In collaboration with several other academic units at UW-Milwaukee, SOIS offers students the opportunity to obtain two Master’s degrees concurrently—one in Library and Information Science (MLIS) and one in a subject area.
Degree Requirements
- The number of degree credits needed for each of the coordinated programs is usually 12 fewer than the sum of the two programs if they were not taken simultaneously. All degree requirements of each component must be satisfied.
- The MLIS portion of the coordinated degrees can be completed online.
- Prerequisite to the award of either degree in this program is the simultaneous award of its counterpart degree.
MLIS Component
The Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) component of each of the coordinated programs includes 30 credits of SOIS courses. These include the MLIS core courses (12 credits). The remaining 18 MLIS credits are selected from the School’s offerings in accordance with the student’s goals in the coordinated degree program.
MLIS/MS Anthropology
The MLIS/MS Anthropology Coordinated Degree Program (51 credits) prepares students for positions as curators of museum libraries; and as information specialists and researchers for local history collections and state historical societies.
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.
Admission
An applicant must meet the UWM Graduate School requirements plus all admission requirements of both the School of Information Studies and the coordinated degree department. Please review the admission details of each program and contact an advisor with any questions.
Degree Requirements
Students enrolled in this program concurrently pursue the MS degree in Anthropology (21 credits in Anthropology—9 fewer elective credits) and the MLIS degree (30 credits in SOIS). Candidates for the coordinated degree program will be expected to fulfill the degree requirements of both programs. Degrees will be awarded simultaneously.
Credits and Courses
Students in the Master’s degree program in Anthropology are required to take a minimum of 30 credits, some of which are obtained by taking required courses. Required courses differ by concentration (requirements for students seeking to acquire a Certificate in Museum Studies are listed on that page).
Archaeology Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| ANTHRO 801 | A Survey of Physical Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTHRO 802 | Perspectives on Prehistory | 3 |
| ANTHRO 803 | Survey of Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| Methods | ||
| ANTHRO 568 | Introduction to Anthropological Statistics | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Anthropological Applications of GIS | ||
| Archaeology of Death | ||
| Zooarchaeology: Analysis of Faunal Remains | ||
| Analysis of Archaeological Ceramics | ||
| Techniques and Problems in Archaeology | ||
| Archaeological Analysis and Report Preparation: | ||
| Archaeological Field School | ||
| Topics in Advanced Research Design in Anthropology | ||
Or an alternative approved by the advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies | ||
| Advanced Seminar | ||
| ANTHRO 763 | Professionalism in Anthropology | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select 12 credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Biological Anthropology Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| ANTHRO 801 | A Survey of Physical Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTHRO 802 | Perspectives on Prehistory | 3 |
| ANTHRO 803 | Survey of Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| Methods | ||
| ANTHRO 568 | Introduction to Anthropological Statistics | 3 |
| Course approved by the advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies | 3 | |
| Advanced Seminar | ||
| Course approved by the advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies | 3 | |
| Electives | ||
| Select 12 credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Cultural Anthropology Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| ANTHRO 801 | A Survey of Physical Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTHRO 802 | Perspectives on Prehistory | 3 |
| ANTHRO 803 | Survey of Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| Methods | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Introduction to Research Methods in Anthropology | ||
| Techniques and Problems in Ethnography | ||
| Introduction to Anthropological Statistics | ||
| Advanced Seminar | ||
| ANTHRO 940 | Seminar in Problems in Cultural Anthropology: | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select 12 credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Students may request a waiver for any of the above required courses except the advanced seminar. To request a waiver, a student must submit a letter to the Graduate Studies Committee. Requests must be accompanied by documentation demonstrating that the student is competent in the subject area of the course for which the waiver is sought. A waived course must be replaced by an anthropology course numbered 700 or above.
Students must maintain a B (3.0) average or better overall. The three core courses must be completed with an average of 3.0 or better. Students with a grade below a B in a core course subsequently accepted into the Ph.D. program must retake the course until they achieve a grade of B or better.
A thesis is required of all students; students may apply up to 6 credits of Research/Thesis courses toward meeting the minimum credits for the degree. The thesis must be formatted in accord with Graduate School requirements. Students will submit an electronic copy of the thesis to the Graduate School and a signed, unbound “hard” copy to the Department of Anthropology.
Basic Required MLIS Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| INFOST 501 | Foundations of Library and Information Science | 3 |
| INFOST 511 | Organization of Information | 3 |
| INFOST 571 | Information Access and Retrieval | 3 |
| INFOST 799 | Research Methods in Information Studies | 3 |
| Other MLIS courses | 18 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Important
You must refer to the catalog pages of both individual master's programs to ensure that you meet all requirements for both degrees.
Library and Information Science MLIS Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from the master’s program in Library and Information Science (MLIS) will be able to:
- Critically assess the philosophy, principles, culture, ethics or values of library and information science.
- Demonstrate the knowledge and skills to develop and evaluate library and information services and systems.
- Outline how library and information services may serve the needs of a diverse global society.
- Apply knowledge of research methods in library and information science to investigate an issue of relevance to the field.
See the full list of ALA Core Competencies here.
Anthropology MS Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from the Anthropology MS program will be able to:
- Demonstrate mastery of major theoretical and methodological approaches in biological anthropology, anthropological archaeology, and sociocultural anthropology. (Anthropological Concepts)
- Formulate a research problem and conduct research to investigate the problem using appropriate anthropological methods. (Research Competence)
- Produce a thesis fit for public dissemination that clearly formulates a research problem and presents the results of the study with reference to anthropological theory, including critical assessment of previous research and suggestions for future research directions. (Written Communication)
- Explain the research questions, methods, and outcomes of their research in the public forum of a thesis defense. (Oral Communication)
- Follow ethical principles appropriate to relevant subfields when undertaking research and in educational and professional contexts. (Ethics)