Curriculum Overview - School of Communication and Information

You will work with an advisor to design a plan of study by selecting courses to meet your interests and career goals. See Plans of Study for examples. Thirty-six credits, or twelve courses, are required to earn an MLIS degree.

Your course choices in the Master of Library and Information Science program are organized around six themes in the field of library and information science: human-interaction; information access; information and society; information systems; management; and organization of information.

Six lead courses, one in each area, form the foundation of the curriculum and offer general knowledge of the major principles and issues of the field. Two or more central courses in each theme offer basic understanding and competencies in important components of the field. Specialization courses in each theme allow students to develop expertise in preparation for specific career objectives.

The six themes with their core, central, and specialization courses are outlined below. Please also check our complete list of courses with course descriptions and pre- and co-requisites.

Human-Information Interaction

Lead course	510 - Human Information Behavior
Central courses	511 - Research Methods 518 - Designing User Centered Information Services
Specialization courses	512 - Interface Design 514 - Learning Theory, Media and Curriculum 515 - Traditions in Oral Narration 516 - Children's and Youth Services 517 - Planning Outreach Services - Syllabus 519 - Information Literacy, Learning and Teaching - Syllabus

Organization of Information

Lead course	520 - Organizing Information
Central courses	522 - Cataloging and Classification
Specialization courses	524 - Metadata for Information Professionals

Information Access

Lead course	530 - Principles of Searching
Central courses	540 - Reference Sources and Services
Specialization courses	532 - Collection Development and Management 533 - Manuscripts and Archives 534 - Records Management 535 - Competitive Intelligence 541 - Government Information Resources - Syllabus 542 - Information Resources in Science and Technology 543 - Information Resources in Business and Economics 545 - Information Resources in the Health Services 546 - Information Resources in Law 547 - Materials for Children - Syllabus 548 - Materials for Young Adults - Syllabus 590 - E-Humanities and Social Science Research

Information Systems

Lead course	550 - Information Technologies for Libraries and Information Agencies Syllabus
Central courses	551 - Information Retrieval 552 - Understanding Library Systems & Software Applications - Syllabus 553 - Digital Libraries - Syllabus
Specialization courses	554 - Information Visualization and Presentation - Syllabus 555 - Multimedia Production - Syllabus 556 - Preservation of Library and Archival Materials - Syllabus 557 - Database Design and Management 558 - Digital Library Technology

Management

Lead course	570 - Management of Libraries and Information Centers - Syllabus
Central courses	571 - Leadership in Theory and Practice 574 - Knowledge Management in Organizations
Specialization courses	572 - Evaluation of Library and Information Services and Systems 573 - Financial Management for Library and Information Organizations 575 - Management of School Library Media Programs 578 - Interpersonal Communication for Information Professionals

Information and Society

Lead course	580 - Knowledge Structures and the Information Professions
Central courses	581 - Social Informatics 582 - Information Policy
Specialization courses	583 - Social History of Children's Literature 584 - Intellectual Freedom - Syllabus 585 - Reading Interests of Adults 586 - The History of Books, Documents, and Records in Print and Electronic Environments 587 - Understanding, Designing, and Building Social Media 588 - Social Media Research

Required Noncredit Classes

501 - Introduction to Library and Information Professions

502 - Colloquium in Library and Information Studies

503 - ePortfolio Capstone

All of the classes listed above are available on the New Brunswick campus. The Online Degree option of our program offers a variety of streams of study for students who do not wish to come to campus for classes. Full plans of study online are available for school library media, digital libraries, public libraries, and general study.

Other Study Options

Other course options are available to you. Field experience offers the possibility of working for one semester in a library or information center and earning credit; it is highly recommended if you have never worked in an information environment. You can arrange to work under the supervision of a faculty member on an independent study course so you can explore a special interest. You can take an online course from another ALA-accredited MLIS degree program around the world through the WISE consortium. And in some cases, with permission, you can arrange to take a course at Rutgers outside the MLIS program and use the credit towards your degree.

You have a tremendous number of noncredit experiences available to you at SC&I and around the University. The MLIS program offers colloquia every semester where experts come to talk about their work or current issues in the field. Other degree programs at SC&I also offer colloquia which you may attend. And Rutgers offers you the opportunity on a weekly basis to hear speakers from around the world who come to campus sponsored by one of the university's hundreds of academic programs.