Specialist in Information

Program Information

College: Communication & Information
Degree: Specialist Degree
Limited Access: No
Contact: iSchool Student Services
Address:
Louis Shores Building (LSB)
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida 32306-2100
Phone: (850) 645-3280
Email: ischooladvising@cci.fsu.edu

The Specialist Degree is a post-master’s degree within the School of Information. Students who pursue this degree are interested in developing expertise within the constantly evolving information fields. They often want to improve and/or develop specific skills and competencies. As a result, the personalized and focused nature of this degree program will allow you to acquire the knowledge needed to perform at the highest levels within your profession. The Specialist Degree can be completed online.

The post-master’s individualized specialist degree is available to students who have completed a Master of Information (MSI), Master’s of Science in Information Technology (MSIT), or another graduate degree program, who are interested in becoming more knowledgeable of emerging areas within the information fields.

NOTE: The Specialist in Information degree program is not accepting new applications after the spring 2026 semester.

Degree Requirements

School of Information Master’s/Specialist Graduate Student Handbook

The Specialist in Information requires 30 semester hours. Use the Program of Study Worksheet using the Course Rotation Schedule linked at the top of the Graduate Course Descriptions page to plan out your degree program. We strongly encourage students to complete at least one of our graduate certificates as part of their Specialist degree program of study.

Specialist (Individualized General Program of Study) Requirements

The Specialist (Post-Master’s) degree requires successful completion of 30 semester hours of graduate coursework. The program is planned cooperatively with faculty members who will help tailor the program to meet your professional needs. Up to 12 of these hours may be taken outside the School in other FSU departments with the approval of the faculty advisor. Up to 6 hours may be taken outside FSU at an accredited institution with the approval of the faculty advisor. View a list of our course offerings and course descriptions.

Culminating Paper (Optional)

Students enrolled in the Specialist degree program have the option of completing a culminating paper or project, which is completed as a Directed Individual Study (DIS) for 3 to 6 credits. This culminating paper or project is done no earlier than the last two semesters of the program. To request this option, please submit the Individualized Course Request Form.

Certificate Programs

The School of Information offers graduate-level certificate programs to allow students to master technical aspects in specialized areas of study. The School of Information offers eight graduate-level certificates. All graduate certificate programs are 12 credit hours and can be completed online.

Programs of Study

To help facilitate course selection, courses have been organized into various 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. These programs of study may help to guide your course selection, in order to facilitate achievement of your career goals.

Time to Completion (Requirement for all Specialist Degrees)

Coursework for the Specialist in Information degree must be completed within 7 years from the first semester a student enrolls in an FSU graduate course that may be counted toward the graduate degree (for students that have completed a previous graduate degree at the School of Information, this timeline starts with the first semester of the School of Information master’s degree program).
Exceptions may be appealed through the School of Information.