The SJSU School of Information offers accredited online programs such as MLIS, MARA, and post-master's certificates, designed to equip students with skills for various information management careers. The school emphasizes flexibility, quality, and cost-effectiveness, providing numerous opportunities for student engagement and professional development. Graduates are well-prepared for diverse roles including librarian, archivist, and information governance professional, with significant job market demand for degrees in this field.

1. School of Information
Information Session
Dr. Sandra Hirsh, Professor and Director
January 15, 2015

2. 2
Agenda
• About SJSU School of Information
• Program Overview
• Why SJSU?
• Online Learning
• Opportunities for Students
• Q & A

3. 3
About SJSU’s iSchool
• Accredited by the American Library
Association, NCATE, WASC
• Outstanding Online Program (Online
Learning Consortium, 2014)

4. 4

5. 5
48 States &
17 Countries
Students
Around
the World

6. 6
Campus Photo
Campus Photo

7. 7
Martin Luther King, Jr. Library

8. 8
ischool.sjsu.edu
ischool.sjsu.edu

9. 9
iSchool Programs
• MLIS (Master of Library and Information
Science; includes Teacher Librarian
program)
• MARA (Master of Archives and Records
Administration)
• Post-Master’s Certificate
• San José Gateway PhD Program
• Open Classes

10. 10
MLIS Degree: Program Snapshot
• 43 units
• 100% online
• 15 courses: 6 required; 9 electives
• Culminating experience: ePortfolio or Thesis
• Admissions criteria: Bachelor’s degree (3.0+
GPA)
• Fall 2015 application deadline: 4/1 (Fall and
Spring admissions)
• MLIS Program contact: Dr. Linda Main
• Total cost: $20,382
“Given the current
trends in the field,
I think this degree
will give me a
competitive edge
over recent grads
who completed a
more traditional
MLIS program.”
MLIS graduate

11. 11
Teacher Librarian: Program Snapshot
• 31 units
• 100% online courses
• 11 courses
• Capstone experience: School Library Fieldwork
• Admissions criteria: Bachelor’s degree (3.0+
GPA), Clear Professional Teaching Credential
• Fall 2015 application deadline: 4/1 (Fall and
Spring admissions)
• TL Program contact: Dr. Mary Ann Harlan
• Total cost: $14,694

12. 12
Exciting Pathways to Success
Career Pathways:
Which One Will You Choose?

13. 13
Customize Your Degree
Action Research
Award Winning YA Titles
Children and Information Technology
Consumer Health Librarianship
Data Librarianship
Digital Humanities
Ethnography with a focus on technology
Evaluating Programs and Services
Library Services for Distance Learners
Film & Media
Informatics
Information Visualization
Information Literacy Instruction
Legal Resources
Maps & GIS
Medical Librarianship
Music Informatics
Music Librarianship
Oral History
Photographic Preservation
Special Collections
Services for Older Adults
Patents
PHP/MySQL
Psychology of the Information User
Publishing for the Profession
Readers Advisory
Resources &Services for Patrons with
Disabilities
Science & Technology Resources
Storytelling
The Hyperlinked Library
Understanding Content Management
Systems
Virtual Services
Web 2.0
XML
Virtual Worlds
Web and Social Media Analytics
Web Search

14. 14
What Can You Do with an MLIS Degree?
Librarian Technology trainer
Records manager Web developer
Database designer Cataloger
Digital assets manager Researcher
Information architect Archivist
Teacher librarian Literacy specialist
Knowledge manager Information broker
Emerging services librarian Director of digital content
E-librarian Metadata librarian
Outreach librarian Virtual services librarian

15. 15
Forecasts for Jobs Requiring a MLIS Degree
• 73% explicitly stated MLS or MLIS as a
requirement
• 32% of listings are tech-centered jobs
• 25% of listings require teaching/instruction
• 33% of listings are management-level jobs
• 32% of listings require reference skills
• 21% of listings require statistics/analysis
skills
San José State University iSchool offers the
curriculum and training to prepare its
graduates to meet ALL of these
qualifications!
“It was an obvious
choice to hire
someone from SJSU
SLIS who has been
groomed for library
leadership in
rethinking
information and
library innovation.”
Dr. Leslie Garguilo,
Ashworth College

16. 16
MARA Degree: Program Snapshot
• 42 units
• 100% online
• 14 courses: 11 required; 3 electives
• Culminating experience (all students):
ePortfolio
• Admissions criteria: Bachelor’s degree
(3.0+ GPA)
• Fall 2015 application deadline: 4/1 (Fall
and Spring admissions)
• MARA Program Coordinator: Dr. Pat
Franks
• Total cost: $19,908

17. 17
What Can You Do with a MARA Degree?
• Addresses the demand for highly skilled
information governance professionals
• Who have the education and experience
to solve increasingly complex
management challenges faced by many
organizations
• As their recordkeeping systems become
less efficient as a result of new
technologies, tools, laws, and
regulations.
“I believe the
MARA program will
give me a
competitive edge
in the records and
information
management
field.”
MARA graduate

18. 18
MARA Graduates Are
Prepared for Careers in:
• Corporate Archives
• Digital Asset Management
• Electronic Records Management
• Information Governance
• Cybersecurity
• Content Management
• Data Curation
• Public Records Management

19. 19
Post-Master’s Certificate: Program Snapshot
• 16 units
• 100% online
• Admissions Requirement: Master’s
degree in any discipline
• Fall 2015 admission deadlines: Opens
2/1, Closes 4/1 (Available Fall and
Spring)
• PMC Program Coordinator: Dr. Linda
Main
• Total cost: $7,584

20. 20
7 PMC Career Pathways
• Digital Archives & Records Management
• Digital Curation
• Digital Services & Emerging
Technologies
• Information Intermediation & Instruction
• Leadership and Management
• Web Programming and Information
Architecture
• Youth Services
“The online format
is very user-
friendly and fits
nicely into the
schedule of the
already-working
adult. If a student
would like to
freshen up their
skills, or choose a
completely
different career
trajectory, the
Post-Masters
Certificate can
definitely meet
these needs.”
PMC Graduate

21. 21
San Jose Gateway PhD: Program Snapshot
• Program characteristics:
• Research focused
• Individually tailored program for each student
• International setting
• Exceptional faculty support from both SJSU and QUT
teams
• No course work required
• Mostly online (one 1-week residency in San Jose,
CA required every year)
• Admissions: Fall only
• Gateway Program Assistant Coordinator: Dr. Cheryl
Stenstrom
• Annual cost: AUS $15,200 (2015)
Offered in
partnership with
Queensland
University of
Technology

22. 22
Open Classes: Program Snapshot
• 100% online
• Elective courses available on space
available basis
• Admissions Requirement: Bachelor’s
degree or higher
• Available Fall, Spring and Summer
Sessions
• Program Coordinator: Dr. Linda Main
• Total cost: $474 per unit

23. 23
Why SJSU?
• Quality
- ALA accredited
- “Outstanding Online Program” Award 2014
- Program performance
- Introductory course for a strong start
- Internship program
• Flexibility
• Cost

24. 24
Why SJSU?
• Quality
• Flexibility
– Location
– Part-time or full-time
– Course selection
– Time of day (or night)
– Variety of online class formats
– Finish within 7 years
• Cost

25. 25
Why SJSU?
• Quality
• Flexible
• Cost
- Scholarships
- Research Assistant Opportunities

26. 26
Scholarships for New Students
• Director’s Scholarship for Excellence
• New MLIS students in Fall 2015 or Spring 2016
are eligible
• $1,000 to five students in Fall and five students
in Spring
• Minimum GPA 3.5
• Create a Pinterest board
• Conference Travel Support
• New MLIS or MARA students admitted in Fall
2015 are eligible
• Up to $200 to 25 students to cover conference
registration expenses or other conference-
related travel (first-come, first-served basis)

27. 27
Online Learning: Benefits
• Flexibility
• Technology literacy and fluency
• Improved student achievement
“Using these
communication
technologies in the
learning environment
was fun, and it was
also part of my
training as a real-
world information
professional.”
Kate Tasker
MLIS Graduate

28. 28
“… instruction conducted
wholly online was more
effective in improving
student achievement than
the purely face to face.”
U.S. Department of Education. (2009). Study finds that good
teaching can be enhanced with new technology.
Online Learning: Benefits

29. 29
Online Learning: Myths
• Online classes are easier
• Online classes require less time
• Students don’t learn as much

30. 30
Online Learning: Personal Requirements for
Success
• Self-discipline
• Time management
• Motivation
• Networking
• Career development
• Internships (On site/Virtual)
• Award-winning professional association
student chapters
• Free one-year professional association
memberships (ALA, SLA, ASIS&T, SAA)
• Joint student/alumni association
• Conference receptions

31. 31
What Does 100% Online Look Like?
• Everyone is online – students and faculty
• Coursework and instruction designed for
online learning
• Online access to faculty office hours,
academic advising, and student support
services
• Dedicated career liaison, library liaison,
technology support team, online student
advisor
• Rich online learning environment and
technology

32. 32
Communication is Both
Asynchronous & Synchronous
Asynchronous
Discussion Forums
Video Messaging
Email
Learning Management System (Canvas)
Lecture Capture (Panopto)
Synchronous
Web Conferencing (Collaborate, WebEx)
VoIP (Skype, Google+, etc)
Virtual Worlds (Second Life)
Blackboard IM

33. 33
How Do New Students Know What To Do?
• LIBR 203
• New Student Checklist

34. 34
What kinds
of
opportunities
are available
for Online
Students?

35. 35
Prepare For Your Future Career
• Career blog
• Career colloquia and webinars
• Web resources
• Career consultant
• Online newsletters
• Career center membership post
graduation
• ePortfolio as job portfolio
• Alumni career spotlights
• and more!

36. 36
Gain Practical Experience
• Internships (on site/virtual)
• Research assistantships
• Peer mentors

37. 37
Develop Your Professional Network
• Award-winning professional
association student chapters
• Professional association
memberships
• Joint student/alumni association
(iSchool Connext)

38. 38
Publish Student Research
• iSchool has its own Student Research
Journal
• Peer-reviewed publication
• Promotes graduate scholarship and
intellectual inquiry in the fields of library
and information science, archives and
records management, and museum
studies.

39. 39
Get Involved in iSchool Initiatives/Offerings
• Virtual Conferences: Library 2.015
• Language-courses: Spanish and
Mandarin
• Course format choices: Intensive
course options; Variable unit courses
• New elective choices: Meet the
changing needs of the information
profession
• Examples: Financial management, Information
privacy, Consumer health, Graphic novels, Open
source software, Global experiential learning in
Guatemala
“SJSU is the largest
library school in the
world and has a large
number of innovations.
I have been lucky to sit
on the international
advisory board for a
few years. Hire these
folks. They’re
amazing!”
Stephen Abram

40. 40
Questions?

41. 41
Thank you for attending!
THANK YOU!
Dr. Sandy Hirsh, Professor and Director
sandy.hirsh@sjsu.edu
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ischool.sjsu.edu