Information-architecture certificate offered in fall

Starting next fall, IU’s School of Library and Information Science will offer a certificate in information architecture for graduate students. \nAccording to the SLIS Web site, information architecture is “the design of effective and efficient information systems and structures that provide access to collections of information resources.”\nMembers of the IU faculty, namely Elin Jacob, Noriko Hara and Howard Rosenbaum, have been working for more than a year to offer this certificate. Rosenbaum said the efforts to get the program started were “driven by a need that we saw for advanced, specialized training in this particular area. There are only a few places in the country that provide programs of information architecture.” \nRosenbaum, an associate professor of information science and director of the Masters of Information Science Program, said the first class will start by next fall, but a specific date is hard to determine because of the students’ varying schedules.\nTo be admitted to the program, students must have a bachelor’s or master’s degree or currently be enrolled in a master’s program and should have adequate computer skills and be experienced in Web design. Students must then fill out an application and write an essay about why they are interested in information architecture and explain their goals in the field. The application can be found online.\nThe program will begin with seven students, according to the SLIS Web site.\nRhonda Spencer, director of admissions and placement in the SLIS, said that although it is a competitive program, the size of the program might increase if student demand increases. Spencer said that faculty members, when reviewing applications and essays, look for consistently good grades as an undergraduate and a dedication to the field.\n“All backgrounds are welcome,” Spencer said. “It’s just a commitment to learning about this.” \nTo finish the program and receive the certificate, students must complete 18 graduate credit hours involving information architecture, systems analysis, the management of information systems design, human-computer interaction and indexing, according to the SLIS Web site. There will then be a final project in which students have to demonstrate a mastery of information-architect skills and showcase their abilities in the field. \nRosenbaum said the certificate can benefit graduate students at IU regardless of what they studied as undergraduates. The certificate could give students already studying information architecture a more competitive edge in the marketplace, Rosenbaum said.