The program for the Endorsement of Specialization to the master's degree offers an opportunity for formal recognition that a student has created a program of study concentration within the basic 40 semester credit hours required of the Master of Science in Information Studies. The endorsement attests that the student has successfully completed 12 semester credit hours of planned, cohesive study. MSIS curriculum offers any number of options for students to craft a concentration or specialization once they have completed their required courses. Examples of areas of specialization.

Students interested in completing an Endorsement of Specialization must develop a program of study for the Endorsement of Specialization and have it approved by the School of Information Graduate Advisor. The program should be designed so that it includes no more than three semester hours of upper-division (junior- and senior-level) courses. Lower-division courses in such areas as foreign languages and computer languages may provide skills related to a specialization, but cannot be used to fulfill the 12-semester-hour requirement for the endorsement.

A three-semester-hour practicum relevant to the area of specialization may be included in the program of study.

A student may apply the same 12 semester hours (except for any hours earned for a practicum) toward the requirements of the sixth-year program for a Certificate of Advanced Study.

The Endorsement of Specialization takes the form of a recognition document issued upon completion by the School and is added to the student's School of Information file.

Download EOS application: (PDF | Word)