School of Information Sciences

Overview of School
The School of Information Sciences (SIS) at the University of Pittsburgh is one of the nation's pioneering schools in the education of information professionals, with a history that reaches back more than 100 years. Throughout that century, the School has built and maintained a tradition of excellence and innovation in education, research, and professional activities pertaining to the information sciences. The SIS faculty, staff, students and programs – uniquely interdisciplinary, multicultural, and international by design – are dedicated to the building of a global society and an informed citizenship based upon access to reliable and useful information.

SIS offers several degree-granting programs in three critical information disciplines: Information Science, Telecommunications, and Library & Information Science. The degree programs have garnered outstanding reputations both nationally and internationally. For example, the Master of Library and Information Science degree, which is accredited by the American Library Association, is ranked tenth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Currently, there are 850+ students enrolled at the School.

SIS's 32 faculty are truly multidisciplinary, coming from fields as varied as cognitive psychology, electrical engineering, computer science, library science, history, ethics, and political science. The faculty has ongoing research projects on topics ranging from cross-lingual interfaces to wireless networks, to information assurance. These projects are supported by prestigious agencies including the National Science Foundation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Department of Defense, the National Institutes of Health, and more. With nearly 100 Ph.D. students, SIS provides an environment of intellectual vitality for research across a broad array of topics.

Mission of the School of Information Sciences
The Mission of the School of Information Sciences is to support and advance the broader education, research, and service mission of the University by educating students, furthering knowledge, and contributing our expertise to advance humankind's progress through information.

This mission is achieved through specific actions:

• Providing a high-quality undergraduate program in Information Science
• Offering superior graduate programs in Library and Information Science, Information Science, and Telecommunications
• Engaging in research and scholarly activities that advance learning through the extension of the frontiers of knowledge and creative endeavor
• Cooperating with industry and government to transfer knowledge
• Extending our expertise to local communities and public agencies to contribute to social, intellectual, and economic development in Pennsylvania, the nation, and the world.
• Cooperating with industry and government to transfer knowledge