Graduate Degrees — A Gateway to Success

M.S. in Information Science

The M.S.I.S. program is one of 50 nationally to be accredited by the American Library Association, which has more than 66,000 members in public, state, school, academic and special libraries in every sector of the economy. Graduates occupy top jobs in academic, public, school, corporate, and government libraries and archives, as well as in and many other information-handling organizations throughout the world.

The program also provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to enter a doctoral program in information science.

Detailed information about program requirements can be found on the M.S.I.S. page.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree from a college or university of recognized standing. Applications may be submitted for admission to the M.S.I.S. program or for non-degree study.

All applicants except those with a graduate degree in another field must submit scores on the general portion of the Graduate Record Examination (G.R.E.). Candidates with previous graduate degrees may be admitted with advanced standing, permitting the transfer of up to six hours of previous graduate course work. Three letters of recommendation and official transcripts of all academic study are also required.

Information and application packets can be requested by telephone, mail, e-mail, or the graduate admissions Web site.

Call: 518-442-3980
Write to: The Office of Graduate Admissions University at Albany 1400 Washington Ave. Albany, NY 12222
E-mail to: graduate [at] uamail [dot] albany [dot] edu

For specific MSIS or CAS program and admission questions, contact Assistant Dean Frances Reynolds in the Information Studies office: 518-442-5110, freynolds [at] uamail [dot] albany [dot] edu

About the Program

The degree requires completion of at least 42 credits. There are five areas of concentration:

Archives/Records Administration - to prepare students who wish to pursue a career in archives, or as paper or electronic records managers

Library and Information Services - to prepare students for professional positions in academic, special, or public libraries

Library and Information Services/ School Library Media Specialist - to prepare students seeking certification to work in public school libraries throughout New York State

Information Management and Policy - to prepare students pursuing careers as information managers in corporations, government agencies and nonprofit organizations

Information Systems and Technology - to prepare students for professional employment as systems and technology experts in a wide range of government, library, corporate and nonprofit organizations

Combined M.A. and M.S.I.S Programs

Two programs combine the M.S.I.S. and the M.A. in either English or History. By applying six credits in information studies and seven from English or history, a student can reduce the number of credits needed to 59. However, faculty may require additional course work.

Students may be admitted to a dual master's degree program at the beginning of their graduate studies, but no later than after completing 20 applicable graduate credits. Work done for an awarded master's or doctoral degree may not be used for this program. You must be admitted to graduate study in both the M.A. and M.S.I.S. degree programs for the dual program.

For more information please check the M.A. M.S.I.S. Information Sheet.

Certificate of Advanced Study

The certificate is offered to students who wish to specialize in a particular area of interest beyond the master’s degree. The program includes a minimum of 30 semester credits of graduate study beyond the master's degree. An adviser helps each student design a program using courses within the Department and from other disciplines, such as the schools of Business and of Education, the Graduate School of Public Affairs, and the College of Arts and Sciences.

For more information please check the CAS Information Sheet.