Organizational Profile

The mission of the San José State University School of Information is to educate information professionals who contribute to the well-being of our global communities and to expand the LIS knowledge base through research and scholarship.

The School of Information is one of the academic units in the College of Information, Data, and Society at San José State University, which is part of the 23-campus California State University system. The School of Information determines its vision, mission, and values, within this broader framework, and all three apply to the entire school.

The mission, vision, and shared values infuse the School of Information’s single strategic plan, which covers all degrees and certificates and encompasses faculty and staff performance and growth, student success, and research. The plan outlines six strategic directions, that apply across the school. The San José State University School of Information’s strategic directions use key performance indicators (KPIs) as measures for determining success.   The mission, vision, and values statements likewise extend to all of the school’s programs and activities.  

The strategic plan is aligned with the College of Professional and Global Education strategic plan; and the University strategic plan.

Our director reports to the dean of the college and is a member of both the College Leadership Team and the University Council of Chairs and Directors. Our director has complete responsibility for running all the degrees and certificate programs, developing the curricula, and developing and supervising budgets.

We share detailed information about our assessment processes, including MLIS performance data, MARA performance data, and Informatics performance data which is posted on our public website. In 2014, our school received the Online Learning Consortium’s Outstanding Online Program Award for the MLIS program. Our school is also a member of Quality Matters, is fully accredited by the American Library Association, and is a member of the iSchool  Caucus. San Jose Staté University is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

All of our master’s degree programs and certificates are offered fully online. These include a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science, which is fully accredited by the American Library Association, a Master’s degree in Archives and Records Administration, and a Master’s degree in Informatics. A Teacher Librarian Services Credential program is also available as a second teaching credential for school librarians.

Several online specialized certificate programs are also offered, including an Advanced Certificate in Strategic Management of Digital Assets and Services for people looking to gain practical skills needed to manage the increasing variety of digital information. For those who already hold a master’s degree, our school offers a Post-Master’s Certificate in Library and Information Science, designed for working professionals who want to stay current with emerging trends.

Through a gateway partnership our school’s doctoral students can earn a PhD.

Starting in Fall 2021 we are also offering a BS in Information Science and Data Analytics

The School of Information is part of San José State University’s Cybersecurity and Big Data Initiative.

Twenty-eight full-time faculty and more than 80 part-time faculty teach at our school, enabling us to offer a broad curriculum. Our fully online environment enables us to recruit highly qualified faculty, regardless of where they live.

We have 2000 graduate students all taking their classes within our online environment. Our students are a diverse group of individuals in terms of where they live, their ages, and their ethnic diversity. For example, one-third of our students live outside California, and typically 35% of our graduates reported an ethnicity other than white.

Throughout their course work, students learn to serve diverse communities. We prepare students for the myriad ways technology is impacting the future of our field. In every class, technology is both an instructional tool and a topic of examination. MLIS students can choose numerous electives* from a wide range of career pathways.

Our school’s virtual research center, CIRI, fosters research in library and information science and beyond. It showcases faculty and student research and innovative practice, fosters grant development, and enhances partnerships with individuals across campus, the continent and the world, as well as with institutions and organizations.

* Note that the following courses have a variety of different topics: 210, 220, 241, 246, 250, 267, 281, 282, 284, 285, 287 -accessible from the electives page.

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