This is a named option within the Master of Science Information.

The master's degree at the Information School (iSchool) prepares graduates to develop, provide, and assess information and data services that create, collect, organize, store, analyze, find, distribute, and use information and data in a diverse, technological, and global society. The program prepares information professionals to work in three broad, overlapping areas of the information professions.

User Experience Design: Graduates obtain employment in user experience design, interaction design, usability testing, systems analysis and project management, IT training, educational technology support, digital asset management and curation, and content management.

Data Analytics/Management: Graduates obtain employment specializing in management of data and information in a variety of organizations with expertise in in knowledge management, digital asset management, data and information governance, prospect research, systems analysis, records management and compliance, research data management and project management, and database development and management.

Full-time students generally complete the program in three academic semesters with summer work; part-time students complete it in three to four years. Students gain hands-on experience as part of their degree through the school's required internship. Students may choose internship settings based on their career goals.

Admissions

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.

Graduate Admissions Requirements

Requirements	Detail
Fall Deadline	March 1
Spring Deadline	The program does not admit in the spring.
Summer Deadline	This program does not admit in the summer.
GRE (Graduate Record Examinations)	Not required.
English Proficiency Test	Every applicant whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not exclusively in English, must provide an English proficiency test score earned within two years of the anticipated term of enrollment. Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Requirements for Admission policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1241.
Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT)	n/a
Letters of Recommendation Required	2

The MS Information admits students to its master's programs once a year for a start in the fall semester.  Fall admissions deadlines are as follows:

• Full consideration deadline for iSchool MS Information scholarships is February 15.
• Full consideration deadline for admission is March 1.
• Applications submitted after the fall deadline are considered on a space available basis.

The UW Madison Graduate School requires a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited US institution, or a comparable degree from an international institution. A minimum undergraduate grade-point average (GPA) of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) in the last 60 earned credit hours is required.

Funding

Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Information

Students enrolled in this program are not eligible to receive tuition remission from graduate assistantship appointments at this institution.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Named Option Requirements

Mode of Instruction

Mode of Instruction

Face to Face	Evening/Weekend	Online	Hybrid	Accelerated
Yes	No	No	No	No

Mode of Instruction Definitions 

Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.

Evening/Weekend: ​Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules.  Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.

Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.

Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats.  Contact the program for more specific information.

Online: These programs are offered 100% online.  Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.

Curricular Requirements

University General Education Requirements

Requirements	Detail
Minimum Credit Requirement	30 credits
Minimum Residence Credit Requirement	16 credits
Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement	15 credits must be graduate-level coursework. Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1244.
Overall Graduate GPA Requirement	3.00 GPA required. Refer to the Graduate School: Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1203.
Other Grade Requirements	Within the student's total program, one grade of BC or C is allowable in either a required or elective course if it is balanced by a grade of A or AB earned either prior to or concurrently with the unsatisfactory grade. Students receiving a BC or C move into probationary status. A second grade of BC or C or any grade of D or F will normally result in the student being dropped from the program. In addition, a student's graduate-program cumulative grade point average must be maintained at 3.00 or above.
Assessments and Examinations	No formal examination is required.
Language Requirements	None.

Required Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Required Core
L I S 615	Systems Analysis and Project Management for Information Professionals	3
L I S 751	Database Design for Information Professionals	3
L I S/​COM ARTS  705	Introductory Analytics for Decision Making	3
L I S/​CURRIC  620	Field Project in Library and Information Agencies	3
L I S 732	Strategic Information Services	3
Breadth Requirement in Ethics
All students must complete at least three credits in ethics from the list below.		3
L I S 461	Data and Algorithms: Ethics and Policy (recommended)
L I S 661	Information Ethics and Policy
Concentrations
At least 9 credits must be taken from among the following approved courses organized by concentration area. Students may mix and match approved courses from across the two different areas.		9+
Concentration Area: User Experience/Interaction Design 1
L I S/​COMP SCI  611	User Experience Design 1
L I S/​COMP SCI  612	User Experience Design 2
L I S/​COMP SCI  613	User Experience Design 3
L I S/​COMP SCI  614	User Experience Design Capstone
Concentration Area: Analytics and Data Management 1
L I S 706	Data Mining Planning and Management
L I S 707	Data Visualization and Communication for Decision Making
L I S 711	Data Management for Information Professionals
Electives
Up to 3 credits of electives may be taken from the below approved list.		0-3
COMP SCI 319	Data Science Programming I for Research
COMP SCI 570	Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction
L I S/​AFRICAN/​COM ARTS  444	Technology and Development in Africa and Beyond
L I S/​LEGAL ST  460	Surveillance, Privacy, and Police Powers
L I S 500	Code and Power
L I S 501	Introduction to Text Mining
L I S 875	Topics in Information Processing and Retrieval
L I S 999	Independent Reading and Research
L I S 510	Human Factors in Information Security
L I S/​NURSING  517	Digital Health: Information and Technologies Supporting Consumers and Patients
L I S/​LEGAL ST  645	Intellectual Freedom
L I S 646	Introduction to Info Architecture and Interaction Design for the Web
L I S/​LEGAL ST  663	Introduction to Cyberlaw
I SY E/​PSYCH  349	Introduction to Human Factors
I SY E 552	Human Factors Engineering Design and Evaluation
DS 341	Design Thinking for Transformation
Total Credits		30

¹

These pathways are internal to the program and represent different curricular paths a student can follow to earn this degree. Pathway names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.

Contingent on advisor approval, up to 3 credits of coursework from outside the MS Information approved course list can be taken from other UW-Madison departments while the student is matriculated in the MS Information program.

MA Library and Information Studies Transfers

The program would accept up to 10 credits (1 semester) from students who begin the MA program but then seek to change to the MS Information program.  Courses from outside the MS Information approved course list are subject to approval by the advisor and must not exceed the 9 elective credits allowed within the program.

Students in this program may not take courses outside the prescribed curriculum without faculty advisor and program director approval. Students in this program cannot enroll concurrently in other undergraduate or graduate degree programs.

Graduate School Policies

The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.

Named Option-Specific Policies

Prior Coursework

Graduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions

The program will not accept credits taken outside of UW-Madison to be used toward the degree.

Undergraduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions or UW-Madison

The program will allow up to 3 credits of approved MS Information or Computer Science coursework taken as an undergraduate to transfer toward the degree.  The coursework must be from the approved MS curriculum or approved by an Information School advisor.

Credits Earned as a Professional Student at UW-Madison (Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary careers)

Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.

Credits Earned as a University Special Student at UW–Madison

The program will accept up to 10 credits from the iSchool capstone certificate in Digital User Experience Design (UX) or Analytics for Decision Making, if those credits were earned within ten years of admission to the MS degree.  All credits must be part of the UX or Analytics certificates.

The program will allow a maximum of 3 L I S credits from the approved MS Information course list, to be completed as a non-matriculated University Special student before entry into the program. 

Probation

Registration is not a guarantee of enrollment under conditions of unsatisfactory progress. Students who fall into unsatisfactory progress will have an academic hold placed on their record; they should discuss clearing the hold with their adviser.

1. Good standing: progressing according to standards.
2. Probation: not progressing according to standards but permitted to enroll; potential loss of scholarships.
3. Unsatisfactory progress: not progressing according to standards; not permitted to enroll, dismissal, leave of absence.

A student may be placed on probation or suspended from the Graduate School for low grades or for failing to resolve incompletes in a timely fashion. In special cases the Graduate School permits students who do not meet these minimum standards to continue on probation upon recommendation and support of their advisor.   See iSchool Student Handbook.

Advisor / Committee

All continuing students are required to meet with the staff advisor prior to registering for each semester in order to remove registration holds and ensure timely progress towards degree completion.  Students may switch advisors at any time by completing a change of advisor form.

Credits Per Term Allowed

15 credits (however, 12 credits are highly encouraged)

Time Limits

The maximum period for completion of the MS (under special circumstances) is seven calendar years. Contact the department for more information.

Refer to the Graduate School: Time Limits policy.

Grievances and Appeals

These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:

• Bias or Hate Reporting  
• Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
• Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Policies and Procedures
  • Office of the Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs
• Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
• Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
• Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
• Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
• Office Student Assistance and Support (OSAS) (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
• Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
• Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
• Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)

Students should contact the department chair or program director with questions about grievances. They may also contact the L&S Academic Divisional Associate Deans, the L&S Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning Administration, or the L&S Director of Human Resources.

Other

n/a

Professional Development

Graduate School Resources

Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career. 

People

For a complete faculty/staff directory, see https://ischool.wisc.edu.