Community Informatics (CI) Specialization
The Community Informatics specialization educates professionals who deploy information and communication technologies in service of the public good.
Students explore the changing role of information and technology in a civil society, including work in the areas of community networks, E-governance, and information and communications technologies for development (ICT4D).
This course of study prepares graduates for positions as public interest information professionals and technical leaders for nonprofit organizations, government agencies, community development agencies, and entrepreneurial social ventures. Community Informatics specialists are highly
competitive for positions such as community network directors, corporate social responsibility managers, community digital media managers, CIOs for nonprofit organizations, and E-community builders and content managers.
The specialization recognizes the foresight of the School's Community Information Corps, or CIC. Established in 2001, the CIC has led nationally in the development and professionalization of what's now a widely recognized career track.
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation acknowledged SI's contributions in the area with its recent decision to endow a
new professorial chair in community information at the School.
CI specialists at SI benefit from a growing alumni network and an annual gathering for networking and experience-sharing. They also now have direct faculty and student peers and colleagues at an increasing number of iSchools.
The specialization is further supported within U-M by close working relationships with the Ross School of Business and the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.
Specialization Requirements
In addition to the specialization requirements below, MSI students must meet all of the
general requirements of the 48-credit MSI program, including core, distribution, cognate, and practical engagement requirements.
Students specializing in Community Informatics must complete 12 credits from within the following set of courses (note that this set includes courses offered by other units at U-M):
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SI 529: eCommunities: Analysis and Design of Online Interaction Environments
(3 credits)
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SI 532: Digital Government I: Information Technology and Democratic Politics
(1.5 credits)
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SI 533: Digital Government II: Information Technology and Democratic Administration
(1.5 credits)
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SI 575: Community Information Corps Seminar
(1.5 credits)
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SI 621: Information, Ethics, and Applied Policy
(3 credits)
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SI 623: Outcome-based Evaluation of Programs and Services
(3 credits)
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SI 626: Management of Nonprofit Libraries and Information Services
(3 credits)
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SI 631: Practical Engagement Workshop: Content Management Systems
(1.5 credits)
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SI 645: Information Use in Communities
(3 credits)
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SI 648: InfoCulture: Theory and Methods in the History and Sociology of Information Technology
(3 credits)
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SI 657: Information Technology and International Development
(3 credits)
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SI 686: User-Generated Content
(1.5 credits)
Up to six (6) of your 12 specialization credits may be selected from the following courses, offered elsewhere at U-M.
(Note that no more than six credits from outside the School of Information can be counted toward your MSI program.)
The faculty coordinator for the Community Informatics specialization is Professor
Paul Edwards, who can be contacted at
[email protected].
Other MSI Specializations
Community Informatics is one of nine specializations within the Master of Science in Information program at the School of Information. For information about the other
MSI specializations, visit their respective links:
Program requirements on this page are current for the 2010-11 academic year.
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