The School of Information
1616 Guadalupe, Suite 5.202
Austin, TX 78701-1213
United States
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Degrees/Certificates Offered
- Certificate of Advanced Study in Digital Archives
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Master of Science in Information Studies
Programs Offered
Program Philosophy
Information resources require careful stewardship to ensure their long-term preservation. This process involves assessing the value of information to future users and ensuring appropriate interventions for quality control and the migration of collections across technological platforms and over time. This specialization is designed so that students may learn how to appraise records, how archives are created and managed, and how best to preserve physical and digital records.
Graduates in this specialization generally have many career options and may find employment in archives of all kinds ranging from public to academic to business to community, libraries (both public and academic), information technology firms, government agencies, museums, and large companies that have significant records and data to manage. Increasing employment options in the information design and user experience domains are also anticipated.
Facilities
Facilities for students in the School of Information include a fully networked Information Technology Laboratory, a computer classroom, a Conservation Laboratory, a Digital Archaeology Laboratory, a video-editing suite, multimedia teaching stations in all classrooms, and access to a usability and accessibility laboratory.
Students have access to advanced computer equipment and software for instructional and research use, supplementing the school’s physical and wireless network and computer facilities. Students receive a full-service Internet account and have access to various computer operating systems, such as Macintosh, Windows, and Linux. The School's location at the border between the University and the City of Austin locates students in walking distance of more than ten working archives.
Practicum/Internships/Assistantships Offered?
All School of Information master's candidates complete a "capstone" experience to their academic studies, one that enables them to integrate their professional education and the intellectual and institutional vocations toward which they are striving. This experience is to be completed in the final semester and is designed to be flexible to meet a variety of objectives.
The Capstone Professional Experience Project (PEP) option consists of completing an academically rigorous, professional-level project and receiving in return valuable mentoring in a real-world setting. Any information professional may propose a student project and agree to serve as the field supervisor for the project; for archives students this normally means an archives project that may range from inventory and appraisal to planning preservation. A PEP will ordinarily result in a deliverable, e.g., a paper detailing the project, a Web site, a database, a dataset, a manual, or a community service program. Students are also required to present a poster session at the conclusion of the project.
The school has also developed ongoing, competitive student positions with the University Libraries, the Tarlton Law Library, the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, and the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center to provide students with work and study opportunities. Archives students are also able to apply for Teaching Assistant jobs and with the requisite skills can obtain assistantships in the School's technology labs.
Research
397. Research in Information Studies. Methods and subjects of research in information studies. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.
- Topic 1: Bibliography and Methods in Historical Research. Sources of information for, and techniques of conducting, investigations in history.
- Topic 2: Practicum in Research. Offered on the credit/no credit basis only. Additional prerequisite: Consent of instructor and the graduate adviser.
- Topic 3: Digitization for Digital Libraries Research. Exploration of theoretical and practical research on creating digital collections and making them available. Additional prerequisite: Information Studies 385R and 392H, significant experience in digital applications in digital libraries, or consent of instructor.
- Topic 4: Seeking Funding for Information Studies. Designed to help students gain an understanding of and hands-on experience with the pursuit of funding for information studies. Students investigate possible funding sources, and develop at least one grant or contract application.
397C. Introduction to Research in Information Studies. The nature and practice of social and scientific research, including historical, descriptive, quantitative (statistical), and qualitative approaches, with emphasis on theory development and testing and applied problem solving. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Graduate standing.