MS in Information - Online

The MS Information provides master’s level education for adult students seeking entry into data/information management and some applied computing professions. The MS-Information will give students the opportunity to obtain both the technical skills needed to understand information and data systems and the critical thinking, design and communications skills to govern and critique them. This degree is appropriate for students with or without a bachelor’s degree in computing or related fields.

The MS Information is a STEM-designated program with CIP code 11.0401 Information Science/Studies.

Students in this program are not eligible for teaching assistant, research assistant, or project assistant positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The Program Offers

• Expert faculty who are accessible and responsive in class;
• Friendly, supportive, and collaborative community of learners;
• Students progress together through the cohort model;
• Flexibility for a full or part-time program of study;
• Preparation for a variety careers;
• Real-world experience through a required internship course;
• Highly regarded career services and professional placement rates.

What Is Online Learning Like?

Courses in the online program are delivered using cutting-edge technology tools customized to course content and the instructor’s teaching style. Regular interaction occurs among students and instructors in weekly modules via interactive learning assignments, discussions, team projects, and virtual meetings.

Concentrations Within The MS Information

Our 30-credit program includes several different concentration areas, including User Experience Design/Interaction Design, Analytics for Decision Making, and Information/Data Management.

MS Program Requirements

The Information Master’s curriculum comprises 30 credits. Requirements include four core courses, one ethics course, and an internship course.

Required Courses

All students will take the following four courses for a total of 12 credits.

1. LIS 705 Intro Analytics for Decision Making
2. LIS 751 Relational Database Design
3. LIS 615 Systems Analysis & Project Management
4. LIS 732 Strategic Information Services

Ethics Course

All MS students must complete at least one ethics course for a minimum of 3 credits. Choose from:

• LIS 461 Data & Algorithm: Ethics and Policy
• LIS 661 Info Ethics

Internship

In addition to the courses listed above, students are required to complete an internship.

Electives

Students continue by completing one of three concentrations: User Experience Design, Data Analytics/Data Management, or Distributed.

UX Concentration Recommended Electives (12-13 credits):

• LIS/CS 611 UX 1 User Research
• LIS/CS 612 UX 2 Ideation and Design
• LIS/CS 613 UX 3 Testing and Evaluation
• LIS/CS614 Capstone (1 credit)

Data Analytics or Management/Governance Concentration Recommended Electives (12 credits):

• LIS 706 Data Mining Planning and Management
• LIS 707 Data Visualization and Communications
• LIS 711 Data Management for Information Professionals

Distributed Concentration

Students pursuing a distributed concentration must complete at least 12 credits of electives from the courses listed above in the UX and Analytics concentration electives or from the approved Information School electives listed above. Students may include a maximum of 3 credits of approved external electives from the list below.

Approved Information School electives:

• LIS 460 Surveillance, Privacy, and Police Powers
• LIS 500 Code and Power
• LIS 510 Information Security & Privacy
• LIS 517 Digital Health: Information and Technologies Supporting Consumers and Patients
• LIS 616 Electronic Records Management
• LIS 632 Metadata Standards and XML
• LIS 645 Intellectual Freedom
• LIS 646 Information Architecture & Interaction Design
• LIS 658 Publishing, Knowledge Institutions, and Society: E-Revolutions?
• LIS 663 Introduction to Cyberlaw
• LIS 875 Topics in Information Processing and Retrieval
• LIS 999 Independent Reading and Research

Approved External MS Information electives:

Students may count a maximum of 3 credits from the below list of external electives toward the MS Information degree. Not all electives are available all semesters. Not all external electives are available online.

Computer Science: CS 319 Data Programming; CS 570 Human-Computer Interaction

Design Studies: DS 341 Design Thinking for Transformation

Industrial Engineering: ISYE 349 Introduction to Human Factors; ISYE 552 Human Factors Engineering Design & Evaluation