The School of Information Studies (iSchool) and education technology company 2U today announced a partnership that will further strengthen the iSchool’s nationally ranked online graduate programs, including the Master of Science in Information Management, the Master of Science in Library and Information Science, and the Master of Science in Library and Information Science: School Media degrees. 

The iSchool joins the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management as the third school at Syracuse University offering online programs in partnership with 2U.

The new arrangement will enhance the iSchool’s 20-plus years of experience in online programs by combining 2U’s learning platform and technology-enabled services with the iSchool’s interdisciplinary, collaborative, and experiential educational offerings and renowned faculty members who are leading experts and innovators in a range of professions, including information policy; technology and management; data science; information security; and more.

Founded in 1896 and renamed from the School of Library Science in 1974, the iSchool was the first library school to embrace the broader field of information.  The iSchool boasts more than 50 faculty members instructing over 1,400 students participating in graduate and undergraduate programs in information policy, information behavior, information management, information systems, information technology, information services, library science, data science and information security.

“The iSchool has been offering innovative online learning opportunities since 1993, and we’re taking another step forward today by partnering with 2U to enhance the reach of our online graduate programs,” said Jeffrey M. Stanton, interim dean of the iSchool. “2U has demonstrated a consistent capability to support universities in delivering the highest quality online graduate degree programs. By partnering with 2U, we will extend our institutional mission to transform the information field.”

The online programs will be named “iSchool@Syracuse.” They will feature live face-to-face online classes taught by iSchool faculty members, dynamic course content, and real-world learning experiences.  Online students will be required to meet the same academic criteria as students in the iSchool’s on-campus programs.

  • The MS in Information Management degree features a 42-credit curriculum focused on the strategic use and management of information resources in business, government, and nonprofit organizations.
  • The MS in Library and Information Science degree features a 36-credit curriculum that prepares students for careers across a broad range of organizations, including academic institutions, public libraries, corporations, government agencies or cultural institutions.
  • The MS in Library and Information Science with School Media specialization consists of a 37-credit curriculum focused on providing students the skills to instruct children in grades pre-K through 12 in all areas of literacy and technology fluency. 

The new online programs will begin accepting applications in April 2016 for the first cohorts, which will begin their classes in October 2016.  For more information on iSchool@Syracuse, please visit the 2U website.