Information Studies (Non-Thesis): Course Work (M.I.St.) (48 credits)
Offered by: Information Studies (Faculty of Arts)
Degree: MIST
Program credit weight: 48
Program Description
The Master of Information Studies (Non-Thesis): Course Work is accredited by the American Library Association. The program focuses on the intellectual foundations for careers as information professionals, competencies in managing information and knowledge resources, equal access to information, the appropriate use of technology in meeting information needs, research in the field of library and information studies, and commitment to professional service for individuals, organizations and society.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Required Courses (18 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| INFS 601 | Foundations of Information Studies. | 3 |
Foundations of Information Studies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Overview of foundations of information studies andrelevant concepts and theoretical frameworks.Examination of research methdologies used in thefield, including quantitative, qualitative and projectmanagement methods. | ||
| INFS 607 | Organization of Information. | 3 |
Organization of Information. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the theory, principles, standards, andmethods of information organization. Students learnto provide intellectual and physical access toinformation. Topics include principles of informationrepresentation, tools for information access,metadata, controlled vocabulary. | ||
| INFS 611 | Research Principles & Analysis. | 3 |
Research Principles Analysis. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fundamental aspects of reflective thinking and themethods and techniques of research appropriate tothe investigation of library/information problems.Criteria helpful in evaluating published research inlibrary/information studies by analyzing the varioussteps of the research process, thereby providingguidelines for planning, conducting, and reportingresearch. | ||
| INFS 617 | Information System Design. | 3 |
Information System Design. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to tools for developing informationsystems. Topics include computer terminology andsyntax and semantics of programming languages,with emphasis on their use for text parsing,searching, and database design, which arefundamental concepts in the field of informationscience. | ||
| INFS 619 | Information Behaviour andResources. | 3 |
Information Behaviour andResources. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to information behaviour, informationneeds assessment at individual, organizational andcommunity levels, information search strategies,user-focused information resources and services. | ||
| INFS 620 | Managing Information Organizations. | 3 |
Managing Information Organizations. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course is an introduction to management theory,in the context of information and knowledge-basedorganizations. Emphasis is placed on strategicplanning, leadership, and human-capitalmanagement (e.g. delegation, motivation, andconflict resolution). Other topics include projectmanagement, organizational design, change management, decision-making, communication,teamwork and collaboration. | ||
Complementary Courses (18-30 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| INFS 608 | Classification and Cataloguing. | 3 |
Classification and Cataloguing. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Cataloguing in depth with a view to such specialtiesas original cataloguing, catalogue maintenance, andadministration of the cataloguing department.Investigation of alternative methods of librarydocumentation. The study of developments ininternational cataloguing standards, codes, andformats. Includes laboratory sessions. | ||
| INFS 609 | Metadata and Access. | 3 |
Metadata and Access. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Archival descriptive tools in metadata-based accesssystems. Metadata schemas (MARC, Dublin Coreand EAD), markup languages (SGML, HTML, andXML), DTD, vocabulary control, and metadatamanagement issues. | ||
| INFS 612 | History of Books and Printing. | 3 |
History of Books and Printing. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Surveyed are the development of writing, alphabets,and books from their inception, and of printing fromits invention in the fifteenth century. Historicalbibliography dealing with the various physicalelements in book production, including design. | ||
| INFS 614 | Public Libraries. | 3 |
Public Libraries. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A review of the Public Library Movement in Englishand French Canada. The development of publiclibraries in North America over the last twenty yearswith an emphasis on the library's role andresponsibilities for the future. The impact ofinformation technologies on the definition anddelivery of services. | ||
| INFS 615 | Reference and Information Services. | 3 |
Reference and Information Services. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Design and evaluation of reference and informationresources and services, collection development, andresource management. | ||
| INFS 616 | Information Retrieval. | 3 |
Information Retrieval. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Theoretical and applied explanation of informationretrieval in a variety of digital environments and inrelation to both textual and multimedia data:Information retrieval capabilities, information-seekingmodels, interface design issues, informationvisualization and information system evaluationcriteria. | ||
| INFS 618 | Practices of Critical Theory and Information Studies. | 3 |
Practices of Critical Theory and Information Studies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to how critical theory is used in information studies (IS) and information professions. Topics include: critiques of LIS and its systems, structures, standards, theories, and designs; critical theory and its applications; historically marginalized or minoritized communities; vocabulary of critical theory as it applies to IS. | ||
| INFS 626 | Usability Analysis and Assessment. | 3 |
Usability Analysis and Assessment. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Principles and techniques for evaluating interactivecomputer-based information systems. Topics includemodels of human information processing, userexperience and decision-making; methods forrequirements gathering and task analysis; andtechniques for user testing, analytic evaluation, andperformance modelling. | ||
| INFS 627 | User-Centered Design. | 3 |
User-Centered Design. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A project-based introduction to interaction design,oriented toward practical methods for designinginteractive systems. Emphasis is placed on iterativeand user-oriented approaches to design, includingthe role of observation, ideation, sketching andprototyping, and formative and summativeevaluation. The role of participatory and value-sensitive approaches to design are also examined. | ||
| INFS 629 | Information Security. | 3 |
Information Security. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to information security. Topics includebasic concepts of confidentiality, integrity, andavailability; security threats; malware; operatingsystems security; access control; network security(encryption, decryption, passwords and digitalsignature); security policies and practices; riskassessments; common criteria; privacy threats andprotection techniques; cybercrime and cyberforensics. | ||
| INFS 630 | Data Mining. | 3 |
Data Mining. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to data mining. Topics include datapreprocessing, data warehouse architecture, onlineanalytical processing (OLAP), online analyticalmining (OLAM), basic concepts and methods offrequent patterns mining, association rules mining,classification analysis, cluster analysis, and textmining. | ||
| INFS 631 | Data Science for Information Professionals | 3 |
Data Science for Information Professionals Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the field of data science with a focus on the application of its various tools and methodologies in a professional context, covering the theoretical background and context of data science as a new field and the basics of the end-to-end data science workflow, including data modelling, descriptive and predictive analytics, technical implementation and results reporting. | ||
| INFS 633 | Digital Media. | 3 |
Digital Media. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Foundational scientific concepts and basictechniques of digital media production andmanipulation and their relevance in galleries,libraries, archives, and museums (GLAM). Toolsand techniques for creating and handling digitalmedia. Digitizing audio, image, video, and textmaterials, and using various software packagesfor manipulating and preserving digital sound,images, and video. | ||
| INFS 634 | Web System Design and Management. | 3 |
Web System Design and Management. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Principles and practices of designing websites inthe context of libraries and information centres,focusing on a conceptual approach to organizinginformation for the world wide web includingdesign, implementation and management issues.Topics include web development tools, markuplanguages, internet security and web serveradministration. | ||
| INFS 635 | Computer Programming for Information Professionals. | 3 |
Computer Programming for Information Professionals. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the fundamentals of computer programming, focusing on the application of programming techniques to the domain of information science. Topics include software principles and practices, programming concepts and techniques, data structures, and algorithms. | ||
| INFS 636 | Government Information. | 3 |
Government Information. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the structure of governments, andthe nature and variety of government information.Emphasis is placed on the governments of Canada,the provinces, the United States and selectedinternational governmental organizations. Topicsinclude the acquisition, organization, bibliographiccontrol and use of government information. | ||
| INFS 639 | Introduction to Museology. | 3 |
Introduction to Museology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to current theories, principles, andfunctions of museology. Examines museumdocumentation, digitization, conservation,preservation, exhibition, education and research. | ||
| INFS 641 | Archival Description and Access. | 3 |
Archival Description and Access. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced theory and practice of archival appraisal,arrangement, description, and the creation of accesstools to archival records and collections, including theselection and application of appropriate archivaldescriptive standards, metadata schemes,management tools, and outreach programs includingthe creation and dissemination of finding aids. | ||
| INFS 642 | Preservation Management. | 3 |
Preservation Management. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Principles and practices for intellectual and physicalpreservation of historical and cultural heritagematerials in all forms to extend their durability andassure continued accessibility, through selection,conservation, migration, digitization, preservationstrategies, preservation management and ongoingevaluation. | ||
| INFS 645 | Archival Principles and Practice. | 3 |
Archival Principles and Practice. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fundamental principles and practices of archivalstudies, including records life cycle, history ofarchives, cultural memory, authentic recordkeepingsystems, acquisition, appraisal, arrangement,description, preservation, reference and access,social and cultural systems, financial and legalsystems, ethics, advocacy programs, fund raising,legal issues, archives-related professions, researchmethodology and implementation. | ||
| INFS 649 | Digital Curation. | 3 |
Digital Curation. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The life-cycle and value-added management of digital content for future use, re-use and access. Addresses strategies, principles, and practices of digital preservation, digital curation, digital collection management, institutional repositories, trusted digital repositories, metadata, and file formats at archives, libraries, museums, data centers, and other cultural heritage institutions. | ||
| INFS 650 | Digital Libraries. | 3 |
Digital Libraries. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Analysis of the complex concepts and applications that professionals are likely to encounter in the design, development, and management of digital libraries. Topics include digital objects, knowledge representations and discovery, architecture, user behaviour, services, and evaluation. | ||
| INFS 656 | Abstracting and Indexing. | 3 |
Abstracting and Indexing. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Principles and practical methods of abstracting and indexing. Topics include pre- and post-coordinate indexing, concept analysis, vocabulary control, construction and evaluation of thesauri and of indexes for books, periodicals, and series; emphasis on the role of the computer in indexing. | ||
| INFS 657 | Database Design and Development. | 3 |
Database Design and Development. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Theoretical and applied principles of relational database design. Includes relational theory, conceptual design, database normalization, relational database management systems, SQL queries and database management. | ||
| INFS 660 | Records Management. | 3 |
Records Management. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Management of an organization’s content in digital forms that relate to the organization’s operational processes for compliance, governance and decision-making purposes. Addresses principles, strategies, methods and tools used in the lifecycle management of the content, including capture, workflow, classification, metadata, collaboration, preservation, and delivery. | ||
| INFS 661 | Knowledge Management. | 3 |
Knowledge Management. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to knowledge management and its links to information systems and information professionals. A broad overview of the creation, capture, codification, sharing and application of knowledge in both tacit and explicit forms. Emphasis is placed on the tools and techniques as well as the role of organizational culture. | ||
| INFS 662 | Intellectual Capital. | 3 |
Intellectual Capital. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Understanding the strategic role of intellectual assets: how individuals, communities and organizations can identify and leverage their knowledge, experience, expertise and innovations more systematically to create value for the organization. Emphasis is placed on understanding the links between individuals and the organization in the sharing of intellectual assets. | ||
| INFS 663 | Knowledge Taxonomies. | 3 |
Knowledge Taxonomies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic classification and categorization methods, major taxonomy tools and technologies and practice in knowledge mapping and modelling. Theory and techniques of organization of both tacit and explicit knowledge at three levels: individual, community and the organization. Emphasis will be placed on the social nature of knowledge codification. | ||
| INFS 664 | Managing Knowledge Communities. | 3 |
Managing Knowledge Communities. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Stages in the development of informal knowledge sharing groups and the roles and responsibilities of information professionals are examined. Focus is on the analysis of knowledge flow, knowledge creation and dissemination within and between different networks of knowledge. | ||
| INFS 665 | Competitive Intelligence. | 3 |
Competitive Intelligence. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Competitive intelligence process in for-profit and notfor-profit organizations. Principles and tools for identifying competitive intelligence needs; acquiring, organizing and storing information; creating intelligence through analytical techniques; developing and distributing intelligence products. Legal and ethical aspects, information audits, and cooperative intelligence. | ||
| INFS 671 | Health Sciences Information. | 3 |
Health Sciences Information. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of information services and sources (both electronic and print) for health care professionals and the general public. An exploration of the information needs of health professionals and scientists; the role of health libraries and librarians; principles of health and biomedical library practice, functions, and management. | ||
| INFS 672 | Law Information. | 3 |
Law Information. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The nature and scope of law librarianship and legal information sources; examination of the organization of legal knowledge, the legal research process, law information sources both print and electronic. | ||
| INFS 673 | Bioinformatics Resources. | 3 |
Bioinformatics Resources. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Bioinformatics from a library and information science perspective: biological foundation for bioinformatics; bioinformatics information needs and behaviours; information retrieval using key bioinformatics resources; the role of biology, computer science and library and information science; ethics. | ||
| INFS 679 | Information Literacy. | 3 |
Information Literacy. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. | ||
| INFS 688 | Independent Study. | 6 |
Independent Study. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A research study on a topic in library and information studies that augments or elaborates upon the curriculum. | ||
| INFS 688D1 | Independent Study. | 3 |
Independent Study. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A research study on a topic in library and information studies that augments or elaborates upon the curriculum. | ||
| INFS 688D2 | Independent Study. | 3 |
Independent Study. Terms offered: Summer 2025 A research study on a topic in library and information studies that augments or elaborates upon the curriculum. | ||
| INFS 689 | Selected Topics. | 3 |
Selected Topics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Exploration of a topic in library and information studies which elaborates or augments the curriculum through an individualized program of directed study which will vary according to the student's interests. | ||
| INFS 690 | Information Policy. | 3 |
Information Policy. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Information societies are examined from a global perspective, emphasizing political, economic, social cultural and ethical issues including the roles of government and the private sector in providing information systems and services, transborder data flow, information access at personal, institutional and national level, censorship, copyright and data security. | ||
| INFS 691 | Special Topics 1. | 3 |
Special Topics 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Seminar to explore topics of particular interest to library and information studies. Topics vary from year to year. | ||
| INFS 692 | Special Topics 2. | 3 |
Special Topics 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Seminar to explore topics of particular interest to library and information studies. Topics vary from year to year. | ||
| INFS 693 | Special Topics 3. | 3 |
Special Topics 3. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Seminar to explore topics of particular interest to library and information studies. Topics vary from year to year. | ||
| INFS 699 | Practicum. | 3 |
Practicum. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Application of theoretical knowledge in an information environment and acquisition of basic professional skills through practice. | ||
Elective Courses (0-12 credits)
0-12 credits from other 500-, 600-, or 700-level courses; up to 6 credits may be from other Quebec universities.
Elective courses must be approved by the student's adviser and the Graduate Program Director.