MSIM program at the iSchool

August 13, 2009 4:16 PM

Hello, I am new to mefi but I thought this would be a great place to get some answers about the MSIM graduate program at the UW iSchool. Mainly what type of careers would be open and available to me if I graduated with this type of degree and is it really worth it or would I just be another IT guy lost in the crowd?

I recently discovered that I have a particular knack for researching and obtaining as well as absorbing all sorts of information, my current job requires it sometimes - (real estate assets all over the country) but I want to learn more. I am also very interested in how people interact with information and the tools and technology that they use find it.
This had led me down the path of going back to graduate school for a MLIS, although I really do not have a desire to become a librarian. I now am extremely interested in the MSIM program but I am really not sure what direction to move from here. I do not live in Seattle and I would need to take the GRE. Is this just a trendy pseudo-degree or is there some substantial learning and development potential?
I was hoping the community could provide some insight as to what careers this program could lead to. I know there have been some posts on Information Brokers and the like but those jobs don't seem to exist. Any tips on what to do and where to go from here? Any jobs in the interim that might satisfy my thirst for this type of work?

Thanks

posted by outclassed to education (3 comments total)

Just as a heads up, UW is not the only game in town.
posted by i love cheese at 7:10 PM on August 13

If you're tech savvy, you might want to look into working for a private investigator, part-time. They do a lot of internet research, including researching people's assets (during, say, a divorce). Don't know if they're hiring in this economy but it's worth a shot.
posted by kathrineg at 7:15 PM on August 13

There are lots of information-related jobs that would benefit from the MSIM degree, such as the fields of information management and knowledge management, both full of positions that vary a great deal from company to company -- this can be anything from having a big overlap with web skills and being responsible for building and maintaining a company intranet or web site to being a custodian of a fileserver and document management system with more of a focus on cataloging.

My own observation is that there is a lot of opportunity for people with the type of skill and experience, as information/knowledge management is a huge issue for many companies and in many cases it's being done by people who are not specifically trained in the field.
posted by camcgee at 10:41 PM on August 13