[Asis-l] New Program: Graduate Certificate in Information Architecture in SLIS IUB

[Noriko Hara]

Graduate Certificate in Information Architecture
School of Library and Information Science
Indiana University Bloomington


The School of Library and Information Science at Indiana University 
Bloomington is pleased to announce the introduction of the Graduate 
Certificate in Information Architecture.  This new program focuses on 
building a set of skills for the design of effective and efficient 
information systems. Although information architecture has yet to be 
defined by an accepted set of professional standards, there is a core 
set of skills, knowledge, and experiences relevant to its practice.

The Graduate Certificate in Information Architecture (GCIA) combines a 
theoretical foundation in the principles of representation and 
organization with the practical skills of systems analysis, vocabulary 
development, interface design and project management. These skills are 
integrated in a culminating experience—the newly developed Capstone in 
Information Architecture—which provides hands-on experience that brings 
together the theoretical and practical components of the GCIA program.

The GCIA requires successful completion of 18 credit hours of 
graduate-level coursework.  In addition to the Capstone project (3 cr.), 
students will take coursework in five areas relevant to the practice of 
information architecture:
•	Theoretical foundations of information architecture:  S515 
(L540)—Foundations of Information Architecture (3 cr.)
•	Systems analysis:  S556 (L545)—Systems Analysis and Design (3 cr.)
•	Project management:  S512 (L577)—Management of Information System 
Design (3 cr.)
•	Development and maintenance of controlled vocabularies:  S633 
(L583)—Indexing Theory and Practice (3 cr.)  	
•	Design and usability for human computer interaction:  S516 
(L542)—Introduction to Human Computer Interaction (3 cr.)

Coursework must be completed within three (3) years of entering the 
certificate program. No credits may be transferred from another graduate 
or undergraduate program in order to satisfy the requirement for 18 
credit hours of coursework. However, if a student has completed 
equivalent graduate coursework in one or more of the relevant areas 
prior to admission to the program, this coursework may be applied to 
satisfy content requirements for the certificate.  The student will 
select alternative courses from a list of electives in order to meet the 
18 credit hours required for the certificate. The student must maintain 
a GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale with a minimum course grade of B. Any course 
in which the student earns a grade of less than B must be repeated to 
remain in the certificate program.

To be eligible for admittance to the certificate program, the student 
must have successfully completed an undergraduate degree and must meet 
the requirements for admission to a master's degree program in IUB's 
School of Library and Information Science.

Additional information about the Graduate Certificate in Information 
Architecture may be obtained from: 
http://www.slis.indiana.edu/degrees/arch.php