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 Urban Studies
A Master of Science in Urban Studies/Master of Library and Information Science program to prepare students for positions as urban information specialists, 54 credits.
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.
Credits and Courses
Students in the MS/MLIS program follow all of the requirements and standards as described in this section of the Bulletin with the following joint exceptions: 21 of the 24 credits, including the optional 3 credits for a master’s thesis, required for the Urban Studies portion of the joint degree are taken within USP. All courses in related areas and any exceptions to the 21 credit rule must be reviewed by the Coordinator of Urban Studies. All courses selected are expected to be consistent with the objectives of the Urban Studies program.
Urban Studies
The minimum degree requirement is 30 graduate credits. All Urban Studies students are required to take a core curriculum of 15 credits:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select an approved quantitative analysis course | 3 | |
| URB STD 921 | Seminar: Research Methods in Urban Studies | 3 |
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Urban Social Structure | ||
| Seminar in Urban Political Process | ||
| The Internal Structure of the City | ||
| Seminar on the History of American Urban Problems | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |
Students may opt to enroll in URB STD 990 and earn up to 3 credits toward the MS degree for their paper/thesis research and writing.
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 | |
Important
You must refer to the catalog pages of both individual master's programs to ensure that you meet all requirements for both degrees.
Urban Studies MS Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from the Urban Studies MS program will be able to:
- Demonstrate mastery of key concepts in a sub-area of urban studies, as well as knowledge of the relevant interdisciplinary scholarly literature.
- Research, write, revise, and defend a master's thesis or internship-based paper that demonstrates (a) mastery of key concepts in a sub-area of urban studies; (b) knowledge of the relevant interdisciplinary scholarly literatures; (c) rigorous empirical analysis of data, using appropriate methodology; (d) clear organization and strong argumentation, prepared according to the standards and format characteristics of journal articles in the chosen area of study.
- Present research findings from the master's thesis or internship paper clearly and effectively.
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.