Graduate Information Programs and Accreditation: Landscape Survey and Analysis

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Graduate Information Programs and Accreditation
Landscape Survey and Analysis

• ASIST Information Professions Accreditation
  Meeting
• September 9, 2008
• Washington, D.C.
• Samantha BeckerMLIS Candidate The Information
  SchoolMPA Candidate Evans School of Public
  AffairsUniversity of Washington

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Methodology

• 2008 Petersons Graduate and Professional
  Programs
• surveyed annually
• accredited by USDE or CHEA
• 6 volumes, 491 disciplinary fields
• Looked for programs with keywords
• information
• informatics
• human-computer interaction
• knowledge management

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Methodology

• Visited websites of about ½ of the programs
• Built database with
• institution name
• administrative unit
• degree(s) offered
• title of major or concentration area

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Example

• University of Oklahoma, Graduate College, College
  of Arts and Sciences, School of Library and
  Information Studies, Program in Library and
  Information Studies, Norman, OK 73019-0390.
  Offers knowledge management (MS) library and
  information studies (MLIS) school library media
  specialist (certificate) M Ed/MLIS MBA/MLIS.

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Key Findings

• Approximately 900 information-related masters
  degrees
• Offered in 468 colleges and universities
• 220 distinct majors or concentration areas
• Most frequent majors
• information systems (93)
• management information systems (93)
• information technology (57)
• bioinformatics (51)
• library and information science (43)

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Key Findings

• 1/3 of academic units on the computer?information
  science spectrum
• 1/3 bio- and health sciences, library science,
  public administration, communications,
  education
• 1/3 in academic units focused on business

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Academic Units

• Found programs spread across 500 academic units
• The highest administrative unit for 85 of
  programs was a school, college, or faculty
• 30 of colleges and universities have information
  programs in more than one unit

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Academic Units

• Larger institutions tend to have stand-alone
  departments concerned with information
• Graduate schools have mostly an administrative
  function
• Medium sized institutions tend to have
  information programs in 2nd level departments,
  mostly within colleges of arts science
• Smaller institutions often have graduate schools
  that encompass all masters level programs

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Major Disciplinary Areas
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Information Disciplines
Bates, M.J. (2007). "Defining the information
disciplines in encyclopedia development"
Information Research, 12(4) paper colis29.
Available at http//InformationR.net/ir/12-4/coli
s/colis29.html
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Computer ?Information Science Spectrum

• 350 programs in computer technology fields
• Engineering
• Computer science
• Information science

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Program Types

• 220 majors or concentration areas
• Top 17 account for 60 of programs
• Split professional degrees/master of science
• 12-24 month completion
• Internships or professional experience often
  required
• Capstone projects emphasized fewer w/thesis
  requirements

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Program Types

• 4 major categories
• information systems
• Informatics
• Information technology
• Information science

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Information Systems

• 205 colleges and universities
• 305 programs
• Majors/concentrations include
• information systems (93)
• management information systems (93)
• computer information systems (34)
• information systems management (12)

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Information Systems

• Program focus
• analysis, design, and implementation of
  information systems
• data management
• project management
• strategic management and use of information
  technology
• Differences mostly in level of technical
  preparation

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Informatics

• 106 programs
• Focused on the use of information within specific
  disciplines
• biology/genetics
• health/medical sciences
• chemistry
• media

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Informatics

• Bioinformatics/biomedical informatics
• 53 programs
• 15 in academic units with biology focus
• 11 in medical schools
• curricula includes
• advanced life sciences
• design and implementation of information systems
• statistical modeling and analysis
• many interested in managing and analyzing data
  from genetic research

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Informatics

• Health informatics
• 30 colleges and universities
• 2/3 in medical, nursing, or health sciences
  units
• 34 programs
• health informatics
• medical informatics
• nursing informatics
• emphasizing use of information for evaluation of
  patient outcomes

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Information Technology

• 95 colleges and universities
• 118 programs
• 45 in business schools
• Majors/concentrations include
• information technology (57)
• information technology management (22)
• 59 master of science degrees
• 35 MBA

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Information Technology

• Program focus
• managing technology projects
• databases
• e-commerce systems
• computer networks
• decision support
• also business topics
• accounting, organizational development

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Information Science

• 84 colleges/universities
• 98 programs
• Majors/concentrations include
• library and information science (43)
• computer and information science (26)
• information science (11)
• information studies (6)

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Information Science

• Library and information science
• ALA accredited
• those within iCaucus schools have less emphasis
  on traditional library subjects (cataloging,
  reference services, collection development)
• Computer and information science
• more emphasis on infrastructure
• architecture, networking, software engineering

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Information Science

• Information science/information studies
• more general or theoretical approach
• emphasize human-computer interaction, information
  organization, information behavior
• relatively small portion of information graduate
  school universe

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Other Program Areas

• Information security
• 30 programs
• some designated as National Center of Academic
  Excellence in Information Assurance by the NSA
• emphasize cryptography, digital forensics, risk
  analysis
• E-Business/E-Commerce
• 23 programs
• 18 MBA
• emphasize design and implementation of electronic
  commerce applications

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Accreditation Agencies

• Two types of accrediting agencies
• regional and national
• accredit entire institutions
• specialized agencies
• accredit particular programs

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Relevant Specialized Agencies

• American Library Association (ALA)
• Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of
  Business (AACSB)
• Association of Collegiate Business Schools and
  Programs (ACBSP)
• Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology
  (ABET)

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Recommendations

• Clarify the need for and purpose of a new
  accrediting agency
• Complement existing accrediting agencies
• Define the scope along the computer?information
  spectrum
• Focus on domain-specific programs, especially
  business programs