The master of information
(M.I.) program is built on the integrity and success of the former M.L.I.S. (master of library and information science) program and enables information
professionals from a wide variety of contexts and applications to study their
craft, interact with one another, and leverage one another's expertise in an
interactive and engaging learning environment. M.I. students understand the
social value of creation, organization, preservation, and use of a variety of
information artifacts and structures ranging from books to complex computing
systems.The flexible curricular
design allows future librarians, archivists, data scientists, technologists,
designers, knowledge managers, and many others to work to develop deep
levels of expertise in their chosen craft. It also offers opportunities
for students to cross subject boundaries and engage
in disciplinary areas outside their expertise.
The M.I. program is fully accredited by the
American Library Association (ALA).
Learning Outcomes of the Program
People and Community: The program focuses on the information needs of people in diverse social, organizational, and cultural contexts and on opportunities to design responsive information places, services, networks, and systems.
Data, Information, and Knowledge: The program focuses on the dynamic intersection of data, information, and knowledge and their creation, organization, use, and preservation for posterity to provide meaningful and adaptive services to individuals, information organizations, and communities.
Technologies, Systems, and Networks:
The program focuses
on designing, implementing, and evaluating information systems and services
that enable access to information and learning how to optimize their usefulness
in meeting organizational and community goals.
Empowerment, Engagement, and Action: The program focuses on scholarly and professional leadership and the capacity to safeguard and make available the
cultural, intellectual, and technological records of humankind. Students will
understand the value of data, information, and knowledge in shaping human
capacity to be productive, creative, and transformative.
Graduates of the program will be able to:
- Analyze,
identify, and describe the information needs, problems, challenges, and goals
of individuals, groups, communities, and organizations.
- Design,
develop, and implement innovative and interactive information systems,
services, technologies, instruction, policies, and organizational structures
that address identified needs, problems, challenges, and goals.
- Use
measurable criteria to evaluate effectiveness of systems, programs, and
services.
- Represent,
include, and advocate for the interests of diverse colleagues, professionals,
clients, patrons, user groups, and citizens, to ensure equitable intellectual
and physical access and use.
- Lead,
innovate, and serve as agents of change in the information professions and
respective communities.
- Enact
and uphold ethically-grounded policies and practices that demonstrate knowledge
relating to privacy, access, copyright intellectual property, intellectual
freedom, diversity, and security.
- Consider
and deploy information solutions as cultural, social, intellectual, and
technological goods serving human actors in local, national, and global societal
contexts.
- Uphold
professional and academic community standards for ethical information
practices, accessibility, uses, and user-centered systems design, in support of
tenets.