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School of Informatics

MSc in Information Science
Course structure

The course is available full time (12 months) and part time (up to 28 months; daytime study).

Students successfully completing eight modules and the dissertation will be awarded 180 credits and a masters level qualification. Alternatively, students who do not complete the dissertation but have successfully completed eight modules will be awarded 120 credits and a postgraduate diploma. Successful completion of four modules (60 credits) will lead to the award of a postgraduate certificate.

Each module is assessed separately. This is usually by coursework assignment, but other forms of assessment, including written examinations and online quizzes, are used in some modules.

Face-to-face study is supported by e-learning provision, which allows students to access course materials, and to interact with staff and fellow students, online. This is valuable on those occasions when students are not able to attend the university. This is not a distance learning course, and face-to-face contacts are important. Students benefit particularly from our London location, which allows us to attract a range of visiting lecturers, including leaders in the discipline and profession. It also gives access to major libraries, information centres, archives and cultural institutions. The concentration of face-to-face classes into one (part-time) or two (full-time) days a week, with the e-learning support, means that students are able to follow this course while living and working away from London, and indeed outside the UK. It is, however, essential that students are able to commit to appropriate face-to-face attendance, and to devoting sufficient time to their studies.


FULL-TIME study timetable: 2009-10 (PROVISIONAL) PART-TIME study timetable: 2009-10 (PROVISIONAL)
Semester 1 YEAR 1, Semester 1
Digital Information Technologies and Architecture Monday morning Digital Information Technologies and Architecture Monday morning
Library and Information Science Foundation Monday afternoon Library and Information Science Foundation Monday afternoon
Information Management and Policy Friday morning YEAR 1, Semester 2
Research methods and professional issues Friday afternoon Information Retrieval Monday morning
Semester 2 Information Resources & Organisation Monday afternoon
Information Retrieval Monday morning YEAR 2, Semester 1
Information Resources & Organisation Monday afternoon Information Management and Policy Friday morning
Information Domains Friday afternoon Research methods and professional issues Friday afternoon
Options See options below YEAR 2, Semester 2
Information Retrieval Friday
Information Domains Friday afternoon
Option See options below


Option Modules
Open Source Systems Wednesday morning
Geographic Information Technologies and Applications Thursday afternoon
Health Policy and Information Management Friday afternoon
Web Applications Development Friday afternoon
Information Law and Policy Thursday morning
Libraries and Publishing in an Information Society Friday
Independent Study (on approved topic) in own time

Note: The University reserves the right to make changes to syllabuses, programme options, timetabling and modules as necessary.