Information Studies

Master of Science in Information Studies
Doctor of Philosophy

For More Information

Campus address: UT Administration Building (UTA) 5.202, phone (512) 471-3821, fax (512) 471-3971; campus mail code: D8600

Mailing address: The University of Texas at Austin, School of Information, 1616 Guadalupe, Room 5.202, D8600, Austin TX 78701

E-mail: info@ischool.utexas.edu

URL: http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/

Accreditation

The University’s program for the degree of Master of Science in Information Studies is accredited by the American Library Association. (The ALA does not concern itself with accrediting programs at levels other than the master’s degree.) The programs for the certification of learning resources personnel are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and approved by the State Board for Educator Certification.

Facilities for Graduate Work

Facilities for students in the School of Information include an Information Technology Laboratory, a computer classroom, conservation and preservation laboratories, a video-editing suite, multimedia teaching stations in all classrooms, and access to a usability and accessibility laboratory. Students have access to advanced computer equipment and software for instructional and research use, supplementing the school’s physical and wireless network and computer facilities. Students receive a full-service Internet account and have access to various computer operating systems, such as Macintosh, Windows, and Linux.

The school has developed ongoing, competitive student positions with the University Libraries, the Tarlton Law Library, the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, and the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center to provide students with work and study opportunities.

Areas of Study

The School of Information offers education in the human and social aspects of information across its full life cycle, from creation through use and preservation. Students may select coursework from any area to best suit their career plans. The school emphasizes the following three key areas:

Organization. To have value for humans and organizations, the vast array of information resources must be organized and managed. From the creation of organizational schemata and catalogs to the analysis of structures in language and data, information specialists have developed techniques and tools to support the location, management, and use of information. This area is designed so that students may learn the intellectual foundations of information organization and the technical skills required to analyze collections of both textual and nontextual materials for human use.

Interaction. People interact with information resources through a variety of technologies and through other people. Creating meaningful and effective interaction requires an understanding of how people think and reason, how they behave in specific contexts, and how the interfaces between people and information can best be designed. This area is designed so that students may learn to understand human needs and dispositions in information contexts and develop the methodological skills needed to help develop information interfaces that work well for all people.

Curation. Information resources require careful stewardship to ensure their long-term preservation. This process involves assessing the value of information to future users and ensuring appropriate interventions for quality control and the migration of collections across technological platforms and over time. This area is designed so that students may learn how to appraise records, how archives are created and managed, and how best to preserve physical and digital records.

Graduates in this area generally have many career options and may find employment in libraries (both public and academic), archives, information technology firms, government agencies, museums, and large companies that have significant records and data to manage. Increasing employment options in the information design and user experience domains are also anticipated.

Graduate Studies Committee

The following faculty members served on the Graduate Studies Committee in the spring semester 2013.

William F Aspray Jr Diane E Bailey Lecia J Barker Randolph G Bias Tanya Elizabeth Clement Andrew P Dillon Philip Doty Melanie Diane Feinberg Kenneth Robert Fleischmann Patricia K Galloway

James L Howison Barbara F Immroth Unmil P Karadkar Matthew A Lease Loriene Roy Ciaran Trace Jo Lynn Westbrook Bo Xie Yan Zhang