Information Science equips you with the tools to navigate the complex and ever-changing landscape of technology, society, and information – and to shape the information and knowledge of the future.
Information Science is built on three pillars: people, information, and technology. The programme is both theoretical and practical, providing a strong academic foundation and the necessary skills to play a key role in various industries driven by information and knowledge.
Information Science is taught through distance learning. The programme emphasises developing skills to analyse different information needs, manage information and data according to workplace requirements, communicate content on social media and the web, and shape the future of libraries as cultural institutions that support social participation, democracy, and civic engagement.
Experience shows that information scientists are in high demand in the job market, as there is a strong need for leaders in information dissemination and information management. They play a key role in modern society, where information is one of the most critical resources.
Completing this programme allows you to apply to the Directorate of Education for the legally protected title of information scientist.
Completing the programme allows you to apply for doctoral studies.
Other programmes offered:
BA degree in Library and Information Science with First Class grades or equivalent qualifications from a foreign university.
Those who have completed a BA, BSc, BEd degree or equivalent qualifications in another study program than Library and Information Science can apply for the MIS program in Information Science.
120 ECTS credits have to be completed for the qualification. Students arrange their studies in an agreement with their academic supervisor. As a general rule, the MA thesis carries the weight of 40 or 60 ECTS credits.
Further information on supporting documents can be found here
Check below to see how the programme is structured.
A reading course taken fall,spring or summer semester.
It is not expected that a fully completed theoretical chapter of a master's thesis will be used in this project, but rather that part of this project could be utilized in a revised form in the theoretical chapter of the thesis.
The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.
A reading course taken fall,spring or summer semester.
It is not expected that a fully completed theoretical chapter of a master's thesis will be used in this project, but rather that part of this project could be utilized in a revised form in the theoretical chapter of the thesis.
The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.
A reading course taken fall,spring or summer semester.
It is not expected that a fully completed theoretical chapter of a master's thesis will be used in this project, but rather that part of this project could be utilized in a revised form in the theoretical chapter of the thesis.
The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.
A master's thesis is the final project in a master's program and is based on independent research or a work-related research and development project. The final project for the master's degree must be an individual project. The aim of the final project is to train students in independent academic work.
A master's thesis in information science is normally 30-60 credits. A master's thesis must never be less than 30 credits. Master's students have supervisors from the group of lecturers, docents or professors. A supervisor guides with a final project for a master's degree. The supervising teacher and the instructor are usually the same person. It is allowed to hire a co-supervisor, but that hiring is subject to the approval of the department.
The length of master's theses depends on the type of project, its number of units and the subject matter. It should be assumed that a 60-unit master's thesis is generally 30,000–40,000 words, a 40-unit essay is around 25,000–30,000 words, and a 30-unit essay is between 20,000–25,000 words.
The examiner must always evaluate the master's student's final project together with the supervisor. The study program nominates an examiner and the nomination is confirmed by the faculty council.
A master's thesis is the final project in a master's program and is based on independent research or a work-related research and development project. The final project for the master's degree must be an individual project. The aim of the final project is to train students in independent academic work.
A master's thesis in information science is normally 30-60 credits. A master's thesis must never be less than 30 credits. Master's students have supervisors from the group of lecturers, docents or professors. A supervisor guides with a final project for a master's degree. The supervising teacher and the instructor are usually the same person. It is allowed to hire a co-supervisor, but that hiring is subject to the approval of the department.
The length of master's theses depends on the type of project, its number of units and the subject matter. It should be assumed that a 60-unit master's thesis is generally 30,000–40,000 words, a 40-unit essay is around 25,000–30,000 words, and a 30-unit essay is between 20,000–25,000 words.
The examiner must always evaluate the master's student's final project together with the supervisor. The study program nominates an examiner and the nomination is confirmed by the faculty council.
A master's thesis is the final project in a master's program and is based on independent research or a work-related research and development project. The final project for the master's degree must be an individual project. The aim of the final project is to train students in independent academic work.
A master's thesis in information science is normally 30-60 credits. A master's thesis must never be less than 30 credits. Master's students have supervisors from the group of lecturers, docents or professors. A supervisor guides with a final project for a master's degree. The supervising teacher and the instructor are usually the same person. It is allowed to hire a co-supervisor, but that hiring is subject to the approval of the department.
The length of master's theses depends on the type of project, its number of units and the subject matter. It should be assumed that a 60-unit master's thesis is generally 30,000–40,000 words, a 40-unit essay is around 25,000–30,000 words, and a 30-unit essay is between 20,000–25,000 words.
The examiner must always evaluate the master's student's final project together with the supervisor. The study program nominates an examiner and the nomination is confirmed by the faculty council.
The main subject of the course is quantitative methods and statistics used in social sciences. The focus will be on research design, sample methods and designing questionnaires. The statistical part will cover descriptive and inferential statistics. Special emphasis will be on factorial ANOVA and multiple regression. Students will get practical training in data analysis using jamovi. Students can use their own data.
The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.
The history and development of information and records management is covered and students learn to know the main associations and organizations in information and records management as well as their contribution to the field. Laws, regulations and rules concerning information, records and archives are introduced and the aim and methods of information and records management. The main topics of information and records management are studied, such as the records inventory, the retention and disposition schedule, classification and classification systems for records, the storage facilities needed for active and inactive records, vital records security, safety and security plans for information and records. The international standar ISO 15489 will be introduced. The emphasis is on the organization of different forms of records. Examples are given on how various software systems can be used in organizing information and records, in registration, storage and retrieval. The students go through a need analysis for information and records management program in an organization and how such a program should be implemented utilizing the latest software for information and records management. There will be an emphasis on classification of knowledge and classification theories. Students ought to be able to construct a uniform classification system for information and records and to map information and data in organizations. Students visit archives and organizations which have implemented an information and records management program and do a workshop on classification systems. Students complete group projects and an individual assignment during the course.
This course includes visits to a minimum of eight libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural and information-oriented institutions, all centered around a theme chosen in consultation with the course supervisor. The theme will guide the selection of these visits, which may focus on various aspects such as services, policies, collections, knowledge organization, universal design, leadership, marketing, dissemination practices, and current issues relevant to these institutions. The visits may include libraries, archives, museums, or a combination of these, with additional cultural or information-disseminating institutions incorporated if they align with the theme. During the visits, students will engage in meetings with staff and make informal observations.
Organization and management systems. The systems approach. Quality management, quality concepts. Historical development of quality management. Quality cost. Quality in manufacturing. x, R, p, c and cusum-chart. Statistical quality control. Tests of hypotheses. Acceptance sampling - OC curves. Inspection planning. Quality systems and quality assurance. Quality handbook and organizing for quality. ISO 9001. Total Quality Management, improvement step by step, motivations theories. Quality tools. Practical assignment: Designing a quality system for a company.
The course will examine human resource management (HRM) in the public sector. Civil service systems will be discussed in a historical context. Employment-related laws, regulations and procedures are reviewed. The students will be exposed to job functions of HRM professionals, including staffing, recruiting, performance appraisal and compensation. The strategic HRM approach is introduced and the procedure of formulating an HRM policy.
This introductory course in public administration provides students with a holistic overview over how public administration is organized and how it has developed over the last decades. The main characteristics of the public administration in Iceland is introduces, its foundations and main formative elements. The course covers the basic theories and concepts of the discipline of public administration and its scholarly endeavour. It introduces the main organizational theories, and the main theories on decentralization and delegation of power and decision-making. The focus is on the relationship between public administration and politics and how that relationship shapes organizational practices and public policy making. The emphasis is on analysing and understanding the differences between the private and the public sector.
The Java programming language will be used to introduce basic practices in computer programming. Practice in programming is scheduled throughout the semester. An emphasis is placed on logical methods for writing program and good documentation. Main ideas related to computers and programming. Classes, objects and methods. Control statements. Strings and arrays, operations and built-in functons. Input and output. Inheritance. Ideas relatied to system design and good practices for program writing. Iteration and recursion. Searching and Sorting.
Databases and database management systems. Physical data organization. Data modelling using the Entity-Relationship model and the Relational model. Relational algebra and calculus. The SQL query language. Design theory for relational data bases, functional dependencies, decomposition of relational schemes, normal forms. Query optimization. Concurrency control techniques and crash recovery. Database security and authorization. Data warehousing.
The aim of the seminar is to aid students who are writing their thesis. We will discuss how to approach a final thesis and the students will have the opportunity to discuss their research issues. This seminar creates a forum for master students to discuss their research projects and receive support, encouragement and feedback in the work process. The seminar will be flexible to meet the needs of the group of students attending at each time.
In the seminar each student works or their own project and the teaching method is built on a “shut up and write!” ideology. The instructor has a short introduction in each meeting followed by some productive writing of the students in a supportive environment. In the second part of the seminar each student will present and discuss their project for about 20 minutes.
Taught every other week.
Einkunn: Staðið/Fall
This course includes visits to a minimum of eight libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural and information-oriented institutions, all centered around a theme chosen in consultation with the course supervisor. The theme will guide the selection of these visits, which may focus on various aspects such as services, policies, collections, knowledge organization, universal design, leadership, marketing, dissemination practices, and current issues relevant to these institutions. The visits may include libraries, archives, museums, or a combination of these, with additional cultural or information-disseminating institutions incorporated if they align with the theme. During the visits, students will engage in meetings with staff and make informal observations.
This course focuses on the variety of approaches and methods found within research. Five qualitative approaches to inquiry are mainly in focus, namely; case study, narrative research, ethnography, phenomenology and grounded theory. Students gain a deeper experiences in data collection and in use of different methods for analyzing their qualitative data. They also gain experience in presenting their findings in written form. Additionally, students have the opportunity to reflect on their own research practices and on themselves as qualitative researchers.
The course deals with describtion of Icelandic authoroties (the executive), the basic structure of the Icelandic administrative system, main tasks of public authotiries, the scope, relevance and rules of the Administrative Act. no 37/1993 and the relevance and rules of the Information Act. no 140/2012. The main emphasis is on the Administrative Act.
The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken.
Work format
Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.
The aim of the course is to introduce students to information architecture along with some basic elements of web management. The course will focus on information architecture such as designing a sitemap, route system, name system, based on the behaviour and needs of users. Other aspects of web management will also be discussed briefly, such as analysis of user needs, user tests and access to web pages.
This course includes visits to a minimum of eight libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural and information-oriented institutions, all centered around a theme chosen in consultation with the course supervisor. The theme will guide the selection of these visits, which may focus on various aspects such as services, policies, collections, knowledge organization, universal design, leadership, marketing, dissemination practices, and current issues relevant to these institutions. The visits may include libraries, archives, museums, or a combination of these, with additional cultural or information-disseminating institutions incorporated if they align with the theme. During the visits, students will engage in meetings with staff and make informal observations.
Supervision: Permanent faculty members in the Information Science program.
The course is based on independent student work where students undertake a defined project in the field of information behavior, such as within a library or information center, or in the field of information management, such as on behalf of a company or institution. The project is intended to address a specific need within information science and is not part of the students' daily work.
The topic and reading materials are determined jointly by the teacher and student. It is necessary to obtain teacher approval before the project begins. Students can, however, take initiative for the project and then contact the teacher they wish to have as supervisor for the project. Similarly, teachers and organizational units that wish to have student involvement in specific projects in the field can propose projects. The maximum number of credits for a practical project in the MIS program is 10 ECTS credits, but students in the MA program can take a maximum of 15 credits.
The scope of the project is measured in credits. The ECTS university credit system is based on the estimated workload of students in specific courses so that each credit equals approximately 25-30 hours of study work, including reading, class attendance, assignments, project processing, and other related activities. The student workload in the practical project course corresponds to the number of credits as can be seen below:
(2 ECTS) is about 50-60 hours. (5 ECTS) is about 125-150 hours (10 ECTS) is about 250-300 hours.
Supervision: Permanent faculty members in the Information Science program.
The course is based on independent student work where students undertake a defined project in the field of information behavior, such as within a library or information center, or in the field of information management, such as on behalf of a company or institution. The project is intended to address a specific need within information science and is not part of the students' daily work.
The topic and reading materials are determined jointly by the teacher and student. It is necessary to obtain teacher approval before the project begins. Students can, however, take initiative for the project and then contact the teacher they wish to have as supervisor for the project. Similarly, teachers and organizational units that wish to have student involvement in specific projects in the field can propose projects. The maximum number of credits for a practical project in the MIS program is 10 ECTS credits, but students in the MA program can take a maximum of 15 credits.
The scope of the project is measured in credits. The ECTS university credit system is based on the estimated workload of students in specific courses so that each credit equals approximately 25-30 hours of study work, including reading, class attendance, assignments, project processing, and other related activities. The student workload in the practical project course corresponds to the number of credits as can be seen below:
(2 ECTS) is about 50-60 hours. (5 ECTS) is about 125-150 hours (10 ECTS) is about 250-300 hours.
Supervision: Permanent faculty members in the Information Science program.
The course is based on independent student work where students undertake a defined project in the field of information behavior, such as within a library or information center, or in the field of information management, such as on behalf of a company or institution. The project is intended to address a specific need within information science and is not part of the students' daily work.
The topic and reading materials are determined jointly by the teacher and student. It is necessary to obtain teacher approval before the project begins. Students can, however, take initiative for the project and then contact the teacher they wish to have as supervisor for the project. Similarly, teachers and organizational units that wish to have student involvement in specific projects in the field can propose projects. The maximum number of credits for a practical project in the MIS program is 10 ECTS credits, but students in the MA program can take a maximum of 15 credits.
The scope of the project is measured in credits. The ECTS university credit system is based on the estimated workload of students in specific courses so that each credit equals approximately 25-30 hours of study work, including reading, class attendance, assignments, project processing, and other related activities. The student workload in the practical project course corresponds to the number of credits as can be seen below:
(2 ECTS) is about 50-60 hours. (5 ECTS) is about 125-150 hours (10 ECTS) is about 250-300 hours.
A reading course taken fall,spring or summer semester.
It is not expected that a fully completed theoretical chapter of a master's thesis will be used in this project, but rather that part of this project could be utilized in a revised form in the theoretical chapter of the thesis.
The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.
A reading course taken fall,spring or summer semester.
It is not expected that a fully completed theoretical chapter of a master's thesis will be used in this project, but rather that part of this project could be utilized in a revised form in the theoretical chapter of the thesis.
The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.
A reading course taken fall,spring or summer semester.
It is not expected that a fully completed theoretical chapter of a master's thesis will be used in this project, but rather that part of this project could be utilized in a revised form in the theoretical chapter of the thesis.
The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.
A master's thesis is the final project in a master's program and is based on independent research or a work-related research and development project. The final project for the master's degree must be an individual project. The aim of the final project is to train students in independent academic work.
A master's thesis in information science is normally 30-60 credits. A master's thesis must never be less than 30 credits. Master's students have supervisors from the group of lecturers, docents or professors. A supervisor guides with a final project for a master's degree. The supervising teacher and the instructor are usually the same person. It is allowed to hire a co-supervisor, but that hiring is subject to the approval of the department.
The length of master's theses depends on the type of project, its number of units and the subject matter. It should be assumed that a 60-unit master's thesis is generally 30,000–40,000 words, a 40-unit essay is around 25,000–30,000 words, and a 30-unit essay is between 20,000–25,000 words.
The examiner must always evaluate the master's student's final project together with the supervisor. The study program nominates an examiner and the nomination is confirmed by the faculty council.
A master's thesis is the final project in a master's program and is based on independent research or a work-related research and development project. The final project for the master's degree must be an individual project. The aim of the final project is to train students in independent academic work.
A master's thesis in information science is normally 30-60 credits. A master's thesis must never be less than 30 credits. Master's students have supervisors from the group of lecturers, docents or professors. A supervisor guides with a final project for a master's degree. The supervising teacher and the instructor are usually the same person. It is allowed to hire a co-supervisor, but that hiring is subject to the approval of the department.
The length of master's theses depends on the type of project, its number of units and the subject matter. It should be assumed that a 60-unit master's thesis is generally 30,000–40,000 words, a 40-unit essay is around 25,000–30,000 words, and a 30-unit essay is between 20,000–25,000 words.
The examiner must always evaluate the master's student's final project together with the supervisor. The study program nominates an examiner and the nomination is confirmed by the faculty council.
A master's thesis is the final project in a master's program and is based on independent research or a work-related research and development project. The final project for the master's degree must be an individual project. The aim of the final project is to train students in independent academic work.
A master's thesis in information science is normally 30-60 credits. A master's thesis must never be less than 30 credits. Master's students have supervisors from the group of lecturers, docents or professors. A supervisor guides with a final project for a master's degree. The supervising teacher and the instructor are usually the same person. It is allowed to hire a co-supervisor, but that hiring is subject to the approval of the department.
The length of master's theses depends on the type of project, its number of units and the subject matter. It should be assumed that a 60-unit master's thesis is generally 30,000–40,000 words, a 40-unit essay is around 25,000–30,000 words, and a 30-unit essay is between 20,000–25,000 words.
The examiner must always evaluate the master's student's final project together with the supervisor. The study program nominates an examiner and the nomination is confirmed by the faculty council.
The main subject of the course is quantitative methods and statistics used in social sciences. The focus will be on research design, sample methods and designing questionnaires. The statistical part will cover descriptive and inferential statistics. Special emphasis will be on factorial ANOVA and multiple regression. Students will get practical training in data analysis using jamovi. Students can use their own data.
The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.
The history and development of information and records management is covered and students learn to know the main associations and organizations in information and records management as well as their contribution to the field. Laws, regulations and rules concerning information, records and archives are introduced and the aim and methods of information and records management. The main topics of information and records management are studied, such as the records inventory, the retention and disposition schedule, classification and classification systems for records, the storage facilities needed for active and inactive records, vital records security, safety and security plans for information and records. The international standar ISO 15489 will be introduced. The emphasis is on the organization of different forms of records. Examples are given on how various software systems can be used in organizing information and records, in registration, storage and retrieval. The students go through a need analysis for information and records management program in an organization and how such a program should be implemented utilizing the latest software for information and records management. There will be an emphasis on classification of knowledge and classification theories. Students ought to be able to construct a uniform classification system for information and records and to map information and data in organizations. Students visit archives and organizations which have implemented an information and records management program and do a workshop on classification systems. Students complete group projects and an individual assignment during the course.
This course includes visits to a minimum of eight libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural and information-oriented institutions, all centered around a theme chosen in consultation with the course supervisor. The theme will guide the selection of these visits, which may focus on various aspects such as services, policies, collections, knowledge organization, universal design, leadership, marketing, dissemination practices, and current issues relevant to these institutions. The visits may include libraries, archives, museums, or a combination of these, with additional cultural or information-disseminating institutions incorporated if they align with the theme. During the visits, students will engage in meetings with staff and make informal observations.
Organization and management systems. The systems approach. Quality management, quality concepts. Historical development of quality management. Quality cost. Quality in manufacturing. x, R, p, c and cusum-chart. Statistical quality control. Tests of hypotheses. Acceptance sampling - OC curves. Inspection planning. Quality systems and quality assurance. Quality handbook and organizing for quality. ISO 9001. Total Quality Management, improvement step by step, motivations theories. Quality tools. Practical assignment: Designing a quality system for a company.
The course will examine human resource management (HRM) in the public sector. Civil service systems will be discussed in a historical context. Employment-related laws, regulations and procedures are reviewed. The students will be exposed to job functions of HRM professionals, including staffing, recruiting, performance appraisal and compensation. The strategic HRM approach is introduced and the procedure of formulating an HRM policy.
This introductory course in public administration provides students with a holistic overview over how public administration is organized and how it has developed over the last decades. The main characteristics of the public administration in Iceland is introduces, its foundations and main formative elements. The course covers the basic theories and concepts of the discipline of public administration and its scholarly endeavour. It introduces the main organizational theories, and the main theories on decentralization and delegation of power and decision-making. The focus is on the relationship between public administration and politics and how that relationship shapes organizational practices and public policy making. The emphasis is on analysing and understanding the differences between the private and the public sector.
The Java programming language will be used to introduce basic practices in computer programming. Practice in programming is scheduled throughout the semester. An emphasis is placed on logical methods for writing program and good documentation. Main ideas related to computers and programming. Classes, objects and methods. Control statements. Strings and arrays, operations and built-in functons. Input and output. Inheritance. Ideas relatied to system design and good practices for program writing. Iteration and recursion. Searching and Sorting.
Databases and database management systems. Physical data organization. Data modelling using the Entity-Relationship model and the Relational model. Relational algebra and calculus. The SQL query language. Design theory for relational data bases, functional dependencies, decomposition of relational schemes, normal forms. Query optimization. Concurrency control techniques and crash recovery. Database security and authorization. Data warehousing.
The aim of the seminar is to aid students who are writing their thesis. We will discuss how to approach a final thesis and the students will have the opportunity to discuss their research issues. This seminar creates a forum for master students to discuss their research projects and receive support, encouragement and feedback in the work process. The seminar will be flexible to meet the needs of the group of students attending at each time.
In the seminar each student works or their own project and the teaching method is built on a “shut up and write!” ideology. The instructor has a short introduction in each meeting followed by some productive writing of the students in a supportive environment. In the second part of the seminar each student will present and discuss their project for about 20 minutes.
Taught every other week.
Einkunn: Staðið/Fall
This course includes visits to a minimum of eight libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural and information-oriented institutions, all centered around a theme chosen in consultation with the course supervisor. The theme will guide the selection of these visits, which may focus on various aspects such as services, policies, collections, knowledge organization, universal design, leadership, marketing, dissemination practices, and current issues relevant to these institutions. The visits may include libraries, archives, museums, or a combination of these, with additional cultural or information-disseminating institutions incorporated if they align with the theme. During the visits, students will engage in meetings with staff and make informal observations.
This course focuses on the variety of approaches and methods found within research. Five qualitative approaches to inquiry are mainly in focus, namely; case study, narrative research, ethnography, phenomenology and grounded theory. Students gain a deeper experiences in data collection and in use of different methods for analyzing their qualitative data. They also gain experience in presenting their findings in written form. Additionally, students have the opportunity to reflect on their own research practices and on themselves as qualitative researchers.
The course deals with describtion of Icelandic authoroties (the executive), the basic structure of the Icelandic administrative system, main tasks of public authotiries, the scope, relevance and rules of the Administrative Act. no 37/1993 and the relevance and rules of the Information Act. no 140/2012. The main emphasis is on the Administrative Act.
The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken.
Work format
Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.
The aim of the course is to introduce students to information architecture along with some basic elements of web management. The course will focus on information architecture such as designing a sitemap, route system, name system, based on the behaviour and needs of users. Other aspects of web management will also be discussed briefly, such as analysis of user needs, user tests and access to web pages.
This course includes visits to a minimum of eight libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural and information-oriented institutions, all centered around a theme chosen in consultation with the course supervisor. The theme will guide the selection of these visits, which may focus on various aspects such as services, policies, collections, knowledge organization, universal design, leadership, marketing, dissemination practices, and current issues relevant to these institutions. The visits may include libraries, archives, museums, or a combination of these, with additional cultural or information-disseminating institutions incorporated if they align with the theme. During the visits, students will engage in meetings with staff and make informal observations.
Supervision: Permanent faculty members in the Information Science program.
The course is based on independent student work where students undertake a defined project in the field of information behavior, such as within a library or information center, or in the field of information management, such as on behalf of a company or institution. The project is intended to address a specific need within information science and is not part of the students' daily work.
The topic and reading materials are determined jointly by the teacher and student. It is necessary to obtain teacher approval before the project begins. Students can, however, take initiative for the project and then contact the teacher they wish to have as supervisor for the project. Similarly, teachers and organizational units that wish to have student involvement in specific projects in the field can propose projects. The maximum number of credits for a practical project in the MIS program is 10 ECTS credits, but students in the MA program can take a maximum of 15 credits.
The scope of the project is measured in credits. The ECTS university credit system is based on the estimated workload of students in specific courses so that each credit equals approximately 25-30 hours of study work, including reading, class attendance, assignments, project processing, and other related activities. The student workload in the practical project course corresponds to the number of credits as can be seen below:
(2 ECTS) is about 50-60 hours. (5 ECTS) is about 125-150 hours (10 ECTS) is about 250-300 hours.
Supervision: Permanent faculty members in the Information Science program.
The course is based on independent student work where students undertake a defined project in the field of information behavior, such as within a library or information center, or in the field of information management, such as on behalf of a company or institution. The project is intended to address a specific need within information science and is not part of the students' daily work.
The topic and reading materials are determined jointly by the teacher and student. It is necessary to obtain teacher approval before the project begins. Students can, however, take initiative for the project and then contact the teacher they wish to have as supervisor for the project. Similarly, teachers and organizational units that wish to have student involvement in specific projects in the field can propose projects. The maximum number of credits for a practical project in the MIS program is 10 ECTS credits, but students in the MA program can take a maximum of 15 credits.
The scope of the project is measured in credits. The ECTS university credit system is based on the estimated workload of students in specific courses so that each credit equals approximately 25-30 hours of study work, including reading, class attendance, assignments, project processing, and other related activities. The student workload in the practical project course corresponds to the number of credits as can be seen below:
(2 ECTS) is about 50-60 hours. (5 ECTS) is about 125-150 hours (10 ECTS) is about 250-300 hours.
Supervision: Permanent faculty members in the Information Science program.
The course is based on independent student work where students undertake a defined project in the field of information behavior, such as within a library or information center, or in the field of information management, such as on behalf of a company or institution. The project is intended to address a specific need within information science and is not part of the students' daily work.
The topic and reading materials are determined jointly by the teacher and student. It is necessary to obtain teacher approval before the project begins. Students can, however, take initiative for the project and then contact the teacher they wish to have as supervisor for the project. Similarly, teachers and organizational units that wish to have student involvement in specific projects in the field can propose projects. The maximum number of credits for a practical project in the MIS program is 10 ECTS credits, but students in the MA program can take a maximum of 15 credits.
The scope of the project is measured in credits. The ECTS university credit system is based on the estimated workload of students in specific courses so that each credit equals approximately 25-30 hours of study work, including reading, class attendance, assignments, project processing, and other related activities. The student workload in the practical project course corresponds to the number of credits as can be seen below:
(2 ECTS) is about 50-60 hours. (5 ECTS) is about 125-150 hours (10 ECTS) is about 250-300 hours.
A reading course taken fall,spring or summer semester.
It is not expected that a fully completed theoretical chapter of a master's thesis will be used in this project, but rather that part of this project could be utilized in a revised form in the theoretical chapter of the thesis.
The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.
A reading course taken fall,spring or summer semester.
It is not expected that a fully completed theoretical chapter of a master's thesis will be used in this project, but rather that part of this project could be utilized in a revised form in the theoretical chapter of the thesis.
The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.
A reading course taken fall,spring or summer semester.
It is not expected that a fully completed theoretical chapter of a master's thesis will be used in this project, but rather that part of this project could be utilized in a revised form in the theoretical chapter of the thesis.
The student works on a written project or a literature review on a specific area related to the research topic of the master thesis. The student contacts the supervisor, who will guide the student regarding this reading course.
A master's thesis is the final project in a master's program and is based on independent research or a work-related research and development project. The final project for the master's degree must be an individual project. The aim of the final project is to train students in independent academic work.
A master's thesis in information science is normally 30-60 credits. A master's thesis must never be less than 30 credits. Master's students have supervisors from the group of lecturers, docents or professors. A supervisor guides with a final project for a master's degree. The supervising teacher and the instructor are usually the same person. It is allowed to hire a co-supervisor, but that hiring is subject to the approval of the department.
The length of master's theses depends on the type of project, its number of units and the subject matter. It should be assumed that a 60-unit master's thesis is generally 30,000–40,000 words, a 40-unit essay is around 25,000–30,000 words, and a 30-unit essay is between 20,000–25,000 words.
The examiner must always evaluate the master's student's final project together with the supervisor. The study program nominates an examiner and the nomination is confirmed by the faculty council.
A master's thesis is the final project in a master's program and is based on independent research or a work-related research and development project. The final project for the master's degree must be an individual project. The aim of the final project is to train students in independent academic work.
A master's thesis in information science is normally 30-60 credits. A master's thesis must never be less than 30 credits. Master's students have supervisors from the group of lecturers, docents or professors. A supervisor guides with a final project for a master's degree. The supervising teacher and the instructor are usually the same person. It is allowed to hire a co-supervisor, but that hiring is subject to the approval of the department.
The length of master's theses depends on the type of project, its number of units and the subject matter. It should be assumed that a 60-unit master's thesis is generally 30,000–40,000 words, a 40-unit essay is around 25,000–30,000 words, and a 30-unit essay is between 20,000–25,000 words.
The examiner must always evaluate the master's student's final project together with the supervisor. The study program nominates an examiner and the nomination is confirmed by the faculty council.
A master's thesis is the final project in a master's program and is based on independent research or a work-related research and development project. The final project for the master's degree must be an individual project. The aim of the final project is to train students in independent academic work.
A master's thesis in information science is normally 30-60 credits. A master's thesis must never be less than 30 credits. Master's students have supervisors from the group of lecturers, docents or professors. A supervisor guides with a final project for a master's degree. The supervising teacher and the instructor are usually the same person. It is allowed to hire a co-supervisor, but that hiring is subject to the approval of the department.
The length of master's theses depends on the type of project, its number of units and the subject matter. It should be assumed that a 60-unit master's thesis is generally 30,000–40,000 words, a 40-unit essay is around 25,000–30,000 words, and a 30-unit essay is between 20,000–25,000 words.
The examiner must always evaluate the master's student's final project together with the supervisor. The study program nominates an examiner and the nomination is confirmed by the faculty council.
The main subject of the course is quantitative methods and statistics used in social sciences. The focus will be on research design, sample methods and designing questionnaires. The statistical part will cover descriptive and inferential statistics. Special emphasis will be on factorial ANOVA and multiple regression. Students will get practical training in data analysis using jamovi. Students can use their own data.
The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.
The history and development of information and records management is covered and students learn to know the main associations and organizations in information and records management as well as their contribution to the field. Laws, regulations and rules concerning information, records and archives are introduced and the aim and methods of information and records management. The main topics of information and records management are studied, such as the records inventory, the retention and disposition schedule, classification and classification systems for records, the storage facilities needed for active and inactive records, vital records security, safety and security plans for information and records. The international standar ISO 15489 will be introduced. The emphasis is on the organization of different forms of records. Examples are given on how various software systems can be used in organizing information and records, in registration, storage and retrieval. The students go through a need analysis for information and records management program in an organization and how such a program should be implemented utilizing the latest software for information and records management. There will be an emphasis on classification of knowledge and classification theories. Students ought to be able to construct a uniform classification system for information and records and to map information and data in organizations. Students visit archives and organizations which have implemented an information and records management program and do a workshop on classification systems. Students complete group projects and an individual assignment during the course.
This course includes visits to a minimum of eight libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural and information-oriented institutions, all centered around a theme chosen in consultation with the course supervisor. The theme will guide the selection of these visits, which may focus on various aspects such as services, policies, collections, knowledge organization, universal design, leadership, marketing, dissemination practices, and current issues relevant to these institutions. The visits may include libraries, archives, museums, or a combination of these, with additional cultural or information-disseminating institutions incorporated if they align with the theme. During the visits, students will engage in meetings with staff and make informal observations.
Organization and management systems. The systems approach. Quality management, quality concepts. Historical development of quality management. Quality cost. Quality in manufacturing. x, R, p, c and cusum-chart. Statistical quality control. Tests of hypotheses. Acceptance sampling - OC curves. Inspection planning. Quality systems and quality assurance. Quality handbook and organizing for quality. ISO 9001. Total Quality Management, improvement step by step, motivations theories. Quality tools. Practical assignment: Designing a quality system for a company.
The course will examine human resource management (HRM) in the public sector. Civil service systems will be discussed in a historical context. Employment-related laws, regulations and procedures are reviewed. The students will be exposed to job functions of HRM professionals, including staffing, recruiting, performance appraisal and compensation. The strategic HRM approach is introduced and the procedure of formulating an HRM policy.
This introductory course in public administration provides students with a holistic overview over how public administration is organized and how it has developed over the last decades. The main characteristics of the public administration in Iceland is introduces, its foundations and main formative elements. The course covers the basic theories and concepts of the discipline of public administration and its scholarly endeavour. It introduces the main organizational theories, and the main theories on decentralization and delegation of power and decision-making. The focus is on the relationship between public administration and politics and how that relationship shapes organizational practices and public policy making. The emphasis is on analysing and understanding the differences between the private and the public sector.
The Java programming language will be used to introduce basic practices in computer programming. Practice in programming is scheduled throughout the semester. An emphasis is placed on logical methods for writing program and good documentation. Main ideas related to computers and programming. Classes, objects and methods. Control statements. Strings and arrays, operations and built-in functons. Input and output. Inheritance. Ideas relatied to system design and good practices for program writing. Iteration and recursion. Searching and Sorting.
Databases and database management systems. Physical data organization. Data modelling using the Entity-Relationship model and the Relational model. Relational algebra and calculus. The SQL query language. Design theory for relational data bases, functional dependencies, decomposition of relational schemes, normal forms. Query optimization. Concurrency control techniques and crash recovery. Database security and authorization. Data warehousing.
The aim of the seminar is to aid students who are writing their thesis. We will discuss how to approach a final thesis and the students will have the opportunity to discuss their research issues. This seminar creates a forum for master students to discuss their research projects and receive support, encouragement and feedback in the work process. The seminar will be flexible to meet the needs of the group of students attending at each time.
In the seminar each student works or their own project and the teaching method is built on a “shut up and write!” ideology. The instructor has a short introduction in each meeting followed by some productive writing of the students in a supportive environment. In the second part of the seminar each student will present and discuss their project for about 20 minutes.
Taught every other week.
Einkunn: Staðið/Fall
This course includes visits to a minimum of eight libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural and information-oriented institutions, all centered around a theme chosen in consultation with the course supervisor. The theme will guide the selection of these visits, which may focus on various aspects such as services, policies, collections, knowledge organization, universal design, leadership, marketing, dissemination practices, and current issues relevant to these institutions. The visits may include libraries, archives, museums, or a combination of these, with additional cultural or information-disseminating institutions incorporated if they align with the theme. During the visits, students will engage in meetings with staff and make informal observations.
This course focuses on the variety of approaches and methods found within research. Five qualitative approaches to inquiry are mainly in focus, namely; case study, narrative research, ethnography, phenomenology and grounded theory. Students gain a deeper experiences in data collection and in use of different methods for analyzing their qualitative data. They also gain experience in presenting their findings in written form. Additionally, students have the opportunity to reflect on their own research practices and on themselves as qualitative researchers.
The course deals with describtion of Icelandic authoroties (the executive), the basic structure of the Icelandic administrative system, main tasks of public authotiries, the scope, relevance and rules of the Administrative Act. no 37/1993 and the relevance and rules of the Information Act. no 140/2012. The main emphasis is on the Administrative Act.
The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken.
Work format
Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.
The aim of the course is to introduce students to information architecture along with some basic elements of web management. The course will focus on information architecture such as designing a sitemap, route system, name system, based on the behaviour and needs of users. Other aspects of web management will also be discussed briefly, such as analysis of user needs, user tests and access to web pages.
This course includes visits to a minimum of eight libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural and information-oriented institutions, all centered around a theme chosen in consultation with the course supervisor. The theme will guide the selection of these visits, which may focus on various aspects such as services, policies, collections, knowledge organization, universal design, leadership, marketing, dissemination practices, and current issues relevant to these institutions. The visits may include libraries, archives, museums, or a combination of these, with additional cultural or information-disseminating institutions incorporated if they align with the theme. During the visits, students will engage in meetings with staff and make informal observations.
Supervision: Permanent faculty members in the Information Science program.
The course is based on independent student work where students undertake a defined project in the field of information behavior, such as within a library or information center, or in the field of information management, such as on behalf of a company or institution. The project is intended to address a specific need within information science and is not part of the students' daily work.
The topic and reading materials are determined jointly by the teacher and student. It is necessary to obtain teacher approval before the project begins. Students can, however, take initiative for the project and then contact the teacher they wish to have as supervisor for the project. Similarly, teachers and organizational units that wish to have student involvement in specific projects in the field can propose projects. The maximum number of credits for a practical project in the MIS program is 10 ECTS credits, but students in the MA program can take a maximum of 15 credits.
The scope of the project is measured in credits. The ECTS university credit system is based on the estimated workload of students in specific courses so that each credit equals approximately 25-30 hours of study work, including reading, class attendance, assignments, project processing, and other related activities. The student workload in the practical project course corresponds to the number of credits as can be seen below:
(2 ECTS) is about 50-60 hours. (5 ECTS) is about 125-150 hours (10 ECTS) is about 250-300 hours.
Supervision: Permanent faculty members in the Information Science program.
The course is based on independent student work where students undertake a defined project in the field of information behavior, such as within a library or information center, or in the field of information management, such as on behalf of a company or institution. The project is intended to address a specific need within information science and is not part of the students' daily work.
The topic and reading materials are determined jointly by the teacher and student. It is necessary to obtain teacher approval before the project begins. Students can, however, take initiative for the project and then contact the teacher they wish to have as supervisor for the project. Similarly, teachers and organizational units that wish to have student involvement in specific projects in the field can propose projects. The maximum number of credits for a practical project in the MIS program is 10 ECTS credits, but students in the MA program can take a maximum of 15 credits.
The scope of the project is measured in credits. The ECTS university credit system is based on the estimated workload of students in specific courses so that each credit equals approximately 25-30 hours of study work, including reading, class attendance, assignments, project processing, and other related activities. The student workload in the practical project course corresponds to the number of credits as can be seen below:
(2 ECTS) is about 50-60 hours. (5 ECTS) is about 125-150 hours (10 ECTS) is about 250-300 hours.
Supervision: Permanent faculty members in the Information Science program.
The course is based on independent student work where students undertake a defined project in the field of information behavior, such as within a library or information center, or in the field of information management, such as on behalf of a company or institution. The project is intended to address a specific need within information science and is not part of the students' daily work.
The topic and reading materials are determined jointly by the teacher and student. It is necessary to obtain teacher approval before the project begins. Students can, however, take initiative for the project and then contact the teacher they wish to have as supervisor for the project. Similarly, teachers and organizational units that wish to have student involvement in specific projects in the field can propose projects. The maximum number of credits for a practical project in the MIS program is 10 ECTS credits, but students in the MA program can take a maximum of 15 credits.
The scope of the project is measured in credits. The ECTS university credit system is based on the estimated workload of students in specific courses so that each credit equals approximately 25-30 hours of study work, including reading, class attendance, assignments, project processing, and other related activities. The student workload in the practical project course corresponds to the number of credits as can be seen below:
(2 ECTS) is about 50-60 hours. (5 ECTS) is about 125-150 hours (10 ECTS) is about 250-300 hours.
