972) Most students choose this option for their exit requirement even if they have had prior library work experience. There are two ways to approach a decision about this most important part of the program. The first is to choose an internship that will directly match career goals and provide an excellent source of work experience and recommendations from practitioners who have had an opportunity to see your work firsthand. The second approach, for those undecided about career goals, even toward the end of the program, is to try something new. Using this approach, the internship is a way of “testing the water” to see if you like a particular environment. Some students do two internships: one in direct preparation for a career, and one to explore and compare.
At the very least, the student should be explicit about what the objectives of this practical experience will be: management skills, technical skills, more practice working with patrons, learning new technologies firsthand, and so on. The internship or co-op is treated as another course in terms of the intensity and depth of the knowledge sought. It is a waste of resources to seek an internship or co-op in a job that you already know.
An internship comprises 150 hours of work on site for 3 credits. The student must be under the supervision of a professional librarian or information manager, although this does not mean that the student can’t work with non-professionals as part of the experience. Most internships involve some general orientation, some work practice, and often a special project. Each experience is different and the student designs the internship contract in cooperation with the site supervisor, the faculty internship supervisor, and his or her academic advisor. An internship may be paid or unpaid.
A co-op is usually more like a real working experience in that the student is hired to work longer hours and is paid. In other respects, the co-op is like an internship in the way it functions in the student’s program of study.
Internships and co-ops can be done locally in the Syracuse area, nationally, and even internationally. Students have worked at sites in all types of libraries, doing many new and interesting projects. The more specific your requirements either in terms of the type of library or the location, the earlier you should start planning for arranging it. Internships and co-ops can be suggested by the faculty internship coordinator, or the student can pursue sites on his or her own initiative. Once a contact is made, however, the internship or co-op must be arranged through the school in order to qualify. To start the internship or co-op process, consult with your academic advisor. Contact the University's Office of Career Services for additional information, forms, and advice.
(2) Independent Readings and Research
Students who already possess significant work experience in libraries or information centers may elect to do a culminating project as an independent study (IST 690) or readings and research in place of a co-op experience or an internship. No more than 12 credits of a student’s program can be taken as independent study or internship (IST 690, IST 971).
Programs of Study for Specific Types of Libraries or Library Positions The generalist core provides a solid grounding in the knowledge and skills of librarianship. Most electives are designed to provide conceptual and practical knowledge and skills that apply across types of libraries. For students wishing to prepare for a specific type of library or position, there are many ways to tailor your program of study to these interests. These include:
• Choosing topics pertaining to your areas of interest for papers and projects in core and elective courses.
• Choosing electives that are particularly appropriate for a particular type of library or position: see the section on advising guides below.
• Developing an internship that gives you practical experience in your area of interest.
• Taking an independent study in your area of interest.
Your advisor can work with you to plan a program of study that will prepare you for positions in your area of interest while also providing you with a solid generalist knowledge that will allow you to take advantage of unexpected opportunities.
III. Electives: 14 credits
Students have a broad range of electives to choose from, including those available for students in the school's other master’s degree programs. In addition to formal courses, students may fashion an independent study, working with a faculty member.
Elective courses are grouped into interest areas. Students may wish to spread their electives across different topics in order to achieve a balanced program of study. Alternatively, students may wish to focus in one area, to strengthen specialty skills. Course lists for each area appear below.
Interest Area 1: Services and Resources – Courses in this interest area focus on the tools, principles, and practices necessary to be an effective intermediary between information resources and a client’s information needs. These electives build on skills in the three core information resources courses.
Services
- IST 501 Research Techniques for Info. Management
- IST 502 New Directions in Academic Libraries
- IST 503 Proposal Writing for the Information Field
- IST 504 Integrating Motivation and Information Literacy
- IST 535 Records Management in the Digital Age
- IST 612 Youth Services and Libraries and Information Centers
- IST 617 Motivational Aspects of Information Use
- IST 636 Planning and Evaluation of Library/Info. Services
- IST 641 Behavior of Information Users
- IST 643 US Federal Information Policies
- IST 646 Storytelling
- IST 662 Instructional Strategies & Techniques for Information Professionals
- IST 673 Strategic Planning in Information-Based Organizations
- IST 683 Managing IT-Enabled Change
- IST 714 Management and Design of Information-based Organizations
- IST 716 Information Management in Schools
- IST 717 Advanced Library Management
- IST 775 Information Industry Strategies
- IST 782 National and International Information Policies
Resources
- IST 606 Legal Information Resources & Services
- IST 607 Governments and Information
- IST 608 Scientific and Technical Information
- IST 609 Biomedical Information Services & Sources
- IST 619 Applied Economics for Information Managers
- IST 626 Business Information Resources & Strategic Intelligence
- IST 632 Organization and Management of Special Collections
- IST 635 Collection Development and Access
- IST 637 Online Retrieval Services
Interest Area 2: Organization, Retrieval, and Access – Courses in this interest area explore theoretical concepts, systems, and practices for organizing information in order to facilitate access and retrieval. This interest area includes a wide range of approaches to the organization and retrieval of information, from the established to the innovative and experimental. Courses from the systems interest area below, which treat information systems in general, are frequently relevant here, depending on the student's interests and experience.
- IST 553 Information Architecture for Internet Services
- IST 565 Data Mining
- IST 585 Knowledge Management
- IST 604 Cataloging of Information Resources
- IST 631 Theory of Classification & Subject Representation
- IST 638 Indexing and Abstracting Systems and Services
- IST 657 Basics of Information Retrieval Systems
- IST 658 Database Management for Library Systems
- IST 659 Data Administration Concepts and Database Management.
- IST 664 Natural Language Processing
- IST 676 Digital Libraries
- IST 682 Telecommunications Policy and Regulation
- IST 731 Knowledge Organization Structures
- IST 758 Designing Web-Based Database Systems
Interest Area 3: Information Systems Design, Implementation, and Management – Courses in this interest area focus on theoretical concepts and models, tools, skills, and standards necessary to the design, implementation, and management of information systems in general. Students wishing to learn more about the organizational and retrieval aspects of information in systems may wish to include courses from the interest area above.
- IST 552 Information Systems Analysis: Concepts and Practice
- IST 555 Distributed Computing for Information Professionals
- IST 556 Wireless Interactive Communication
- IST 634 Security in Networked Environments
- IST 642 Electronic Commerce
- IST 645 Managing Information Systems Projects
- IST 649 Human Interaction with Computers
- IST 653 Introduction to Telecommunications and Network Management
- IST 656 Telecommunications & Info. Network Technology
- IST 667 Information Technology for Libraries & Information Centers
- IST 675 Telecommunications Project
- IST 678 Electronic Markets
- IST 679 Electronic Commerce Technologies
- IST 753 Advanced Telecommunications & Information Network Management
- IST 756 Advanced Networking
- IST 765 Information Technology in Schools and Libraries
- IST 772 Programming Techniques for Information Systems
Please see the Syracuse University graduate catalog for course descriptions.