Students have three options to complete the 48 credits required for the MIS degree. The three options include a course-based option, a thesis option, and a co-op option. Please note the co-op option is available to full time students only, and there are a limited number of work placement spots available to SIS students each year. In all cases, a minimum of 25% of the courses must be completed in the second language. In accordance with University of Ottawa policy, students have a right to produce their written work and to answer examination questions in French or in English.

Graduates of the MIS program at SIS are prepared to take on many exciting career opportunities as controlled vocabulary specialists, digital curators, emerging technologies librarians, information architects, knowledge management analysts, library directors, metadata managers, privacy analysts, records managers and web content managers, to name just a few.

This program is open to graduates in all disciplines, and is offered on a full-time and part-time basis. The School also offers a graduate diploma in Information Studies.

The professors included in the list below are members of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. This means that they are authorized to supervise or co-supervise theses. A complete list of the faculty and staff members associated with the program can be found at http://www.sis.uottawa.ca/graduate-studies.html

ALBERTS, Inge, Assistant Professor
Faceted classification ; Recordkeeping practices ; Information compliance ; Information architecture

BAILEY, Jane, Associate Professor
Research related to the potential for regulation of internet hate speech; ongoing research focuses on the impact of evolving technology on significant public commitments to equality rights; freedom of expression and multiculturalism

BOWKER, Lynne, Associate Professor
Machine (-assisted) translation; corpus linguistics; terminology; translation pedagogy; organization of information

CAVANAGH, Mary, Assistant Professor
Institutionality of the public library; practice-based organizing and managing; integrated information management and evaluation

CURRAN, William, Adjunct Professor
Administration and management ; Personnel ; Buildings/Facilities ; Funding; Strategic planning, marketing, lobbying; Evaluation of service; Academic libraries; Special and corporate libraries, LIS as a profession; LIS education and programs; LIS faculty, students; LIS faculty, students, Continuing education in LIS; Information literacy and instruction, Pedagogy in LIS; Distance education in LIS

DELSEY, Tom, Adjunct Professor
Resource description; Content analysis; Information architecture; Intellectual property rights

DORMANN, Claire, Assistant Professor
Serious games (videogames, game-based learning, urban and mobile games); technology-enhanced learning, affective learning; affective and social computing, affective design; human-computer interaction

GEIST, Michael, Associate Professor
Internet law issues; e-commerce policy; technology law issues

HORAVA, Tony, Cross-appointment
Collection management; Scholarly communications; E-books; Copyright issues

KERR, Ian, Full Professor
Moral philosophy and applied ethics; internet and ecommerce law; contract law and legal theory

PARÉ, Daniel, Associate Professor
Internet governance and regulation; political economy of ICTs; science & technology policy

SCASSA, Teresa, Full Professor
Intellectual property law; Privacy law; Law and technology

SCHELLINCK, Jennifer, Assistant Professor

TECTOR, Amy, Assistant Professor

VELLINO, André, Associate Professor
Information Extraction in Scientific Data ; Recommender Systems for Digital Libraries

WEIR, Leslie, Cross-appointment
Open Access

All applicants must be able to understand, speak and write proficiently in either English or French and have a passive knowledge (ability to understand the spoken and written word) of the other language. Proof of knowledge of the second language is required. Applicants whose first language is neither English nor French must provide proof of their abilities in both languages. The list of acceptable proofs is indicated in the "Admission" section of the general regulations of the FGPS.

On the recommendation of the Admissions Committee, applicants who have successfully completed information studies credits or electives at the master’s or doctoral level prior to admission may receive equivalencies or exemptions for courses in the Information Studies master’s program. Equivalencies may be granted for courses completed as a special student or as part of an incomplete or completed graduate program. To be eligible, the courses must have been completed with a minimum grade of 70% (B), no more than five years prior to admission. A maximum of 25% of the credits required for the program can be granted in equivalencies or exemptions.

Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Academic performance in previous studies as shown by official transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended.
• An example of a written text demonstrating writing ability (at least 800 to 1000 words) in English or French.
• Proof of second language abilities in either English or French.
• An up-to-date curriculum vitae providing evidence of relevant employment experience, leadership potential, and computer literacy.
• The names and contact information for two people prepared to provide recommendations. One of the referees must be capable of evaluating the writing sample; the other should confirm employment experience.

Co-op Option

To be admitted into the co-op option, students must commence the MIS program in the fall session and be registered full time. Applications for the co-op option must be received by the end of the first month of the student’s registration in the MIS program. Acceptance into the co-op option is offered on a competitive basis and is managed by the Co-op Office. Enquiries should be directed to that office.

• Compulsory Core Courses (9 credits)
ISI5103 MANAGEMENT FOUNDATIONS FOR THE INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL (3cr.)
ISI5105 SOCIAL CONTEXT OF INFORMATION (3cr.)
ISI5106 PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE IN THE INFORMATION PROFESSIONS (3cr.)

• Four compulsory specialization courses (12 credits)
Either four courses in the Management of Information Services specialization:
ISI5102 ORGANIZATION OF INFORMATION (3cr.)
ISI5104 HUMAN ASPECTS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS (3cr.)
ISI5120 CATALOGUES, CATALOGUING AND CLASSIFICATION (3cr.)
ISI5121 SUBJECT ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION (3cr.)

OR four courses in the Information Policy specialization:
ISI5160 ETHICS, VALUES AND INFORMATION DILEMMAS (3cr.)
ISI5161 INFORMATION AND THE LAW (3cr.)
ISI5162 GLOBAL INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS POLICY (3cr.)
ISI5163 POLITICAL ECONOMY OF INFORMATION (3cr.)

• Elective Courses
Electives are chosen in consultation with the student’s program advisor. Students in the master’s program may complete a maximum of 6 credits of directed readings or special topics courses to fulfill the electives requirement. In addition, relevant courses from other graduate programs at the University of Ottawa, or at another university, may be taken with the approval of the School of Information Studies Programs Committee and of the unit responsible for the course or courses in question. Students must make sure to have completed any prerequisites for the selected courses.

- Course-based Option (27 credits)
Students in the coursework option must complete 9 three credit electives courses, in areas related to their chosen specialization.

- Thesis Option (15 credits)
Students in the thesis option must complete 5 three credit electives courses, in areas related to their chosen specialization

- Co-op Program (15 credits)
Students in the co-op program complete 5 three credit elective courses, in areas related to their chosen specialization.

• Thesis Option (12 credits)
Students in the thesis option receive 12 credits for their thesis proposal and thesis.
ISI6998 PROPOSITION DE THÈSE DE MAÎITRISE / MASTER’S THESIS PROPOSAL
ISI6999 THÈSE DE MAÎTRISE / MASTER’S THESIS (12cr.)

Students must submit to their thesis committee, prior to completing their second session of registration in the program, a clearly defined research proposal that has been approved by their thesis supervisor. The proposal must be defended in the context of ISI 6998. Students unsuccessful on the first attempt are allowed a second attempt. A second unsuccessful attempt leads to withdrawal from the program.

The master's thesis should reveal that the candidate is able to work independently in a scholarly manner and is acquainted with the principal works published on the subject of the thesis. Insofar as possible, the thesis should be an original contribution.

Upon submission, the completed thesis is examined by a committee comprised of the thesis supervisor and at least two other professors who are members of the FGPS. For information regarding the thesis, consult section G of the general regulations of the FGPS and the guide "Preparing a Thesis or a Research Paper", which are both accessible through the FGPS website at www.grad.uottawa.ca

• Co-op Option
The requirements of the co-op option are as follows:

Co-op students must register full-time and complete two work terms: ICI6001 Co-op Work Term I and ISI6002 Co-op Work Term II.

Each work term is graded P/F (pass/fail), based on the employer's report and on the written report completed by the student. (The report must be 30 pages, including appendices.) The report is evaluated by the professor in charge of the graduate co-op option in MIS program.

Duration of the Program

Minimum Standards

Academic Unit Coordinates