School of Information Science & Policy
Located in a major center of government, the School of Information Science & Policy offers five graduate programs enlivened by a strong faculty and supplemented by expertise from allied fields such as cognitive psychology, linguistics, economics, computer science, history, and public administration.
Today the School has strengths in information systems and library management, archives and records administration, information policy, the economics of information, indexing and classification, government information resource management, and information technology applications. Its mission is to contribute to the theoretical bases and practices of information science through teaching, research and scholarship, and participation in professional and public service. The School provides an educational program for professional careers in information resource management, librarianship, and other areas of information science; conducts research and scholarship; advises and assists organizations and agencies in designing information systems; contributes to the formulation of public information policy; and supports and assists the information profession in developing high standards of ethics and practice.
The opportunity to combine observation and professional practice is provided through a three-credit internship. Internship sites are many and varied, including academic, public, government, and corporate libraries, information centers, and archives in and beyond the Capital District.
Information Science, Ph.D. The interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Information Science program was established in 1990 in recognition of the growing importance of information in all aspects of contemporary life. Information Science draws upon and integrates theory and application from several diverse disciplines. At Albany, the doctoral program is a joint undertaking of six different schools and departments (Business, Communication, Computer Science, Geography and Planning, Information Science and Policy, and Public Administration and Policy). It prepares graduates for both academic and research careers in information science or related disciplines and in higher level management and policy positions in private and public sector organizations. This innovative program has already produced its first graduate and is at the forefront of information science education. Interdisciplinary advanced specializations are currently available in expert and knowledge based systems; geographic information systems; group decisions support modeling; information decision systems; and organization of knowledge records.
Information Science, C.A S. in Information Science and Policy, M.S. Students are prepared for employment in corporate or public sector organizations where information management, generation, or use is a dominant aspect of the operation. Students are also equipped with knowledge and skills required for entry into a doctoral program in information science. Areas of concentration are: general and special information systems; information policy; archives/ records administration; and information resources/systems management. The C.A.S. is designed for librarians or other information professionals and assists in upgrading skills, advancing knowledge, and preparing for changes in position or promotion. Students select concentrations appropriate to their needs, such as library/information systems management, information policy, organization of information; and archives and records management.