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Information Studies MA

In this rapidly changing world, effective information management and retrieval is becoming an increasingly sought after profession.

This MA in Information Studies is designed for graduates from any discipline who wish to make a career in library or information centres, and gives students the opportunity to gain valuable work experience during the final part of the course.

To see a video of our course leaders talking about what to expect during your studies here click the image below.

Flexible study

The course can be completed full-time in a calendar year, or taken on a part-time basis over two or three years. Modules run all day on Wednesdays and Fridays, making it easy to fit study around
part-time work.

The modules offered for students studying MA Information Studies are:

    Information Retrieval and Collection Development
    Introduces a wide range of printed and electronic sources, and covers the principles and practice of information retrieval which lie at the heart of information management and information science. This module also examines the policies and processes in developing and managing collections.

    Organising Knowledge
    Develops an understanding of the principles by which knowledge can be organised and the practical skills necessary to be able to classify and index a range of printed and electronic sources.

    Managing Information Services
    Aims to equip a new generation of information professionals with the management skills required to succeed in an increasingly competitive world, and to develop in students a strategic awareness of leadership, marketing and resource management concepts and techniques as they apply to information services.

    Information Architecture and design for the Web
    Provides students with understanding and skills in current technologies (e.g. Web 2.0) and the ways in which organisations can use them for information service provision, aggregation and dissemination.

    Information and Communication in the networked society
    Enables students to critically engage with the roles played by information and communication technologies in social contexts, and to reflect on the changing role of information professionals in keeping up-to-date with policy and practice issues such as copyright, data protection, and delivering services to users (e.g. social inclusion, information literacy).

    Research Methods
    Explores approaches to research in library and information management, and prepares students for the design and implementation of a research project in an information organisation. It introduces a range of skills not only in designing and executing students' own projects, but also in evaluating and critiquing research undertaken by others.

    The Placement Project
    Provides students with an opportunity to apply in a practical environment the techniques and knowledge gained during the course; the research undertaken during the placement forms the basis of a written dissertation (required for the Masters qualification).

Jackie Usher, County Information Librarian at West Sussex Library and Information
Service said of her placement student:

"Rachel’s placement was a very positive experience for everyone involved. We have been able to use her dissertation on electronic resources to great effect in West Sussex."

Further information
Information Matters

The 'Information Matters' blog