MSc in Information Science
Course structure
The course is available full time (12 months) and part time (up to 28 months; daytime study).
Students successfully completing eight modules and the dissertation will be awarded 180 credits and a masters level qualification. Alternatively, students who do not complete the dissertation but have successfully completed eight modules will be awarded 120 credits and a postgraduate diploma. Successful completion of four modules (60 credits) will lead to the award of a postgraduate certificate.
Each module is assessed separately. This is usually by coursework assignment, but other forms of assessment, including written examinations and online quizzes, are used in some modules.
Face-to-face study is supported by e-learning provision, which allows students to access course materials, and to interact with staff and fellow students, online. This is valuable on those occasions when students are not able to attend the university. This is not a distance learning course, and face-to-face contacts are important. Students benefit particularly from our London location, which allows us to attract a range of visiting lecturers, including leaders in the discipline and profession. It also gives access to major libraries, information centres, archives and cultural institutions. The concentration of face-to-face classes into one (part-time) or two (full-time) days a week, with the e-learning support, means that students are able to follow this course while living and working away from London, and indeed outside the UK. It is, however, essential that students are able to commit to appropriate face-to-face attendance, and to devoting sufficient time to their studies.| FULL-TIME study timetable: 2008-09 | PART-TIME study timetable: 2008-09 | ||
| Semester 1 | YEAR 1, Semester 1 |
||
| Digital Information Technologies and Architecture | Monday morning | Digital Information Technologies and Architecture | Monday morning |
| Information Science Foundation | Monday afternoon | Information Science Foundation | Monday afternoon |
| Information & Library Management | Friday morning | YEAR 1, Semester 2 | |
| Research methods and professional issues | Friday afternoon | Information Retrieval | Monday morning |
| Semester 2 | Information Resources & Organisation | Monday afternoon | |
| Information Retrieval | Monday morning | YEAR 2, Semester 1 | |
| Information Resources & Organisation | Monday afternoon | Information & Library Management | Friday morning |
| Options | Friday | Research methods and professional issues | Friday afternoon |
| See options below | YEAR 2, Semester 2 | ||
| Information Retrieval | Friday | ||
| Option | See options below | ||
| Option Modules | |
| Open Source Systems | Wednesday morning |
| Geographic Information Technologies and Applications | Thursday afternoon |
| Information Domains | Friday |
| Health Policy and Information Management | Friday afternoon |
| Web Applications Development | Friday afternoon |
| Information Law and Policy | Friday |
| Libraries and Publishing in an Information Society | Friday |
| Independent Study (on approved topic) | in own time |
2008-09 is a transition year for the programme, between the old structure for students who entered in 2007 and earlier, and the new structure for those entering in 2009 and later years. Full-time and part-time students commencing their studies in 2008 will study SIX core modules, and TWO elective modules.
The elective modules will include Information Law and Policy, which was core in the old course structure, and will also include a new elective, Libraries and Publishing in the Information Society.
Note: The University reserves the right to make changes to syllabuses, programme options, timetabling and modules as necessary.