The master of information (M.I.) degree program provides professional education for a wide variety of service and management careers in libraries, information agencies, the information industry, business, industry, government, research, and similar environments where data, information, and knowledge are vital resources. The curriculum is based on present and probable future characteristics of these professions, emphasizing the essential knowledge, skills, and professional attitude needed by beginning professionals in these fields. The M.I. program offers basic general knowledge of and skills in the field of information science with opportunities to specialize in particular areas of the field in preparation for a variety of career outcomes.
Students preparing for careers in the information professions have many possibilities before them; these vary widely across settings, communities, and forms of professional service. Some professionals address information at its most fundamental levels, acting to design, organize, produce, and retrieve data and information in systems. The exponential growth of knowledge in the 21st century means that this role has become increasingly critical to our society and economy, and vital to the personal lives of citizens. The basic organizing function principally occurs in the information industry, including the production of indexes and abstracts, the design and construction of databases, the publication of print and electronic resources, and the development of libraries and information agencies as organized information systems.
Following are some examples of career outcomes for the M.I. degree:
- data scientist
- database designer
- metadata specialist
- digital assets manager
- competitive intelligence specialist
- strategic information manager
- information architect
- information retrieval specialist
- reference librarian
- knowledge manager
- manager of library and information organizations
- digital archivist
- youth and children's services librarian
- school librarian
All plans of study are available on campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Students may also elect to complete the degree entirely online in some specializations.
The most up-to-date information about M.I. courses and programs of study is on the website at http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/master-of-library-and-information-science/master-of-information.html. The information on the website supersedes this catalog.
The courses in the M.I. program are organized around four concentrations:
- Library and information science
- Data science
- Technology, information, and management
- Informatics and design
Library and information science concentration prepares professionals for a career in school, public, special and academic libraries, grounded in values relating to serving communities and building knowledge and literacies. Specialization options include: school library, digital libraries, and knowledge management; additional options are expected to be added in other areas during 2016-18. The school library track meets New Jersey Department of Education certification requirements and prepares students to transform teaching and learning in elementary and secondary schools, aligned with the American Association of School Libraries mission.
The Rutgers program in library and information science is accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of the American Library Association, under the Standards for Accreditation, 1992. Its most recent reaccreditation was awarded in 2012.
The data science concentration prepares information professionals for diverse careers centering on data analytics. These careers focus on engaging with often large-scale internal and external data of organizations to analyze, model, evaluate, and predict information behavior and processes for practical applications, product and service development, and organizational decision making. Information professionals who complete the data science concentration are leaders who will be able to analyze value-driven data at scale and also be able to understand the socioeconomic context, derive valuable insights for the betterment of individuals and society, and have a strong grounding in privacy and the ethical aspects surrounding such data.
The technology, information, and management concentration prepares information professionals to lead and manage in technological organizations and other sociotechnical environments, by developing expertise in information and project management, knowledge sharing, organizational learning, and strategic decision making. The goal of this concentration is to produce information technology professionals who will serve as leaders and change agents in the field. These individuals will assume roles involving the application, management, and use of information, knowledge, and technology to solve problems in a quickly changing, interconnected world. They will also manage innovative systems and networks of information in organizations of all sizes.
The informatics and design concentration prepares professionals to analyze, design, build, and manage information and communication technologies in support of individual and social access to, management of, and use of information in a wide variety of occupational and personal contexts. Professionals work at the intersection between information technology, people, and their contexts to provide technological leadership.
