About UMSI
The University of Michigan School of Information is one of the first modern information schools, embedded in one of the world’s premier research universities. We create and share knowledge so that people will use information—with technology—to build a better world.
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What is UMSI?
Our Mission & Vision
We create and share knowledge so that people will use information—with technology—to build a better world.
The School of Information delivers innovative, elegant and ethical solutions connecting people, information, and technology. When there is a need for world-changing information discoveries, we will be there.
Our Principles
We share a willingness to take risks: risks in our teaching, in our research and in our service.
We are welcoming and diverse. We work together in community.
We have a lot of fun.
We are progressive and forward looking, and have been for 90 years.
We share a passion for the fundamental intertwining of people, information, and technology.
Our History
The School of Information was chartered by the Board of Regents in 1996, but the school has had several other incarnations since its origin as the Department of Library Science in 1926.
In 1928, the department was the third in the nation to receive accreditation by the American Library Association – an accreditation it has held continuously ever since. The department continued to evolve throughout the twentieth century, reinventing itself to meet the needs of each new generation. In 1969, the department of library science became the School of Library Science. In 1986, the name was changed again, to the School of Information and Library Science.
Toward the end of the 20th century, as the pace of change quickened in the information field, the name changed again. The School of Information was founded in 1996, taking on a new identity and mission: to prepare socially engaged information professionals, and to create people-centered knowledge, systems and institutions for the Information Age.
The school inherited the rich traditions of service, leadership, research, and universal access from the School of Information and Library Studies and extended these values into the digital age. Students and faculty with diverse backgrounds are forging a new body of theory, principles, and practices drawing on the information and computer sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
Our Location
The School of Information is located in the North Quad Residential and Academic Complex, a model at the university for living-learning environments.
What do UMSI students and graduates do?
UMSI graduates create, store, retrieve, interpret, share, and apply information to build a better world.
Because information is all-pervasive, UMSI’s programs are broadly interdisciplinary. The faculty come from many fields, from computer science to law to social networking to public health. The graduate student body is likewise diverse, representing well over 100 majors.
Graduates from the School of Information work in many fields: health care, education, libraries, finance, government, the automotive industry, communication, entertainment—pretty much any field you can imagine. They're prepared to:
Connect people with the right information at the right time.
Use information to help people achieve their potential and improve their well-being.
Design solutions to information challenges.
Harness the power and the capacity of information to affect positive change.
What does it mean to study "information?"
We answer pressing questions about how technology affects social, cultural, political, and commercial life.
Breakthroughs bring questions: How will robots programmed with artificial intelligence change the workplace? How do we develop autonomous vehicles that instill trust in both passengers and pedestrians? How can data mined from personal fitness devices improve personal health? Do social networks strengthen or weaken family and community ties? We want to know that and so much more.
In every case we ask: What do people need to improve their lives? How can information help? And how can we design technology to make it happen?
Degree Programs
UMSI offers five degree programs, three of which have client-based courses or programs.
Master of Science in Information
The MSI is a professional degree which prepares students for emerging careers that meet the rapidly growing information-management needs of an increasingly interconnected world. As businesses and society grapple with the challenges and opportunities of the digital age, information professionals play a crucial role in analyzing, systematizing, and evaluating the massive resources generated by the digital revolution. At Michigan, we train students to be leaders and agents of change in a field that is evolving at unprecedented speed.
Master of Science in Health Informatics
The graduate program in Health Informatics is offered by UMSI in partnership with the School of Public Health, the Learning Health System, the University of Michigan Medical School and other allied U-M divisions.
Through core courses, elective courses and an internship, MHI students build knowledge of the healthcare system and master concepts in health policy, information science and behavioral, cognitive and organizational science. They develop methodological skills in analytics, systems analysis, planning and implementation along with the skills required to create health information systems and resources that are truly useful to those who use them.
MSI & MHI Client-Based Course & Program Areas
Community Engagement, Content Management Systems, Digital Curation, Health Information Systems, Libraries and Archives, Process Analysis, Online Communities, User Experience (UX), Alternative Spring Break, Citizen Interaction Design, Design Clinic
Master of Applied Data Science (MADS)
The Master of Applied Data Science welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds. We offer an agile curriculum that suits a wide range of applicants, including those who are returning to school full-time to pursue advanced study in data science and those who will complete their degrees while working part- or full-time.
Bachelor of Science in Information
The BSI is an upper-level undergraduate degree, completed during junior and senior years at U-M. The richly interdisciplinary program encompasses both the social and technical aspects of the digital revolution, examining major issues at the intersection of people, information, and technology. As the first iSchool in the world to offer this integrated degree, UMSI gives students the opportunity to gain breadth and depth through rigorous coursework, frequent interaction with faculty, high-level practical experiences, and research engagement.
BSI Client-Based Course & Program Areas
Data/Information Analysis, User Experience (UX), Alternative Spring Break, Citizen Interaction Design, Design Clinic