Distance Education at SIS

Distance education enables students to complete the 42 semester hours
required for the Master's of Science degree in Information Sciences through
the use of contemporary, synchronous communications technologies. Regardless
of location, a student can participate in a class through real-time,
interactive audio by listening to a lecture, asking questions, engaging in
class discussion, chatting with classmates, and viewing presentations.

SIS uses the Web application Centra Symposium in order to create an
online learning environment where both on-campus and DE students can attend
classes, interact with faculty, and work collaboratively. This online
environment seeks to recreate typical classroom interactions in a virtual
space and in real-time—bringing together voice, data and graphics in a
structured online learning environment.

DE students are admitted each fall semester. The University of Tennessee supplies enrolled students the
software needed for synchronous delivery. Other communication methods may
also be employed for specific courses.

Academic Requirements

Those who have completed an undergraduate degree from an accredited
institution and seek employment as a professional librarian, including a
certified school library media specialist, or in a variety of other
information professions are invited to apply for admission to the degree
program. Applicants should have a 3.25 undergraduate grade-point
average.

The GRE must have been taken within five years of the date of
application. Applicants must have scores above the fifty percentile. If 12
or more hours of graduate work have been completed with a 3.0 grade point
average, no GRE is needed.

The ALA-accredited Master of Science degree is a 42 credit-hour program,
including 3 courses required of all students. Either a thesis or non-thesis
option is available.

Top of Page

Benefits

Successful students will gain knowledge of the generation, production,
management, dissemination, and uses of information; roles various
organizations/institutions play in promoting the flow and use of
information; understanding of the role of the information professional as
mediator between information resources and their users; and understanding of
the roles of various tools and technologies in facilitating access to and
use of information.

Program Delivery

• Students in the distance education program are admitted each fall
  semester; there are no spring or summer admissions.
• Students beginning the master's program by distance education come to
  Knoxville in August for a 2-day orientation to the School and program. The
  orientation is required. It is important because students build community
  with other students and professors, which supports successful completion of
  the degree program.
• Courses are delivered via the Web in synchronous ("real-time") and
  asynchronous ("anytime") modes; extensive use of e-mail, electronic
  discussion groups, blogging, and net forum applications supplement Web
  delivery. Software needed for synchronous delivery will be supplied by the
  University of Tennessee.
• Other delivery modalities may also be employed for specific
  courses.
• Students enrolling in the master's program by distance education should
  be within reasonable driving distance of a medium-sized public or
  collegiate library.
• Students return to Knoxville at the conclusion of the program to take
  the comprehensive examination or to defend a thesis.

Top of Page

Costs

Residents of the state of Tennessee pay in-state maintenance fees.
Residents of other states (except Arkansas, Virginia, and West
Virginia) will be assessed out-of-state tuition. For current tuition and fee
rates, see the University of Tennessee Bursar's Office.

An agreement among southern states for sharing graduate programs allows
legal residents of some states to enroll in certain programs at UT on an
in-state tuition basis. The M.S. program is available to residents of the
states of Arkansas, Virginia, or West Virginia. Academic Common
Market is available to distance education students. For more information,
contact Norma Harrington at (865)974–6120.

Top of Page

Technology Requirements

Most students will use Centra, the School's online software that delivers
instruction. Students enrolled in the distance education program are
required to have access to hardware, software, an Internet Service Provider
(ISP), and meeting the specifications outlined on the Centra System Check
page.

Information regarding the hardware, software, and Internet requirements
is available by clicking on System Check on the Centra log in page.

• Live Online
• Knoxville-based students may wish to use the University as their ISP.
  

*Specifications will change to better adapt as technological capabilities
increase

Class meetings occur in synchronous mode, typically from 6:30 - 9:10
p.m., Eastern Time.

Top of Page