Postgraduate Courses

Library and Information Science

Academic excellence for business and the professions

ContentsWelcome 1LibraryandInformationScience 2LibraryandInformationScienceatCityUniversityLondon 4StudyingintheheartofLondon 6ResearchinLibraryandInformationScience 7LibraryandInformationSciencecourses 8Coursemodules 10Whatnext? 12Keyfaculty 13Howtoapply 14Fundingyourpostgraduatestudy 15Accommodation/Internationalstudents 16Mapandcontacts 17

Welcome

Nothing of our familiar world would function without the conscious management of the processes which make up the chain of information communication; the transfer of information from a creator to a user. Without organisation, we are lost.

The information profession sits at the heart of all cultural, commercial, educational and industrial activities today. It is not only a growth area in itself, but one that is essential for economic growth and development worldwide. The information profession demands a constant supply of highly skilled specialists, able to think creatively and intellectually, and who are flexible enough to continually adapt to our shifting technological and economic horizons.

Here at City University London, we are extremely proud of our longstanding contribution to library and information science as a discipline and as a profession. Our graduates have an enviable reputation worldwide and we welcome those of you who wish to join us on one of our Masters courses which will equip you with the knowledge, skills and understanding to embark on a career in a sector which spans human development from the earliest records to the latest scientific discovery.

1

Library and Information Science

Thestoryofdocumentsisinextricablylinkedwiththatofwriting;perhapsmoresurprising,isthatforaslongaspeoplehavescratchedoutdocumentaryrecords,theyhaveattemptedtoorganisethem.Frombasiccategorisations,tocontentslistings,shelflistings,titlesummariesandreferencelists,theinhabitantsoftheancientworldunderstoodtheneednotjusttorecord,butalsotoorganise.Thevalueoforganisingandstoringdocuments,sothatthoseofrelevancecouldbereadilyretrieved,wasrealisedover5,000yearsagowhenhumanityfirstbegantowrite.Inancienttimes,theartofreadingandwritingwaslimitedtothosewithpowerandintellect.Intoday’smoreegalitarianinformationsociety,informationorganisationandretrievalisfundamentaltomostofourworld.Indevelopedsociety,itisimpossibletoimagineevenasingledaywithouttheneedforsearchandretrieve.

Documentsareourcontainersforthepersistentword.Often,werefertothecontentsofdocumentsasinformation,sometimesweusethetermknowledge.Whilstthesetermscanbeusedinterchangeably,thedebateaboutwhatisinformationandwhatisknowledgeislongstanding,andalthoughmanydefinitionsexist,noneareregardedasdefinitive.

LibraryandInformationScienceisconcernedwiththeorganisationofdocuments;thestorage,indexingandretrievalofinformation.Infact,libraryandinformationscienceembracesallaspectsofinformationcommunication.Itconsidersthemanagementandhandlingoftheentiredocumentspectrumfromtheearliestclaytabletstothelateste-book,video,datafileorrecord.Whilstitisusualtoconsiderelectronicandmultimediatextsincontemporarycollections,libraryandinformationsciencepushesfurtherattheboundariesofdocumentdefinitiontoencompassthemulti-formatdigitalworld,andtheconvergenceoflibrarieswithgalleries,archivesandmuseums.E-science,open-dataandthedigitalhumanitiesoffernewfrontiersforinformationspecialists,bringingtheopportunitytoworkwiththemostcontemporaryformsofinformationresources.

Documents provide the record that underpins our entire human civilisation. Without documents, our external memory, civilisation as we understand it, would not exist. Every day would begin anew, with no more detailed reference to the past than that afforded by the recollections of those present at any given time. History would repeat itself irrespective of the possibility to avoid past mistakes, and the wheel would always have to be reinvented. Who we are, what each of us achieves, discovers or owns, would all be lost to time, and no one would be able to build on what was discovered before, or to paraphrase Newton, to “see further by standing on the shoulders of giants”.

Informationmanagement,fromitscreation,throughdissemination,governance,indexingandretrievaltofinaluse,iscentraltoourglobalsocietytoday.Itisaspersonalasitisprofessional.Allofusowndiaries,financialrecords,letters,essays,reports,music,photographsandvideosasdigitalfiles-formsofdocumentswhichweinstinctivelystoreandorganise.

Intheprivateandpublicsectors,informationmanagementiscentraltobusinessesworldwide:fromorganisationandindexingofinternalcollectionsthroughmetadata,specialistvocabularies,andinformationarchitecture,toinformationpolicy,riskmanagement,marketinganddesign.

Inthemedia,informationissuessuchasprivacy,dataprotection,freedomofinformation,surveillance,electronichealthrecords,hacking,identitytheft,copyright,piracyandsocialmediaallinciteinterestandemotions.

TheancientdisciplineandpracticeofLibraryandInformationSciencesitsattheheartofthe21stcentury,wheninformationtouchesusall,injustabouteverythingwedo.

Library and Information Science is concerned with the organisation of documents; the storage, indexing and retrieval of information.

Left Literature saving the past from destruction by Time. Louis de Guernier @ 1700. © Wellcome Images, London

Above Clay tablet 3300BC–3100BC — Cuneiform script. © Trustees of the British Museum

Below Amazon Kindle

2 3

Library and Information Science at City University London

Provenance

LibraryandInformationSciencehasalonghistoryatCityUniversityLondon.Thefirstcoursesininformationsciencewereinstigatedin1961byJasonFarradane,whoiscreditedwithfirstusingthephrase‘informationscience’.TodaytheCentreforInformationScience(partoftheSchoolofInformatics)comprisesavibrantresearchcommunity,andoffersbothMastersandPhDcourseswithinthediscipline.Ourinternationallyrenownedstaffarecommittedtoexcellenceinresearchandstudent-centredteaching,andworkcloselywithpractitionerstoensureourgraduatesarepreparedfortheworldofworkbythoseleadinginformationpracticetoday.

Employment

Thecloselinkbetweentherigorousacademicbackgroundprovidedbyourfaculty,combinedwiththeinputofbestpracticefromleadingprofessionalsbasedinandaroundLondon,ensuresthatourgraduatesarehighlysoughtafterbyemployersbothwithintheUKandabroad.Figuresfrom2010showthatover80%ofourgraduateswereinemploymentwithinsixmonthsofcompletingtheirstudy.*

*HESAstatistics,2010,forSchoolofInformaticspostgraduatestudents.

International

CityUniversityLondongraduatesinLibraryandInformationScienceareemployedallovertheworld.Ouroutstandingreputationforacademicexcellence,coupledwithourcentralLondonlocationattractsmanyinternationalcourseparticipants.During2011–12,50%ofstudentsonourLibraryandInformationSciencecourseswerefromoutsidetheUK.

Uniqueness

WecontinuallystrivetounderstandanddefineLibraryandInformationScienceinacontemporarycontext.Wehaveauniquefocusonthehistoryandphilosophyofinformation,andwearealsowellknownforouremphasisontheunderstandingandapplicationoftechnologyandthedigitalenvironmenttoinformationhandling.Researchisattheheartofourcoursecontentandresearchskillsareaprominentfeatureonourcurriculum.

Wepromotesynergyamongstthemanagementofdiverseinformationcollections,including:printedmaterials,electronicdocumentsandrecords,museumcollections,galleryartefactsandarchivalitems.

Ourcontentembracestheliberalarts,andtakesadeliberatelybroadapproachinordertomeetthedemandsofemployersforprofessionalswithflexibleskillsandanabilitytothinkcriticallyinarangeofcareers.Webelievelife-longlearningisessential.

Research

ResearchinLibraryandInformationScienceatCityUniversityLondonhasbeenratedexcellentinalltheHigherEducationFundingCouncil’sresearchassessmentexercises.Allofourstaffmembersareresearchactivewithextensivepublicationrecords.OurCentreattractsaninternationalcohortofthoseundertakingresearchfortheirPhD.

Student-focused education

Weunderstandthatundertakingapostgraduatecoursedemandsahighlevelofcommitmentinbothtimeandmoney.Westrivetoensurethateachofourstudentsreceivestheeducationthattheydeserve,andthattheinvestmenttheymakeisrewardednotjustinacademicexcellenceandemployment,butalsointhepersonalandprofessionallinksformedduringthetimespentoncampus.

Weengageinacontinuousprofessionaldialoguewithourstudents,usingweeklyfeedbacktorapidlyidentifyandresolveanyissues.Wevaluethethoughtsandopinionsofourstudents,andencourageconstructivesuggestionsforimprovingourcontentanddelivery.

Resources

Oursubjectlibrarianisanintegralmemberofourcourseteam,andweareabletoconstantlyupdateourcollectionsandlibraryservicestomeetthedemandsofourstudentcohort.OurexcellentrelationshipwiththeUniversitylibraryenhancestheexperienceofourstudentsinaccesstoresourcesandstateoftheartservices.

OurcentralLondonlocationprovidesreadyaccesstosomeoftheworld’smosthighlyprizedcollectionsandleadinginformationpractices.Ourcoursesattractspeakersofthehighestcalibreandourstudentsenjoyunrivalledsupportastheyprogresstowardsbecomingtheinformationleadersoftomorrow.

Professional accreditation

AllofourcoursesareaccreditedbytheCharteredInstituteofLibraryandInformationProfessionals(CILIP).CILIPaccreditedcoursesarerecognisedbytheAmericanLibraryAssociation(ALA),andTheAustralianLibraryandInformationAssociation,whichmeansthatourgraduatesarequalifiedtoapplyforpostsrequiringprofessionallevelqualificationsinthesecountries.

Forfurtherinformation,pleasevisitwww.cilip.org.uk/jobs-careers/qualifications/pages/overseas.aspx

Our internationally renowned staff are committed to excellence in research and student-centred teaching, and work closely with practitioners to ensure our graduates are prepared for the world of work by those leading information practice today.

Above College Building,City University London, St John Street, London

4 5

Studying in the heart of London

Research in Library and Information Science

Research undertaken by the Centre for Information Science supports and informs our Masters courses, and our PhD programme. All our staff are research-active, with extensive publications listings; their interests include history and philosophy of information, information resources, information behaviour, organisation and retrieval.

Researchanddevelopmentofteninformspractice,buttheprocessisusuallycyclical,withideasforresearchstemmingfrompracticetoo.Manypractitionercolleaguesarealsoresearch-active,andcollaborationwiththemformsavaluablelinkbetweenintellectualprogresswithinthediscipline,andexcellenceinpractice.

ManyofourMastersstudentsareinterestedinaspectsofserviceevaluation,development,andpromotionofinformationliteracyfortheirdissertations,andthisprovidesadirectlinkbetweentheacademicfocusofourMasterscoursesandprofessionalpractice.

WehavealivelyPhDcommunity,comprisingbothfull-timeandpart-timestudentswhomwevaluefortheirenthusiasm,originalityandcommitmenttoourdiscipline.Ourresearchstudentshavetheopportunitytodeveloptheirteachingandcommunicationskillsbyparticipatinginthedeliveryofourtaughtmodules,andtheirinputtoourcoursesaddscurrency,depthandrelevance.

Currentareasofdoctoralresearchinclude:slowinformation,informationgovernanceandrisk,informationbehaviourofdistancelearners,knowledgeorganisationandmusicology,communicationofpharmaceuticalinformationandtheclassificationoftheoreticalentitiesinthegeneontology.

Pleasegetintouchifyouwouldliketoworkwithus.

www.city.ac.uk/informatics/school-organisation/department-of-information-science/research/phd-research-studies

London is unsurpassed as a financial, legal, scientific, technical, medical and media nexus, where access to the right information at the right time underlies its very existence. This invigorating environment attracts many top information professionals, keen to develop and enhance practice to encompass new forms of document and to address the challenges thrown up by the unrelenting march of technology, as well as fluctuations in social, political and economic trends.

1. Clock at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich 2. Decorative columns and pillars, Victoria and

Albert Museum3. Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament4. London streets5. National Gallery, Trafalgar Square.

TheseatoftheUKparliament,Britain’srichhistorical,multiculturalheritageisreflectedinLondon,withitsoutstandingcollectionsofdocumentsandartefactsassembledacrosstime.InstitutionssuchastheNationalArchives,theBritishLibrary,BritishMuseum,theVictoriaandAlbertMuseumandtheNationalGalleryaremerelyasampleoftheworld’sforemostinstitutionssitedinthecapital,allleadingthewayinthefieldofinformationmanagement.

TheproximitytoawealthofcollectionsandpractitionersiscertainlyofbenefittothosewishingtostudyLibraryandInformationScienceinLondon,throughvisits,expertspeakers,externallecturesandopportunitiestogainexperiencefromshort-termvolunteerpostsifdesired.

Withitstraditionofhighereducationandfacilitiesforstudents,forbothstudyandleisure,Londonhasanenviableinternationalreputation.ThecityattractsthebrightestandthebestfromboththeUKnationallyandfromtheinternationalstudentpopulation.

1

2

3

4

5

David HaynesDate Protection and Social Networking Servoces

Research Student

David Haynes is an experienced information manager currently enrolled as a part-time research student at City University London. He is researching ways in which access to personal data on social networks is regulated. His research is investigating different models of regulation to assess whether the current European legislation is effective for regulating this aspect of social network services. It is compared to other modes of regulation (such as Lessig’s Code, Norms and Markets) using risk as a basis for comparison. One strand of his research analyses employers’ policies on use of social networking services in the workplace.

Andrew RobsonModelling information behaviour in the context of evidence-based clinical practice

Visiting Lecturer and Research Student

This research examines the practical value of conceptual models of information behaviour. From analysis of existing models a new more comprehensive model of information seeking and communication has been developed. The validity of the new model is now being tested through empirical research in the health care environment. It is hoped that the findings will not only endorse the value of conceptual models but also provide insights into ways of improving information management in evidence-based clinical practice.

6 7

Library and Information Science courses

Choosing a course

Manystudentswonderwhichcoursetheyshouldchoose.Whilstitisimpossibletoofferafool-proofformula,thechoicebetweenLibraryScienceandInformationScienceisreallyoneofwhetheryouaremoreinclinedtowardsgenerallibrary/informationservices,ortowardssubjectspecificinformationskills.Thetwoarenotmutuallyexclusive,andaglanceatcurrentjobdescriptionswillshowthatthebodyofknowledgeforlibraryprofessionalsandinformationspecialistshasacommonbasis.

Forthosewithabackgroundin,andideallyworkexperiencewithintheculturalsector,(e.g.artlibraries,galleries,museumsandarchives)ourInformationManagementintheCulturalSectorcoursemaybesuitable.ThiscoursesuitsthosewishingtoundertakeLibraryandInformationScienceroleswithinavarietyofculturalinstitutions,suchasartandmusiclibraries,aswellasgalleries,archivesandmuseums.

ForfurtherinformationaboutourMasterscourses,pleasevisitwww.city.ac.uk/lis

ToapplyforoneofourMasterscoursesclickon“HowtoApply”fromanyofourcoursewebpages.

Duration & assessment

• Full-time: 12 months• Part-time: up to 28 months (daytime)

Allcoursesareassessedbyamixtureofcourseworkandexamination,plusaprojectdissertation.StudentssuccessfullycompletingeightmodulesandthedissertationwillbeawardedaMasterofScience(MSc)oraMasterofArts(MA)degree.*AllmodulesaresupportedbytheUniversity’sonlinelearningenvironment.E-learningsupportallowssomeflexibilityinstudy.

Thecoursesarebuiltaroundasharedstructureandhaveseveralmodulesincommon.Studentsareusuallyabletotransferbetweenthesecoursesduringtheirfirstterm.

*Awarddependentonspecificcoursetaken.

Entry requirements

TheminimumentryrequirementisagoodsecondclassHonoursdegreefromaUKuniversity,arecognisedequivalentfromanaccreditedinternationalinstitutionoranequivalentprofessionalqualification.Previousrelevantprofessionalexperiencewillalsobeconsidered.ApplicantsshouldalsohavegoodprofessionalEnglish.ForthosestudentswhosefirstlanguageisnotEnglish,oneofthefollowingqualificationsisalsorequired:

• IELTS: 6.5 (with a minimum of 7.0 in writing for MSc Information Science only)

• TOEFL (internet-based): 100.

Please note:StudentsapplyingforMSc/MAInformationManagementintheCulturalSectorshouldalsobeabletodemonstratecommitmenttoacareerintheculturalsectorthroughpreviousworkorvolunteerpositions.

MSc Information Science

InformationScienceisconcernedwithallaspectsofinformationmanagementwithinaspecificsubjectarea,suchaslaw,business,musicorhealthcare,perhapsinvolvinganinformationtechnologysolutionfordatahandling.

Students each take seven core modules, plus one elective module:

Core modules•Libraryandinformationsciencefoundation•Informationmanagementandpolicy•Informationresourcesandorganisation•Informationretrieval•Informationdomains•Digitalinformationtechnologyandarchitecture•Researchevaluationandcommunicationskills.

Elective modules (Electivemodulesrunaccordingtocircumstances,andtimetableclashesmaysometimesoccur)•Librariesandpublishinginthe

informationsociety•Webapplicationsdevelopment•Datavisualisation•Opensourcesystems•Informationlawandpolicy•Independentstudy.

We offer three inter-related Masters courses, which aim to develop the broad information management skills that are highly sought after by the profession today. Our well-known, academic courses share a focus on information: its origins, organisation, flows and use; its changing nature and its impact on society. Each of our three courses consists of eight taught modules of 15 credits each, plus a dissertation worth 60 credits.

MSc/MA Library Science

LibrarySciencefocusesonthemanagementofaspecificcollectionofinformation,foranintendedaudience.Thecollectionmaybeprint-basedand/orvirtual.

Students each take seven core modules, plus one elective module:

Core modules•Libraryandinformationsciencefoundation•Informationmanagementandpolicy•Informationresourcesandorganisation•Digitallibraries•Librariesandpublishinginthe

informationsociety•Digitalinformationtechnologyandarchitecture•Researchevaluationandcommunicationskills.

Elective modules (Electivemodulesrunaccordingtocircumstances,andtimetableclashesmaysometimesoccur)•Informationdomains•Webapplicationsdevelopment•Informationlawandpolicy•Independentstudy•Digitalcultures*•Audiencesandmarketing*•Educationandtrainingintheculturalsector*•Programminganditsmanagement*•Evaluation,politicsandadvocacy.*

*TheseoptionsarerunbytheCentreforCulturalPolicyandManagementandsubjecttotheirtimetablingandadministration;thesemodulesmayoccasionallybefull.

MSc/MA Information Management in the Cultural Sector

OurInformationManagementintheCulturalSectorcoursecombinesinformationmanagementwithculturalpolicymodules,relatinginformationskillstolibraryandinformationworkinthisspecificsector.(ThiscourseisrunjointlywiththeCentreforCulturalPolicyandManagementwithintheSchoolofArts).

In Information Management in the Cultural Sector, students study four modules from the School of Informatics and four from the Centre for Cultural Policy and Management. Seven of these are compulsory and one is elective.

Core modules•Libraryandinformationsciencefoundation•Informationresourcesandorganisation•Digitallibraries•Digitalinformationtechnologiesandarchitecture•Culture,policyandmanagement–frames

ofreference*•Culturalportfolio:criticalimmersionand

professionaldevelopment*•Digitalcultures.*

*ThesemodulesarerunbytheCentreforCulturalPolicyandManagement.

Please notethatanyoneofthecoremodulesfromtheSchoolofInformaticsmaybeswappedforIndependentStudyifanappropriatecaseismade.

Elective modules (Electivemodulesrunaccordingtocircumstances,andtimetablingmaybesubjecttochange)•Audiencesandmarketing•Communication,fundraisingandadvocacy•Comparativeinternationalmodelsof

culturalpolicy•Culturalplanning•Currentsofcriticism•Educationandlearningintheculturalsector•Financialplanningandentrepreneurialism•Evaluation,politicsandadvocacy•Managingorganisations•Managingpeople•Post-colonialagendas:thecultureofpolitics•Programming•Contemporaryukculturalpolicy.Note:Eachcoursemaybetakenoveroneyear

full-time,orbetween24–28monthspart-time.

Email enquiries:pgenquire@ soi.city.ac.uk

Find out more now:www.city.ac.uk/lis

Phone enquiries:+44 (0) 20 7040 0248

NEXT STEPS

Open Evenings:Visit www.city.ac.uk/informatics/postgraduate

How to apply:Refer to information on page 14

8 9

Course modules

Brief details of our modules are given below. We have not described all the Centre for Cultural Policy modules due to lack of space, but further details of these can be found at www.city.ac.uk/lis

Please note that module content is indicative only, and subject to change.

Library and information science foundation

Givesathoroughintroductiontotheprinciplesandconceptsoftheinformationsciences,andshowsthatthesefoundationsunderpinthepracticeofinformationscience,librarianship,andotherinformationdisciplines.Emphasisisplacedonahistoricalperspective,andoncurrentandfuturedevelopments,showinghowbasicprinciplescanbeusedtomakesenseofcomplicatedandchangingissues.

Information resources and organisation

Givesanunderstandingoftheprinciplesandpracticeoftheorganisationofinformationandknowledge.Topicscoveredincludemetadata,cataloguingandresourcedescription,classificationandtaxonomy,subjectheadingsandthesauri,indexingandabstracting,andconstructionofcontrolledvocabularies.

Information management and policy

Introducestheprinciplesofthemanagementofinformationresourcesofdiversekindsinavarietyofenvironments,andthestrategiesandpolicieswhichmakethispossible.Emphasisisonthespecificissuesofthedisciplineswhichmanageinformationanddocuments:informationresourcemanagement,knowledgemanagement,recordsmanagementandarchiving,collectionmanagementetc.

Information retrieval

Providesabroadintroductiontodocumentaryinformationretrieval,andtotheevaluationofinformationretrievalsystems.Topicscoveredincludeinformationretrievalmodels,searchstrategyandtactics,bibliographicretrieval,OPACs,websearch,mobileinformationretrieval,imageandsoundretrieval,implementationandevaluationofretrievalsystems.

Digital libraries

Introducesandexemplifiestheprinciplesofdigitallibraries,intermsoffunctions,servicesandcharacteristics,creationandmanagement,digitisationandpreservation,accessandinterfaces,search,andevaluation.

Digital information technologies and architecture

Providesthetechnicalbackgroundrequiredtostore,structure,manageandshareinformationeffectively.Topicsinclude:introductiontocomputing,internetandweb,databasesystemsandsearching,Web2.0technologies(blogs,wikis,etc.),semanticwebandinformationarchitecture.

Research evaluation and communication skills

Providesknowledgeandskillswhicharerelevantintheacademicenvironment,intheworkplaceandforlifelonglearning.Topicscoveredinclude:natureofresearchandevaluation;researchmethods,includingsurveys,systemandserviceevaluation,systemdesign,anddeskresearch;dataanalysis;literatureanalysis;writtenandoralcommunication;ethicalissues;projectmanagement.

Libraries and publishing in the information society

Thismoduleexaminesourcontemporaryinformationsociety,andconsiderstheimpactoffactorsforchangeontheneedfor,anddeliveryof,libraryandinformationservices.Itwillconsiderhowwedefinethe‘informationsociety’,howandwhyitischanging,andhowfactorsforchangeaffectpublicationanddisseminationofrecordedinformationandhumaninformationbehaviour.Armedwiththisinsight,wearethenabletoevaluatecurrentlibraryandinformationservicesandunderstandwhatchangescouldbebeneficial,oressentialtoenableinformationneedstobemetnowandinthefuture.

Information domains

Providesanunderstandingofinformationprovisioninavarietyofdomains,includingacademicsubjects,professionaldisciplinesandeverydayandleisuretopics;givesaninsightintosubject-specificinformationwork.Topicsincludeinformationinlaw,business,healthcare,andthearts,inacademicsubjectareassuchashistory,mathematics,chemistryandlanguages,foreverydayandgeneralreference.

Information law and policy

Givesanoverviewofthelawasitappliestoinformationprovision:UKandinternationallegalprinciples,dataprotection,freedomofinformation,breachofconfidence,computermisuse,dutiesofcare,governmentinformationpolicies.

Independent study

Allowsstudentstoundertakeindividualin-depthstudyofatopicwhichisnotfullycoveredbyothermodules,andwhichisappropriateforindependentliterature-basedresearch.Topicsarechosenbyagreementbetweenstudentandsupervisor.

Web applications development

Introducestheprinciplesandpracticeofbuildingdynamicwebapplications.Topicscoveredincludewebapplicationsarchitecture,markuplanguages,webserversandprotocols,connectivitywithdatabasesystems,clientsideprocessing,integrationofcomponentsinafunctionalapplication.

Open source systems

Providesanoverviewofopensourcesystems,includinginformationsystemsandlibrarymanagementsystems,andtheirdeployment,focusingonhumanaspectsandoncollaborativeaspectsofdevelopment.

Data visualisation

Apractical‘hands-on’module,whichequipsstudentswiththetechnicalanddesignskillstocreateandusedatavisualisationapplicationsforuseinworkplaceandresearchenvironments.Includesprinciplesofgoodinformationdesign,andguidelinesforthedatavisualisationworkflow.

Cultural portfolio: critical immersion and professional development

ThismoduleencapsulatestheethosoftheMAandsetsitinaprofessionalcontext.Itcomprisesoftwocomponents:•onecomponentenablesyoutodeviseyourown

pathwayplanthroughtheMA(inconsultationwithyourtutor)toprepareyouforyoursubsequentcareer

•theothercomponentencouragesyoutoimmerseyourselfwithinyourchosenareaofculturalactivitythroughwritingaseriesofcriticalreviews.

Asculturalsectorprofessionals,younotonlyneedtoknowaboutartsandculturalinstitutions,butmustbeacompetentwriterandpresenter.Learningtowriteandcommunicateisimportant.Itteachesthinking—theorganisationandstructuringofideasintoacoherentargument.

Culture, policy and management – frames of reference

Thismodulespecificallyaddressesthequestions:whatismeantbyculture;whatispolicy;whatismanagement;andwhatistherelationshipbetweenthem?Itprovidesyouwithframesofreferenceforthestudyandunderstandingofculture,policyandmanagementwithinthecontextoftheUKculturalsectorinparticular.Itfocusesonissuesthatinformideasaboutculture,governance,policyandmanagement;identifieskeytextsthatarecentraltocurrentdebates;andintroducesyoutoanalyticalandcriticalskillsthatarefundamentaltoworkingintheculturalsector.Thecontemporarycontextissetwithinahistoricaloverviewofthedevelopmentofculturaltheoryandpolicypractice.

Digital cultures

Inthismoduleyouwillexploretheclaimsbeingmadeforso-called‘new’mediainculture.Dotheyrepresentashifttowardsmoredemocraticandparticipatoryengagement?Whathappenstothewhenandwhereofthisengagement?Howispolicychanginginordertoreflectthisparadigmshift?Whataretheimplicationsforculturalmanagers?Youwillexplorethesequestionsusingpracticalexamples.

Email enquiries:pgenquire@ soi.city.ac.uk

Find out more now:www.city.ac.uk/lis

Phone enquiries:+44 (0) 20 7040 0248

NEXT STEPS

Open Evenings:Visit www.city.ac.uk/informatics/postgraduate

How to apply:Refer to information on page 14

10 11

What next? Key faculty

Chris CrawfordMSc Library Science

“AsaninternationalpostgraduatestudentIcouldnothavebeenmorepleasedwiththeLibrarySciencecourseofferedatCityUniversityLondon.Asmanypotentialstudentsmaybeaware,informationscienceisanalreadyexpansivefieldwhichiscontinuingtogrowataphenomenalrate.Duetothisitwasimperativetomethatthecourseofferthewidestpossiblescopeintermsofthematerialcovered.IndeedthisisexactlywhatCityprovides.

“InadditiontoaccreditationfrombothCILIPandALA,theLibrarySciencecourseatCityoffersafirmgroundingintheoverridingprincipleswhicharesomuchattheforefrontofthisfield.Whiletraditionalaspectsofthelibraryprofession,suchascataloguingschema,areinastateofconstantrevisionandchange,theintellectualandphilosophicalgroundingwhichCityoffersintheoverridingprinciplesremainrelevantandindeedparamountdespitesignificantchangestothefielditself.

“Truthfully,theLibrarySciencecourseteachesonetothinklikeaninformationscientistratherthanmerelyteachingonetheprofession.Indoingsostudentsaretrulygiventhetoolstosucceedintheirprofessionalcareers.Whiledeservingofmuchmorethenameremention,theLibraryandInformationScienceteachingandsupportstaffareofthehighestqualityandconsistentlydisplayadesiretogoaboveandbeyondinhelpingtheirstudentssucceed.Infacttheyarethemostimportantfactorinthecreationandmaintenanceofthehigh-levelofacademicqualityassociatedwiththisprogramandwillquicklybecomethestudents’mostimportantandindispensableresource.Icouldnotrecommendthiscoursemorehighly.”

Cheryl MulhollandMSc Library Science

“Thedecisiontoaddtoandbroadenmyskillsbyreturningtoacademicstudy,withinanewprofessionalareawasaconsideredone.CityUniversityLondon’smodulecontentandcoursestructureprovidedagoodbalancecoveringfoundational,technological,research,andprofessionalaspectsoflibraryscience.Iappreciatedtheefficient,prompt,andhelpfulrepliesfromtheSchoolofInformaticssecretaryandcoursesupervisor,initiallyand,throughoutthecourse.UndertakinganMSccoursewasapersonalchallengewhereIgainedinvaluablenewskillsi.e.relevancesearchingofdatabases.”

Julia FloodMSc Library Science

“IchosetostudyLibraryScienceatCitybecauseofthecourse’sexcellentreputationfordevelopingstudents’knowledgeandskillsinthefieldofinformationorganisationandretrieval.AcademicstaffwereveryencouragingandIbenefittedfromgreatfeedbackthroughoutprojectsandevenaftertheconclusionofmystudies.

“Lecturesbyindustryexpertsarearealassettothiscourse,astheyexplorecareerdevelopmentopportunitiesuniquetotheLibraryandInformationSciencejobmarket.Also,modulesthatfocusedondevelopingwork-relatedskills,suchasprojectmanagement,gavemetheconfidencetoapplyformorechallengingjobsupongraduating.”

Prof. David BawdenProfessor of Information Science

DavidisProfessorofInformationScience,andhasbeenwiththeUniversityfor20years.Beforethisheworkedininformationservicesforpharmaceuticalresearch,andhasaconcernfortherelationsbetweenresearchandpractice.Hisparticularinterestsareinthehistoryandphilosophyoftheinformationsciences,knowledgeorganisation,digitalliteracy,individualinformationbehaviour,andscientificinformation.HeisamemberoftheCouncilofASLIB,theAssociationforInformationManagement,andtheeditorofJournalofDocumentation,theleadingEuropeanjournaloflibrary/informationscience.David’sblogcanbefoundatwww.theoccasionalinformationist.com

Dr. Lyn RobinsonProgramme Director

LynisProgrammeDirectorforLibraryandInformationScienceatCityUniversityLondon.Shejoinedthepermanentstaffin2004,andisawellknownwriterandpresenterwithinthediscipline.Shehasawealthofinternationalexperience,withafocusonunderstandinganddefiningLibraryandInformationScience,andoncurriculumdesign,developmentanddelivery.SheispassionateaboutprofessionalliaisonandtheinvolvementofleadingpractitionersinMasterseducation.Lyn’sacademicinterestsincludeinformationresourcesandcommunication,andsheistheauthorofUnderstandingHealthcareInformation.Lynalsowritesatwww.thelynxiblog.com

Truthfully, the Library Science course teaches one to think like an information scientist rather than merely teaching one the professionChris Crawford MA, MScSupervisor,Cataloguing-In-PublishingLibraryofCongress

12 13

How to apply Funding your postgraduate study

Stage 1

Completing your form• Alistofourcoursesisavailableat

www.city.ac.uk/informatics/postgraduate•Stateclearlyonyourformwhichcourseyou

areapplyingforandwhichmode:fulltime,parttime

•Youmaywishtostateyoursecondandthirdpreferencecoursesshouldyoubeunsuccessfulinapplyingforyourfirstchoice.

Date of commencement•Statetheyearyouintendtocommence

yourstudies.

Personal information•Stateyourfullnameonyourformandall

encloseddocuments•Ifyouhavechangedyourname,pleaseprovide

copiesofdocumentaryevidenceofthenamechangeprocess(e.g.marriagecertificate,ordeedpolldocuments)

•Itisveryimportanttoincludeanemailaddress,especiallyifyouareanoverseasapplicant

•IfyouarebasedintheUK,alsoincludeadaytimecontact/mobiletelephonenumber.

Statement in support of your applicationThisisanimportantpartoftheapplication,andwillbegivencarefulconsiderationbytheAdmissionsTutor.Stateclearlyandindetail:•whyyouhavechosenthisparticularcourse•whatyoucancontributetothecourse•whatyouhopetodoaftercompletingthecourse.Youshouldexpecttowritebetween500and800words.Applicantswhowriteonlyafewlinesinthisspacearelikelytofindtheirapplicationsarerejected.

Please ensure that you complete all sectionsof the application form.

Stage 2

Supporting documentationReferences•Weacceptreferencesintwoformats:onthe

referenceformsandenvelopesenclosedwithyourapplication(orprintablefromtheonlineapplicationsystem),oroninstitutionheadedpaper(nophotocopies)

•Itisyourresponsibilitytoarrangereferencesfromtworefereesbeforesubmittingyourapplication

•Ifyouhavestudiedathighereducationlevelinthelastthreeyears,atleastonereferenceshouldbefromanacademicreferee

•Askeachrefereetoforwardyoutheirreferenceinasignedandsealedenvelopetoensureconfidentiality.

Transcripts•Allhome/EUandoverseasapplicantsmust

includeatranscriptoftheirfirstdegreewiththeapplication.

Overseas applicants and English•IfEnglishisnotyourfirstlanguage,youmust

supplyevidencewithyourapplicationthatyourcommandoftheEnglishlanguageissuitableforstudyatpostgraduatelevel

•YouareusuallyexpectedtohaveachievedsatisfactoryresultsineitheraTOEFLorIELTStest.Forfurtherdetailsvisitwww.city.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/applying-to-city

Stage 3

Submitting your applicationPleaseensurethatthefollowingdocumentsareincludedwithyourcompletedapplication:(Ifapplyingonlineyouwillhavetheopportunitytouploadcopiesofsupportingdocuments;howeveryouwillstillberequiredtosendyourreferencesbypost)•Twosealedandsignedreferences•Transcript•Englishlanguagetestresults(whereappropriate)•EqualOpportunitiesMonitoringForm.**Acopyofthisformshouldbecompletedandreturned

withyourapplication.Theinformationyousubmitontheformisconfidentialandwillonlybeusedforourmonitoringpurposes.ItwillnotbemadeavailabletotheAdmissionsTutor.

Postal applications:Pleasesendyourapplicationto:PostgraduateTeam,ProgrammesOffice,SchoolofInformatics,CityUniversityLondon,NorthamptonSquare,LondonEC1V0HB,UK.Ifyouareenclosingimportantdocuments,itiswisetosendyourapplicationbyregisteredpost,ortobesignedforondelivery.Wearenotresponsibleforapplicationswhicharesentbutnotreceived.

Online applicationsGotowww.city.ac.uk/informatics/postgraduateandfollowthelinkstoapplyonline.Theclosingdateforreceiptofapplicationsis1stSeptember.Wehoweverrecommendapplyingasearlyaspossible,ascompetitionforplacesisveryhigh.

What happens next?•Iffurtherinformationisrequiredwewillcontact

you(usuallybyemail)withdetails•Completeapplicationsarepassedontothe

AdmissionsTutorforconsideration•Wenormallyaimtomakeadecisionon

completedapplicationswithinfourweeksofthedateofreceiptoftheform

•Pleasenotethatwecannotmakeafinaldecisiononapplicationsuntilallsupportingdocumentationisreceived.

Scholarships and bursaries

TheSchoolofInformaticshasaselectionofPostgraduateScholarshipsatschoolandcourselevel,findoutmoreatwww.city.ac.uk/informatics/postgraduate/ scholarships-and-funding

AHRC Professional Preparation

Master’sSchemeAwards-Well-qualifiedapplicantsmaybeeligibleforanaward.Residencyrequirementsapply.

The Alex McVitty Memorial Award

TheMemorialAwardprovidesfinancialassistanceof£1,500towardslivingexpenses.Oneawardeachyearisofferedtoafulltimehomeoroverseasapplicantonthefollowingprogrammesofstudywhowishestodevelopacareerinlawlibrarianshipandcandemonstratefinancialneed.ApplicationsfortheawardshouldbementionedinacoveringlettertotheAdmissionsTutor.

•MScInformationScience•MA/MScLibraryScience

Loans

Career Development LoansUnderaschemeoperatedbytheRoyalBankofScotland,BarclaysandtheCo-operativebanks,applicantswishingtoundertakecertaincourses,lastingnolongerthantwoyears,mayborrowbetween£300and£10,000.Repaymentsaredelayedandthegovernmentpaystheinterestduringyourstudyandforonemonthafterwards.Forfurtherinformationpleasegotowww.direct.gov.uk/cdl

Other loans

Yourownbankmayofferloans.Bankssometimesprefertofinancevocationalcoursesandyoumayberequiredtodemonstratethatthecourseofstudywillimproveyourlong-termcareerprospects.

Bursaries for City graduates

CityUniversityLondongraduatesenrollingontoaMasterscourse,startingAutumn2012intheSchoolofInformaticsareautomaticallyentitledtoabursary.The‘LoyaltyBursary’schemeprovideseligibleapplicantswiththeopportunitytocontinuetheirpostgraduatestudiesatCityonselectedcoursesatareducedfee.Formoreinformationvisitwww.city.ac.uk/informatics/postgradaute/scholarships-and-funding

Working whilst studying

Part-time studentsSomeemployersmayofferfinancialsupportforpart-timestudy,usuallywhereemployeeshaveprovedtheirvalueandforstudythatrelatestotheirwork.

Full-time studentsCityUniversityLondonStudentEmploymentServicecanhelpwithinformationonpart-timeandtemporarywork.

Benefits

Claiming benefitsYoumaybeeligibleforbenefits.Astherulesarecomplex,weadvisecheckingwithyourlocalbenefitagency.Furtherinformationonanyavailablefinancialbenefitsandsupportcanbefoundatwww.direct.gov.uk/en/educationandlearning

EU/International students

Extra informationWhileyoumightbeeligibleforsomeofthefundingsourceslistedabove,youareadvisedtoexploresourcesoffundinginyourowncountryandthescholarshipsandbursariesavailablefromtheBritishgovernment(viaothergovernments).Thesesourcesoffundingareusuallyappliedforthroughyourowngovernment,notfromwithintheUK,andwillhaveclosingdatesforapplication.Forinformation,pleasecontactoneofthefollowing:

•theeducationministryinyourcountry;•yournearestBritishCounciloffice;or•theBritishCouncilEducationInformation

Service.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information and to apply for funding, visit www.city.ac.uk/informatics/postgraduate/scholarships-and-funding

APPLICATION QUERIES

If you have any queries about the application process, please contact the Programmes Office at pgenquire@soi.city.ac.uk on + 44 (0)20 7040 0248 or visit www.city.ac.uk/informatics/postgraduate

14 15

City University

London

Contacting usYoucancontactourPostgraduateAdmissionsteamasfollows:

Maps and contactsAccommodation/ International students

DisclaimerTheinformationcontainedinthisbrochureiscorrectatthetimeofgoingtopress(February2012).TheUniversityreservestheright,arisingfromunforeseeneventsorcircumstancesbeyondourcontrol,toaddtoorremovecourses,andtomakechangesinregulations,syllabuses,courseoptions,timetables,modulesandfeesetc,withoutpriornotice.ComplaintsconcerningtheaccuracyofinformationprovidedbytheUniversityinthisbrochureandinrelatedpublicationsshouldbemadetotheAcademicRegistrar.AnypersonswhofeeltheircomplaintshavenotbeendealtwithsatisfactorilymaywritetotheQualityAssuranceAgencyforHigherEducation.GeneralinformationabouttheUniversityincludingfees,generalentryrequirements,accommodationandsocialandwelfareservices,isgivenintheundergraduateprospectus,whichcanbeviewedororderedonlineontheUniversity’swebsitewwwcity.ac.uk/study

Design: HudsonFugglewww.hudsonfuggle.com

Postgraduate accommodation

Weoffersomeaccommodationspecificallyforpostgraduatestudents.Thisisinself-cateredfacilitieswithineasytravellingdistanceofthemainUniversitybuildings.Wealsohavesomeaccommodationsuitableforstudentswithmobilitydifficulties–letusknowifyouneedthiswhenyouapply.

Unfortunately,wecannotofferaccommodationsuitableforstudentswithpartnersorfamilies.Weadvisestudentswithfamiliesnottobringtheirdependentsuntiltheyhavefoundsuitableaccommodation.

Please note:Wedonotprovideanychildcarefacilities.

Visas

FullinformationaboutapplyingforvisastostudyatCityisonourwebsiteatwww.city.ac.uk/studentvisaandinthe‘StudyingintheUK’sectionoftheUKBorderAgencywebsiteatwww ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk

InformationaboutapplyingtoextendavisaintheUKisavailableonourwebsiteatwww.city.ac.uk/ extendandinthe‘StudyingintheUK’sectionoftheUKBorderAgencywebsiteatwww.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk

YouareresponsibleforobtaininganynecessaryvisasandentryclearanceintotheUK.

Please note:IfyouhaveaTier4(GeneralStudentvisawhichwasissuedforstudyatanotheruniversity,collegeorschoolintheUK,youwillneedtomakeanewTier4applicationtotheUKBorderAgencyusingaConfirmationofAcceptanceforStudiesfromCitybeforeyouwillbeabletocommencestudyingwithus.

Accommodation

Depending on where you live at the moment, you may need accommodation during your time at City. We have an accommodation team within the Student Centre for all prospective and registered full-time students.

We can advise you on accommodation matters and help you find suitable accommodation:•Instudenthallsofresidencewhichare

contractedforCityUniversityLondon’susethroughindependentthird-partyhousingprovidersor

•Intheprivatesector,rangingfromsingleroomstosharedflats.

International

Visa requirements If you are coming from outside the European Union to study in the UK, you will need to obtain a visa before you travel.

How to apply for your accommodation

IfyouwouldliketoapplyfororfindoutmoreabouthallsofresidenceaccommodationpleasecontactouraccommodationteamintheStudentCentreon+44 (0)20 7040 7040orvisitourwebsitewww.city.ac.uk/visit/accommodation

Competitionforhallsofresidenceaccommodationisstrong,soitisagoodideatoapplyearly.Ifyoudon’tgetaplaceinhalls,theaccommodationteamcangiveyouinformationaboutprivatesectoraccommodation.StudentswithdisabilitieswhoareintendingtoapplyforUniversityaccommodationshouldwritedirectlytotheaccommodationteam,inconfidence,assoonaspossibleafterbeingacceptedbytheUniversity.

Support for international students

Wehavededicatedinternationalstudentadvisers,basedintheStudentCentre,whoareavailabletoofferimmigrationadviceandassistancewithvisaapplicationstoallinternationalstudentswhoarestudying,orthinkingofstudying,attheUniversity.

Forinformation,contact:T: +44 (0)20 7040 7040 E: visaadvice@city.ac.uk

Postgraduate Admissions TeamProgrammesOfficeSchoolofInformaticsCityUniversityLondonNorthamptonSquareLondonEC1V0HBUnitedKingdom

T:+44(0)2070400248E:pgenquire@soi.city.ac.ukwww.city.ac.uk/informatics/postgraduate

Additional informationYoucanfindmoreinformationonourpostgraduatewebpageatwww.city.ac.uk/informatics/postgraduate

Other Postgraduate courses within the School of InformaticsForinformationaboutotherpostgraduatecoursesrunbytheSchoolofInformatics,pleaseseeourComputingandInformationSystemsbrochureorvisitwww.city.ac.uk/informatics/postgraduate

16 17

Library & Information Science

School of InformaticsCity University LondonNorthampton SquareLondon EC1V 0HB

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7040 0248Email: pgenquire@soi.city.ac.uk

www.city.ac.uk/lis