MS in Information - Online

The MS Information provides master’s level education for adult students seeking entry into data/information management and some applied computing professions. The MS-Information will give students the opportunity to obtain both the technical skills needed to understand information and data systems and the critical thinking, design and communications skills to govern and critique them. This degree is appropriate for students with or without a bachelor’s degree in computing or related fields.

The MS Information is a STEM-designated program with CIP code 11.0401 Information Science/Studies.

Students in this program are not eligible for teaching assistant, research assistant, or project assistant positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The Program Offers

• Expert faculty who are accessible and responsive in class;
• Friendly, supportive, and collaborative community of learners;
• Students progress together through the cohort model;
• Flexibility for a full or part-time program of study;
• Preparation for a variety careers;
• Real-world experience through a required internship course;
• Highly regarded career services and professional placement rates.

What Is Online Learning Like?

Courses in the online program are delivered using cutting-edge technology tools customized to course content and the instructor’s teaching style. Regular interaction occurs among students and instructors in weekly modules via interactive learning assignments, discussions, team projects, and virtual meetings.

The mission of the Information School of the University of Wisconsin‑Madison is to:

• Educate responsible leaders, critical thinkers, and creative innovators in the information professions who are adept in the creation, retrieval, use, and curation of information in all its forms and who are able to provide access to and understanding of information for all those who need or seek it, and who contribute to individual and collective knowledge, productivity, and well-being;
• Create and disseminate research about past, present, and future information users and uses, the processes and technologies vital for information management and use, and the economies, cultures, and policies that affect information and access to it;
• Contribute to the development of the faculties of information schools through a doctoral program built on interdisciplinary research and teaching excellence; and provide useful service to information professionals, the people of Wisconsin, and all information users.

Education & Teaching

• Continue to grow faculty and staff teaching excellence.
• Expand educational programming in areas of high student demand while maintaining the broad-based strength of our educational enterprise.
• Expand access to a UW–Madison education, leveraging new modes of delivery to engage with students throughout their lives.
• Strengthen educational outcomes, career development, and the college experience for all students.
• Ensure the continued vitality, competitiveness, and strength of our graduate and professional programs.

Research & Scholarship

• Provide a modern research support structure that fosters innovation, promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, and drives discovery on future research challenges.
• Continue to grow faculty and staff research excellence.
• Grow UW–Madison’s research enterprise and expand its global impact, supporting the scholarship of faculty, staff, and students.

Wisconsin Idea

• Engage with the community to provide positive social, cultural, and economic impact in Wisconsin and beyond.
• Promote social entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic development in Wisconsin and beyond.
• Share the benefits of a world-class teaching and research university throughout Wisconsin and beyond our borders.

Organizational Excellence

• Practice sustainability principles in the stewardship of campus resources, recognizing our environmental responsibility to people and the planet.
• Build upon and further support our high-quality and committed workforce that advances our mission and reflects our values.
• Strengthen the financial sustainability of the iSchool, while maintaining a commitment to iSchool values.