[Sigia-l] New Program: Graduate Certificate in Information Architecture

[Howard Rosenbaum]

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>
or contact SL:IS Assistant Professor Noriko Hara <nhara at indiana.edu>