You'll receive the highest quality teaching from the leading information science school in Scotland and one of the top three in the UK.* You'll also receive unmatched professional engagement via our partnership with one of the largest cultural consortiums in Europe.

It's the only course in the UK that, from week one, provides students with a placement in one of the largest networks of public libraries and museums in Europe, including the world-famous Mitchell Library in Glasgow. You'll have access to special collections, the latest digital projects, receive guest lectures from leading library professionals, and the option to undertake your MSc thesis research in the professional context.

We're a member of the iSchools group, a partnership of the world's leading information schools, and our courses are professionally accredited by CILIP, incorporating international reciprocal agreements.

We're members of the two national Doctoral Training Consortiums, the Scottish Graduate School for the Arts and Humanities and the Scottish Graduate School for Social Sciences.

Our staff are regular contributors to the leading international Information Science Index (ISI) ranked library and information science journals.

We have been a leading school of library and information science teaching and research for 70 years.

YouÕll study

Working across a vast spectrum of information resources, spanning special collections and digital services, you'll learn up-to-date theory and practice in:

  • strategic planning
  • information law and ethics
  • information seeking behaviour
  • information literacy
  • organisation and classification of information
  • information retrieval

You'll also be provided with a thorough understanding of the various information and library sectors, including public, academic, law, health, and government libraries through a range of leading guest speakers drawn from the wider profession.

Compulsory classes

These classes are as follows:

  • Organisation of Knowledge
  • Information Retrieval & Access
  • Information Law
  • Library Technology & Systems
  • Managing Information Services
  • Libraries, Information & Society
  • Research Methods

Dissertation

This is an individual research project of up to 20,000 words on an approved topic. It allows you to pursue an area of specific interest, providing scope for original thought, research and presentation.

Work placement

There's an optional placement at the end of the second semester. The department helps to arrange this. Previous participating organisations include:

  • NHS Scotland
  • Scottish Television
  • IDOX
  • various national and local libraries
  • Government agencies