The master's degree at the Information School (iSchool) prepares graduates to develop, provide, and assess information and data services that create, collect, organize, store, analyze, find, distribute, and use information and data in a diverse, technological, and global society. The program prepares information professionals to work in three broad, overlapping areas of the information professions.
User Experience Design: Graduates obtain employment in user experience design, interaction design, usability testing, systems analysis and project management, IT training, educational technology support, digital asset management and curation, and content management.
Data Analytics: Graduates obtain employment as data analysts in a variety of fields with expertise in analyzing data to support organizational decision-making, planning and managing data-driven projects, visualization and communication of analysis and results, data policy issues, and ensuring that organizational data practices support analysis activities.
Data and Information Management: Graduates obtain employment specializing in management of data and information in a variety of organizations with expertise in in knowledge management, digital asset management, data and information governance, prospect research, systems analysis, records management and compliance, research data management and project management, and database development and management.
Full-time students generally complete the program in two academic years with summer work; part-time students complete it in three to four years. Students gain hands-on experience as part of their degree through the school's required internship. Students may choose internship settings based on their career goals.
Students interested in the Master of Science in Information should refer to one of the named options:
Students apply to the Master of Science in Information through one of the named options:
- Campus Program
- Online Program
- Admission to the named option in Research is only available to students currently enrolled in the PhD in Information.
Graduate School Resources
Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.
Minimum Graduate School Requirements
Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.
Major Requirements
CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS
| Minimum Credit Requirement | 30 credits |
| Minimum Residence Credit Requirement | 16 credits |
| Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement | 15 credits must be graduate-level coursework. Details can be found in the Graduate School’s Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) policy (https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1244). |
| Overall Graduate GPA Requirement | 3.00 GPA required. This program follows the Graduate School's policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1203. |
| Other Grade Requirements | Within the student's total program, one grade of BC or C is allowable in either a required or elective course if it is balanced by a grade of A or AB earned either prior to or concurrently with the unsatisfactory grade. Students receiving a BC or C move into probationary status. A second grade of BC or C or any grade of D or F will normally result in the student being dropped from the program. In addition, a student's graduate-program cumulative grade point average must be maintained at 3.00 or above. |
| Assessments and Examinations | No formal examination is required. |
| Language Requirements | None. |
Required courses
Select a Named Option for courses required.
Named Options
A named option is a formally documented sub-major within an academic major program. Named options appear on the transcript with degree conferral. Students pursuing the Master of Science in Information must select one of the following named options:
Graduate School Resources
Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.
- Integrate concepts from information/data management, digital technologies and human behavioral and cultural practices to help solve organizational, community or social challenges
- Use legal or ethical principles to critique data and information management practices
- Apply principles of information science to organizational data and information management endeavors
- Use quantitative analysis methodologies and tools to inform decision making
- Demonstrate professional communications, teamwork, and awareness of culture competencies\\n
For a complete faculty/staff directory see https://ischool.wisc.edu