Programs ..... M.A. in LIS | Joint Degrees | Interdisciplinary Ph.D. | Certificate Programs

Programs

Master of Arts in Library and Information Science

The master's program has held continuous accreditation from the American Library Association since 1971. In the program, students gain an understanding of the foundations of the library and information profession, including the history of the field, ethical and philosophical concerns, the information cycle, principles and procedures for dealing with a variety of information carriers, and the theory and practice of strategic management. Future trends are examined, with emphasis on cutting-edge technological concerns. The discipline's research base is studied, building students' understanding of the synergism between library and information science and other disciplines, as well as the close relationship between research and practice. Finally, students become knowledgeable about the factors that underlie users' information needs and appropriate stategies to satisfy those needs.

The master's degree in library and information science requires 36 semester hours of graduate credit with a grade-point average of at least 3.00, and the successful completion of a written and oral comprehensive examination. The 36 semester hours include 17 earned in required core courses and 19 earned in electives, distributed among four curricular clusters. A thesis option is available for students who wish more research experience.

The curriculum is structured in three tiers. The first tier consists of three required courses: Cultural Foundations, Computing Foundations and Conceptual Foundations. These three basic courses provide a solid grounding for all successive course work. The second tier is composed of eight courses, of which students are required to take a minimum of four courses. The courses in the third tier are purely elective, save for those students pursuing the School Media Specialist certification (see below). This arrangement of courses allows each student to concentrate in an area that most pertains to his or her professional goal.

Top of Page | SLIS Home | UI Home

Joint Degree and Certificate Programs

The school has established formal joint degree programs with the Colleges of Law and Business Administration and a formal joint certificate program with the UI Center for the Book. The primary goal of these joint degree programs is the integration of the two areas of study.

To enroll in a joint program, students must be admitted to the School of Library and Information Science and to the other unit. Up to 9 semester hours of such study may be applied toward the M.A. in library and information science, and up to 9 semester hours in library and information science may be applied toward the M.B.A. or Certificate in Book Studies, or 12 semester hours to the J.D.

In addition to these formal joint programs, arrangements can be made for joint programs between departments on an ad hoc basis. A minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate work is required for a joint degree or certificate program.

For more information on the joint J.D., please refer to the section on Joint Degree programs at The College of Law.

Further information about the Joint Master's in LIS and Certificate in Book Studies can be found at: http://www.uiowa.edu/~libsci/bookstudies/.

Top of Page | SLIS Home | UI Home

Interdisciplinary Ph.D.

An interdisciplinary doctor of philosophy program involving the School of Library and Information Science and another academic unit may be pursued. Applicants first identify a preliminary advisory committee, with at least three University of Iowa graduate faculty members, to guide the design of the interdisciplinary Ph.D. The applicant and the committee jointly develop an initial plan of course work and the format for the Ph.D. comprehensive examination. This plan, along with a short (two-to-three pages) research proposal, is submitted to an appropriate department for sponsorship of the Ph.D. After the applicant obtains sponsorship from a department, he or she submits the same materials to the Graduate College for approval. This approval formally admits the applicant to the interdisciplinary Ph.D. program.

Examples of academic units authorized to offer interdisciplinary doctoral programs are the Department of Computer Science and the Colleges of Education, Business Administration, and Nursing.

Top of Page | SLIS Home | UI Home

School Media Certification

The University of Iowa offers a state-approved program leading to endorsement as school media specialist K-12. In order to fulfill state requirements for this endorsement, students must hold or be eligible for a teaching license and complete a designated sequence of courses, which lead both to certification and to the M.A. degree.

The following courses are required for the K-12 school media certification. For K-6 or 7-12 certification, a sequence of courses totaling 30 semester hours is required.

Tier I
101. Cultural Foundations (3 h)
120. Computing Foundations (3 h)
122. Conceptual FoundationsI (3 h)

Tier II
141. Reference and Information Services (3 h)
202. Research Methods (3 h)
240. Collection Management (3 h)
242. Search and Discovery (3 h)
248. Information Literacy (3 h) [Corequisite: 21:101]

Tier III
123. User Education / Multimedia (3 h)
143. Resources for Children (3 h)
144. Resources for Young Adults (3 h)
262. School Media Admin. (3 h)
284. School Library Media Practicum (3 sh) [Prerequisite: 21:262]

Further Information about School Media Licensure

Health Informatics Certificate

Students interested in working in the health sciences may seek to complete the Health Informatics Certificate. Requirements include Health Informatics I and II, as well as a set of relevant electives. For more information, see: http://itsnt7.its.uiowa.edu/hinfo or
contact Dr. Padmini Srinivasan at padmini-srinivasan@uiowa.edu.