School of Information

Degree Requirements

School of Information Master’s/Specialist Graduate Student Handbook

The Master of Arts in Information (MAI) requires 36 semester hours, including four required core courses and one technology skills requirement course.

Students in the MAI program must also opt to complete 6 or more semester hours of graduate credit in a field outside of Information (see below). In addition, they must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language.

Proficiency in foreign language may be demonstrated by:

• Certification by the appropriate language department, or
• Completion of 12 semester hours in a foreign language with an average grade of at least 3.0 (B), or
• Four years of a single language in high school.

While it is possible to complete both programs online, we can only guarantee the availability of fully online courses through the MSI degree program–any electives for the MAI in other fields may be offered online or in-person.

Students must first be formally admitted to the Master of Science in Information (MSI) degree program, then request a program change to the Master of Arts in Information by emailing ischooladvising@cci.fsu.edu.

Students should fill in their Advising Worksheet using the Course Rotation Schedule linked at the top of the Graduate Course Descriptions page.

Master of Art in Information Courses

Required Core Courses (12 credits)

LIS 5271 Research Methods in Information Studies (3 credits)

LIS 5411 Introduction to Information Policy (3 credits)

LIS 5408 Management of Information Organizations (3 credits)

LIS 5703 Information Organization (3 credits)

Technology Skills Requirement (3 credits)

The FSU iSchool is committed to educating students to have the technology skills necessary to be successful information professionals. Accordingly, all MAI students are required to take at least one technology-focused course prior to completion of the degree.

LIS 5485 Introduction to Information Technologies (strongly recommended for students with no prior IT background)
LIS 5255 Information, Technology, and Older Adults
LIS 5275 Usability Analysis
LIS 5313 Digital Media: Concepts and Production
LIS 5341 Data Organization
LIS 5362 Design and Production of Networked Multimedia
LIS 5364 Web Development & Administration
LIS 5367 Advanced Web Applications
LIS 5377 AI Applications
LIS 5472 Digital Libraries
LIS 5484 Introduction to Data Networks
LIS 5486 Managing Makerspaces
LIS 5487 Information Systems Management
LIS 5489 Network Administration
LIS 5765 Data Mining and Analytics
LIS 5775 Organizational Information Security
LIS 5782 Database Management Systems
LIS 5786 Introduction to Information Architecture
LIS 5787 Fundamentals of Metadata Theory & Practice

Outside the Department Courses (6 credits)

6 or more semester hours of graduate credit must be taken in one or more of the following fields:

• art
• classical language
• literature
• civilization
• communication (not to include speech correction)
• English
• history
• humanities
• modern languages and linguistics
• music
• philosophy
• religion
• theatre

Elective Courses (15 credits)

The remaining credits may be taken from among any LIS-5000 level courses and are selected depending on the needs of the student, the current technology skill level, and the foundation needs to support the student’s professional goals. View a list of our course offerings and course descriptions.

Time to Completion

• The work for the master’s degree must be completed within seven years from the first semester a student enrolls in an FSU graduate course that may be counted toward the graduate degree. If the master’s degree is not completed within seven years from the first semester a student enrolls in an FSU graduate course that may be counted toward the graduate degree, and the program or Department Chair does not choose to approve an Extension of Time (EOT), then the student may no longer be enrolled in that program or at Florida State University.

• Exceptions may be appealed through the School of Information.

Programs of Study

To help facilitate course selection, courses have been organized into programs of study along general and specialized areas of interest. These programs of study are not required for graduation and do not result in any further notation on the diploma or transcripts, but rather function as a planning and advising tool for the students. Programs of study may help to guide your course selection in order to facilitate achievement of your career goals. They include:

• Cultural Informatics
• General Librarianship
• Health Informatics
• Information Organization
• Leadership & Management
• Public, Academic, and Special Libraries
• Reference Services
• School Libraries
• Technology & Networking
• Web Design
• Youth Services

Certificates Programs

Certificate Programs are also available while pursuing a Master of Arts degree within the School of Information. Certificate programs are designed to provide an opportunity for professional development and result in an award separate from the diploma with the successful completion of select coursework for the certificate. Learn more about the types of certificates offered at the School, as well as certificate program requirements.

Thesis Option

Students pursuing the Master of Science in Information or the Master of Arts in Information have the option to complete a thesis as part of their curriculum. The subject of the thesis must be within the major field and must reveal independent investigation and knowledge of the methods of scholarship.

To complete the thesis-type program, a student must complete all requirements for the master’s degree. Six hours of the required 36 degree hours must be thesis hours (LIS 5971 – 3 hours per semester over two semesters). A student must officially declare that he/she wants to pursue a thesis-type program by emailing School of Information Graduate Student Services requesting a change to thesis-type track and identifying the major professor who will supervise the thesis. The student, in coordination with the major professor, must complete the necessary paperwork to appoint a supervisory committee. The Supervisory Committee consists of at least three members: the major professor; the minor professor (if the student has a minor area); and one or two additional members from the major department. Additional members may be appointed if deemed desirable. All members of the committee must hold Graduate Faculty Status.

Students must also follow the University guidelines for completion of a thesis-type program as listed in the University Graduate Student Handbook as well as all requirements for manuscript clearance.