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Home > MSI Degree > Degree Requirements
MSI Degree RequirementsMSI Requirements in Brief- 2 core courses (SI 500 and SI 501)
- 3rd core technology course (SI 502; may be waived based on test)
- 1 management course (list below)
- 1 research methods course (list below)
- 3 cognate credits taken elsewhere at U-M
- 8 Practical Engagement credits (6 for students who entered before Fall 2008) earned through for-credit internships or class-based experiential learning
- any specialization requirements
- additional credits to total 48
MSI Degree Requirements: Details
Two Core Courses
A prime strength of our MSI curriculum is a required set of core, or "Foundations," courses and competencies.
As an MSI student you must complete two core courses, which will give you a deep understanding of the theories and concepts important for all information professionals and hands-on practice in evaluating and meeting information needs in a project setting.
Technology Core CourseA third core course provides grounding in the network and computing technology central to the information professions. This requirement may be waived based on results of a competency test.
Distribution Requirements: Management and Methods
You must also demonstrate competency in understanding and deploying research methods and in managing information services and organizations. You will choose from a list of courses to meet these requirements. Either may be waived based on previous coursework for which you earned a B or better, a competency test, or documentation of significant, high level work experience in these areas.
You may also count these courses towards specialization requirements.
The new requirements afford greater flexibility by enabling you to have certain requirements waived to select other courses of interest to complete your 48-credit degree.
Overall, you will be able to adapt the MSI to your skills and background, and you will be able to move into your specialization courses more quickly.
You may petition to have coursework taken outside of SI and/or before SI enrollment meet either distribution requirement.
Management Distribution Requirement
The goal of this distribution requirement is to train students for the distinctly managerial aspects of their future roles, such as planning, leading, organizing, and controlling.
Here are the courses currently approved for this requirement:
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SI 530: Principles in Management (3 credits)
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SI 626: Management of Specialized Information Services (3 credits)
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SI 627: Managing the Information Technology Organization (3 credits)
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SI 638: School Library Media Management (3 credits)
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SI 663: Entrepreneurship in the Information Industry (3 credits)
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SI 680: Incentive-Centered Design: Contracting and Signaling (1.5 credits)
If you seek a waiver of the Management Distribution Requirement based on previous work, please send your request to Assistant Professor Ixchel Faniel at ifaniel@umich.edu. If you seek a waiver based on previous coursework, either graudate or undergraduate, you must have received a grade of B or higher. Please send a description of the course and a transcript indicating this coursework with your waiver request.
Research Methods Distribution RequirementThe goal of this distribution requirement is to train students how best to carry out activities of collecting and analyzing information to produce or validate new knowledge, such as training in field research, program evaluation, computer simulation, or statistical or economic analysis.
Here are the courses currently approved for this requirement:
- SI 544: Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis
- SI 562/SI 563: Microeconomics/ Game Theory sequence (take both)
- SI 601/SI 618: Data Manipulation/ Exploratory Data Analysis sequence (take both)
- SI 622: Evaluation of Systems and Services
- SI 623: Outcome-based Evaluation of Programs and Services
- SI 724: Qualitative Methods
- SI 840: Research Methods
- SI 860: Research Methods Course in Experimental Methods
If you seek a waiver of the Research Methods Distribution Requirement based on previous work, please send your request to Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Judy S. Olson at jsolson@umich.edu. If you seek a waiver based on previous coursework, either graudate or undergraduate, you must have received a grade of B or higher. Please send a description of the course and a transcript indicating this coursework with your waiver request.
Cognate Courses and Practical Engagement CreditsTo round out your 48-credit-hour program, you must also earn at least three credits in external cognate courses and six Practical Engagement credits. - External cognate courses: 3 credits
You must earn at least three credits from a course or courses taken in another U-M department or school. (Note that no more than six credits from outside the School can be counted toward your MSI program.) - Practical Engagement: 6 credits
Six of your 48 MSI credits must also meet the requirements of the Practical Engagement Program (PEP). You earn PEP credits through credit-based internships (counted as elective credits) or through experiential learning within select SI courses (which may also count toward specialization requirements).
Visit the PEP page to learn more more about the Practical Engagement Program and see a list of SI courses that include PEP credits.
If you are pursuing a particular MSI specialization, you will have additional requirements within this 48-credit framework. Use the links at left to learn more.
Program requirements on this page apply to the 2007-08 academic year.
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"SI provides more depth in information technology, information content, and the human uses of information."
Paul Resnick
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