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/MA Art History
The MLIS/MA Art History Coordinated Degree Program prepares students for positions as art librarians, as curators of rare books and special collections, and as archivists, registrars, and collections managers in art museums.
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
Students are admitted to both graduate programs separately, and admission requirements are consistent with those specified by the UWM Graduate School, the Art History MA of the College of Letters and Science, and the Library and Information Science MLIS of the School of Information Studies.
Credits and Courses
The MA in Art History normally has a minimum requirement of 30 credits from Art History courses. For the coordinated MA Art History/MLIS degree program, however, students can substitute 6 credits in Information Studies courses for 6 credits of Art History courses. This program, therefore, requires a total of 54 credits. Students must complete the 30 credits required for the MLIS component and the 24 credits in Art History courses as specified below.
Basic Required MLIS Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | 12 | |
| Foundations of Library and Information Science | ||
| Organization of Information | ||
| Information Access and Retrieval | ||
| Research Methods in Information Studies | ||
| Other MLIS courses | 18 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Art History Courses
Minimum degree requirement is 24 credits in Art History, of which a minimum of 18 credits must be 700- to 900-level courses. To fulfill the Distribution Requirement, students must complete at least 3 credits in each of the following four areas 1) Ancient/Medieval, 2) Renaissance/Baroque, 3) Modern/Contemporary, and 4) Non-Western. At least 6 of these credits must be fulfilled at the 700-level or above.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| ARTHIST 700 | Proseminar in Art History (Must be taken in the student's first fall semester) | 3 |
| ARTHIST 891 | Art Museum Internship | 3 |
| ARTHIST 990 | Thesis Research | 6 |
| Distribution Requirement | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 24 | |
Important
You must refer to the catalog pages of both individual master's programs to ensure that you meet all requirements for both degrees.
Additional Requirements
Thesis
A thesis, on a subject selected in consultation with the advisor. This study must demonstrate the student’s ability to organize material and her/his familiarity with relevant research methods and art-historical literature. The student must pass an oral defense of the thesis.
Language Translation Exam
The student must pass a language translation exam.
Art History MA Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from the Art History MA program will be able to:
- Use professional methods and vocabulary when describing and analyzing artworks in terms of material, form, function, iconography, theoretical perspectives, and cultural contexts.
- Use area-specific knowledge to examine the historical significance and cultural contexts of artworks.
- Critically analyze visual material, material cultures, and historical texts with the aid of primary and secondary sources in both written and oral forms.
- Discover, discuss, and resolve important research issues through the sorting of relevant data and evidence.
- Demonstrate reading proficiency in an art historical language other than English (e.g., French, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, or Spanish).
- Gain experience through a hands-on, authentic learning internship that involves working with collections and/or assisting with exhibitions in an art gallery, museum, or library setting.
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.