Overview
The Master of Science in Information Science (MSIS) degree at the UNC School of Information and Library Science (SILS) prepares students to become leaders in the design, implementation, evaluation, and administration of information systems. The program guides students toward expertise in analyzing, organizing, representing, and retrieving information, with an emphasis on developing information systems and processes to meet the information needs of the future.
Students in the MSIS program find exciting careers in a variety of settings: businesses and corporations including the health-care and financial industries, non-profit organizations, government agencies, academic institutions, as well as entrepreneurial enterprises. Within these settings, they may focus on systems analysis and design, database administration, information retrieval and data mining, knowledge management systems, web design, instructional technologies, social media, user interface design, user experience, and emerging technologies.
The information industry is one of the fastest-growing in the U.S. economy. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that by 2024 there will be over four million jobs available in the information industry – a growth of 488,500 jobs from 2014 levels. Students in the MSIS program are often recruited by businesses and institutions even before they graduate.
If you have questions regarding the MSIS program, please feel free to reach out to us at info@ils.unc.edu
Field Experience
MSIS students may gain professional experience in an information organization, while receiving class credit through the Field Experience Program. Students are mentored by a supervising professional in the organization, as well as by a SILS professor.
Cost
For information on tuition, fees, and other financial information, please refer to the Financial Information page.
Student retention and graduation rates
For information about student retention, average time to degree completion, and post-graduate success rates, please click visit our Student Achievement Data page.
The American Library Association (ALA) accredits both our Master of Science in Library Science (MSLS) and Master of Science in Information Science (MSIS). The MSLS program has maintained ALA accreditation since 1934, and the MSIS program has maintained accreditation since its inception in 2000. The most recent re-accreditation was in 2022.
- Online application and nonrefundable $95 application fee.
- Three letters of recommendation solicited by entering recommenders email addresses into online application.
- International applicants must send scores on the TOEFL.
- Unofficial copies of transcripts for each school attended.
- Resume including work experience, special abilities, and skills.
- Statement of purpose.
For more details, visit our Graduate Admissions Page.
Job titles of recent MSIS graduates:
- Software Development Engineer, EBSCO Information Services
- Computer Network Defense Deputy Team Chief, Army National Guard
- Data and Policy Analyst, Acumen LLC
- User Experience Designer, SAS
- Staff Software Engineer, IBM
- User Experience Resident Librarian, University of Chicago
- Analyst, Credit Suisse
- Executive Assistant to the President, Aerotropolis Institute China
- UX Designer, IBM
- Metadata Librarian, University of Tennessee
- Data Analyst II, Poudre School District
- Data Analyst, Lenovo
- Data Scientist, IBM
- Software Developer, IBM
- Full Stack Developer, Fidelity Investments
- Freelance UX and IT Consultant
- Software Engineer, Deutsche Bank Technology
- Software Development Engineer, Amazon
- UX Librarian, University of Houston
- Machine Learning Lead, Semantic Enrichment Team, EBSCO Information Services
- Systems Librarian, Savannah College of Art and Design
- Back-end Web Developer, NetApp
- Database Engineer II, S&P Global
MSIS Alumni Spotlights
Visit our alumni profiles page for stories from SILS graduates.
