DAC Program Requirements for Current Master's Students

Current special session students at the SJSU School of Information have the unique opportunity to earn both a master’s degree and advanced certificate concurrently. They can apply the required courses (nine units) for the advanced certificate toward their program requirements for the Master of Library and Information Science or Master of Archives and Records Administration program. Students completing both the master’s degree and advanced certificate programs will receive a diploma and certificate from San José State University. 

Eligibility

The Advanced Certificate in Strategic Management of Digital Assets and Services is only available to Special Session students enrolled in the MLIS or MARA program. There are no additional admissions applications or program fees for current MLIS or MARA students who also want to earn an advanced certificate. Regular Session MLIS students may be able to take some of the certificate classes in summer, or through regular session offerings, however to guarantee they can get certain pathway classes, they may need to permanently switch to special session. Regular Session students who would like to take advantage of this opportunity may switch to Special Session once they have completed 19 units in their degree program. Information about the advanced certificate program for non-iSchool students can be found on this web page.

Program Requirements and When to Complete the Audit Form

In order to graduate with both a master’s degree and the advanced certificate, current students must meet the following requirements, in order:

1. Take nine units within one of the advanced certificate program’s pathways. All nine units must be taken within one pathway and these certificate classes must be listed on the approved 43 unit MLIS or 42 unit MARA Candidacy plan or approved course substitution form. Total GPA of these courses (nine units) must be 3.0 or higher. Only include the 9 units of certificate electives from your pathway on the advanced certificate audit form. You may not include more than 9 units. You may not take extra classes beyond what is needed for the MLIS or MARA to obtain the certificate within your degree. 
2. Successfully pass the INFO 289 e-Portfolio or the MARA 289 e-Portfolio and check that the CR grade for this class, and your 43 units / 42 units for your degree are posted to your one.SJSU unofficial transcript.
3. Then, once all grades from the 9 units of certificate classes and the CR grade for INFO 289 or MARA 289 have posted to your one.SJSU unofficial transcript, submit the Advanced Certificate Audit Form to the Certificate Audit Form drop box in the Canvas Advising and Administration site. View sample completed form. Please list the courses in order taken (oldest first). You will receive no reminders from iSchool to file this form at the end of your graduate program. You will have access to the advising site and its drop boxes for only one month after the end of instruction in your final semester. To receive your certificate in the most timely manner, it is best to submit the form to the drop box just as soon as all grades post to your unofficial transcript, which is just after the end of the term. Do not list INFO 289 or MARA 289 on the audit form. SJSU Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluation staff will check that you have passed the course when they evaluate your audit form. Once GAPE has processed the audit form and the certificate posts to the student’s transcript, GAPE will also provide a certificate by US Mail.

Contact Sheila Gurtu with questions.

Students who do NOT pass the MLIS or MARA e-Portfolio culminating course, but successfully complete the advanced certificate courses, are required to build a WordPress digital portfolio, in order to earn the Advanced Certificate in Strategic Management of Digital Assets and Services.

In the digital portfolio, students address the two overarching program learning outcomes and how they meet the criteria, as outlined below:

A. Demonstrate proficiency in identifying, using, and evaluating current and emerging information and communication technologies to connect individuals or groups with accurate, relevant, and appropriate information.

Criteria:

• Demonstrates knowledge of current and emerging technological issues and trends and their impact on the information professions;
• Articulates how emerging technologies might impact an information environment;
• Articulates and demonstrates the ability to design and provide the services that assist people in accessing information in that environment.

B. Apply the fundamental principles of planning, management, marketing, and advocacy to the selection, evaluation, organization, curation, and security of physical and digital information items.

Criteria:

• Demonstrates the ability to participate in long-term planning or carry out project management;
• Shows the ability to market his or her work to users/clientele within or outside of the organization;
• Shows understanding of how an information professional can be an advocate for a specific information entity;
• Demonstrates understanding of the concepts that comprise the management of collections of data or digital objects, including selection, evaluation, organization curation and security.

As part of the process of meeting the criteria, students:

• Discuss what course work/work experience prepared them for understanding and being able to meet the program learning outcome;
• Present and discuss each piece of evidence they select (can be from one to four pieces). Explain why they selected this evidence and how it demonstrates their competency and the skills and knowledge they learned;
• Discuss how they are able to (know how to, or can) apply or transfer skills and knowledge in the future to different work situations or environments.

[top]