Program Overview

Required Courses

Three courses are required of all students: 510, 520, 530. These courses address the evolving information environment; foundations of information sciences and technologies; information resources selection, acquisition and evaluation; information content representation; information access, and retrieval.

Teaching and Learning

SIS recognizes our students’ diverse needs, and we offer a variety of curriculum delivery formats to provide a high quality learning experience. These include traditional face to face classroom instruction and virtual instruction via distance education technology.

As a result, elective courses are taught using virtual instruction and all students participate in the online classroom during their graduate study. Students studying on the Knoxville campus will begin their program with face-to-face classes for the three required courses (IS 510, IS 520, and IS 530). They will then continue their studies and join distance students in the online classes to complete the program.

While students enrolled in the distance education program are required to have access to hardware, software, and an Internet Service Provider (ISP), students taking courses on campus may wish to purchase equivalent hardware and software. The School of Information Sciences offers a computer laboratory that meets the specifications for this program, and on-campus students may access these computers on a first-come/first serve basis during scheduled lab hours. We are proud that we provide quality education to meet student needs regardless of where the student may live.

Benefits of studying on campus:

• Face-to-face interaction with faculty and other campus students
• Opportunities to attend and/or participate in research forums, special lectures, sporting events, and other student activities
• Access to campus facilities, resources, and services such as student health service

Innovative Course Delivery Options

Classroom Some classes are taught in the traditional manner of an instructor and students meeting a classroom on the UT campus.

Virtual Classroom

These classes meet using online software, Centra Symposium, to access and participate in the classroom at a distance. Students raise a virtual hand to get the instructor’s attention and speak into a microphone so that all students, wherever they are located, can participate equally in class activities.

Distributed Classroom  Many courses are taught to both campus students and distance education students via desktop to desktop delivery. Combining these two student groups online offers a unique form of faculty-student interaction that approximates communication methods used in many information environments.

SIS faculty are seasoned and comfortable using Centra software for online delivery of their courses, and students quickly become comfortable with this way to learn. A persuasive benefit of taking classes from a distance or distributed class is the opportunity to collaborate with students in other places. Students working as paraprofessionals in a local library system, for example, will have the opportunity to chat with classmates working in a library or information center in another state with different policies and procedures and different cultures. Distributed classes also ensure that specialized elective courses are offered to all students. Faculty use the features of Centra software to encourage student participation, interaction, and a sense of community resulting in high quality discussions with a rich diversity of perspectives.

The World as Classroom

Two study opportunities that exist outside of the classroom include Independent Projects or Research and the Practicum. Whatever individualized curriculum is chosen, all students who complete the program receive an M.S. degree accredited by the American Library Association (ALA).

Advising

An advisor is assigned to each student admitted to the program. The advisor approves courses of study, offers guidance about career opportunities, and assists students in preparing placement credentials. Students must complete the Student Planning Form (pdf) or Student Planning Form (doc) and submit it to their advisor in preparation for the advising session, which occurs before each new semester, and which may be transacted in person, by phone, or by e-mail. Student advisement is an important aspect of the SIS program. Students may seek advice from any faculty member. Students may change assigned advisors via a request to the SIS coordinator of student services.