The Department of Information Science (DIS) is an active and highly regarded Department, which, since its creation in 1972, has established a national and international reputation in its field.
DIS moved into refurbished state-of-the art teaching and research accommodation in the Bridgeman Building during June 2012. The Department supports a thriving postgraduate student community of 80 taught and 40 research students from 11 different countries. 21 academic staff are employed, plus a dedicated team of support staff. The Department also offers a range of undergraduate programmes, and has a usual complement of 300 students studying BA and BSc degrees.
In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), 85% of the Department's research was ranked at an International standard. The Department of Information Science was rated 1st in the UK for Librarianship and Information Management in the Times Good University Guide 2011 and 2012.
Loughborough
Loughborough is the largest town in Leicestershire, with a population of over 50,000. It has traffic-free shopping areas with popular high-street chain stores, three large supermarkets, and an outdoor market. The town offers a variety of entertainment including a cinema, a theatre and clubs with live music. Eating places include Thai, Chinese, Indian, Italian, Mexican and Australian restaurants, bistros, sandwich shops, and noodle bars - plus traditional English pub food.
Loughborough's central position makes it easy to visit most places in the UK and many in Europe. It is just one mile (1.5 km) from the M1 motorway and eight miles (13 km) from East Midlands International Airport, where budget airlines provide cheap and easy access to mainland Europe.
The University has outstanding sports facilities including an athletics centre, a racquet centre, a 50 metre swimming pool and a state-of-the-art fitness centre. These facilities are available to all students.
Loughborough Students' Union plays a key part in maintaining the ‘Loughborough Student Experience' - one of the very best in the country. There are more than 100 clubs and societies to join and a packed programme of social events such as live bands, hot-air ballooning and canoeing.
Loughborough offers accommodation for more than 5,000 students on campus. John Phillips Hall specifically accommodates postgraduate students.
Take a virtual tour of the university campus.
Studying With Us
Postgraduate Taught Degrees
The Department offers the following postgraduate taught programmes:
Information Management and Business Technology
- MSc: 1 year full-time; up to 5 years part-time
- Diploma: 9 months full-time; up to 3 years part-time
- Certificate: 4 months
Information and Knowledge Management
- MSc: 1 year full-time; up to 3 years part-time
- Diploma: 9 months full-time
- Certificate: 4months
Information and Library Management
- MSc: 1 year full-time; up to 3 years part-time
- Diploma: 9 months full-time
For more information, please visit our postgraduate taught programmes.
Research Degrees (Ph.D: 3 years full-time; 5 years part-time. M.Phil: 2 years full-time; 3 years part-time):
Postgraduate research students are based in the Department's dedicated research space on the ground floor of the Bridgeman Building. Students are in nearly all instances supported by two academic supervisors with appropriate expertise, and all research students have access to funds supporting conference attendance. During the three years of full-time research, students undertake a formal programme of research methods training (on average 10 days per year). Research methods training is designed to provide support and help students in areas such as preparing reports and writing up work. Applicants are free to either suggest a research topic within their own field of study, but are equally welcome to discuss specific areas of interest with academic staff in the Department within these broad topic areas:
- Preservation Management
- Management of Information and Library Services
- Information Policy, Law & Ethics
- Information Organisation and Retrieval
- Information and Knowledge Management
- People Centred Design and Capability Building
- Scholarly Communications
- E-society
- Publishing
- Computer Games and Virtual Worlds
Ph.D research in DIS reflects the wide scope of Information Science, with topics including:
- The Role of Academic Libraries in Supporting Distance Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia;
- Causes of email communication stress and methods to reduce email stress;
- Intellectual capital in the Jordanian newspaper sector;
- The adoption of ICT in Malaysian public hospitals;
- User Relationships with Avatars in Digital Games and Virtual Worlds;
- Modelling an Information Management System for the National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana;
- Information governance for the agricultural research sector in Brazil.
Apply Now for a place on one of these programmes. If you require further information please visit our Website.
Facilities and student support
DIS is based in the Bridgeman Building, which is located in the centre of Loughborough University's campus. This dedicated space includes two substantial PC labs, a dual-boot Mac lab, plus substantial state-of-the art teaching space. Seminar rooms in the Department can be booked by students for quiet study or workgroups when they are not being used for teaching.
The University's Student Support Centre organises pre-sessional courses for overseas students before the start of each academic year. This includes a four-week English language course, a two-week study skills course and a one-week course to help students settle into University life.
