AN ETHICALLY FOCUSED, STRATEGIC APPROACH
Information is more than data points and statistics — information drives strategic advantage and social empowerment. In the right hands, information can create innovation and productivity built on more inclusive systems that drive society forward and create opportunities for individuals to make a meaningful difference. Infused with elements of equity, inclusion and social consciousness, the MSIM program will give you a foundational knowledge of the many facets of information management and teach you to consider the human implications and impacts of information systems.
You will gain a holistic knowledge of systems thinking, data-driven strategic planning, ethics and social responsibility that will help you solve organizational problems and critically analyze procedures across all areas of information management. You will graduate ready to become an innovative leader actively taking the information field in a new direction — one that not only solves organizational challenges, but also has a positive impact on society.
KEY DEADLINES

HOW THE MSIM WILL ADVANCE YOUR CAREER
Being an expert in a single field is not enough to lead in the complex information age. Good information leaders need to understand the complexities of people, technology, and processes in the context of their organization and society. We will provide you with a holistic perspective of information management that will enable you to understand and develop innovative solutions to advance organizational strategy across industry sectors.
You will take a set of foundational core courses that cover six key elements:
- Strategic leadership
- Information management
- Professionalism
- Information technology
- Ethics and policy
- System thinking and problem-solving
These courses give you a comprehensive understanding of information management practices that, combined with demonstrated and applied expertise, will make you a highly sought-after information management leader and set you apart in the job market.
CAREER OPTIONS
MSIM students gain the critical, analytical and management skills necessary to lead complex, information-intensive initiatives. Graduates often see immediate professional benefits in the form of new positions, promotions or larger leadership roles in their organizations.
Typical job categories for recent graduates specializing in Business Intelligence and/or Data Science include:
ANALYSTS AND CONSULTANTS
- Senior data analyst
- Business intelligence analyst
- IT advisory risk consultant
- Senior information consultant
- Senior systems analyst
- Senior technical consultant
- Professional services consultant
MANAGERS
- Manager of data science/analytics
- Project manager
- Program manager
- Product manager
- IT service manager
- Manager of business systems
STRATEGIC OVERSIGHT
The longer-term career trajectory of many of our graduates is toward Strategic Oversight roles such as:
- Chief Technology Officer
- Chief Information Officer
- Director, Strategic Execution
- Director, Strategic Technology Initiatives
DEGREE TRACKS
You can tailor the MSIM program to suit your goals and your life, whether you choose to join the online or residential program. We offer three degree path options: Mid-Career, Early-Career and Early-Career Accelerated.

Early-Career
The Early-Career MSIM track is great if you are a recent college graduate, have less than five years of professional experience, or are looking for an opportunity to explore a wider range of topics and hands-on experiences.
Overview
- 65 credits
- Complete up to two specializations (Business Intelligence and Data Science)
- Address a real-world information problem as part of a required Capstone project
- Opportunity to complete one or more internships or applied experiences, including faculty-directed research
- Option to take electives to further customize your learning
- Access to iSchool resources, including the Career Services team and iCareers database, for the full duration of their program—at least two years
- A student can finish in as little as 8 terms (if taking 3 courses in 1 of the terms)

Early-Career Accelerated
The Early-Career Accelerated MSIM track is great if you have focused academic goals. This program is designed to maximize learning across a minimum of five terms and is suitable for recent college graduates or early-career professionals.
Overview
- 40 credits
- Option to complete one specialization, or use electives to customize your learning
- Opportunity to gain hands-on experience through a required practicum, which includes three options: internship, faculty-directed research project, or sponsored project
- A student can finish in as little as 5 terms

Mid-Career
The Mid-Career MSIM track is great if you are a mid-career working professional with at least five years of relevant professional experience.
Overview
- 36 credits
- Opportunity to earn your degree while working full-time or balancing other commitments
- Option to complete one or more specializations (Business Intelligence or Data Science); additional specializations require added credits
- A student can finish in as little as 4 terms (if taking 3 courses in 1 of the terms)
CHOOSE YOUR SPECIALIZATION
MSIM students are encouraged to tailor their coursework to their career goals, with the option to complete up to two specializations depending on their program track and interests. Students pursuing their coursework online currently have access to the two most in-demand specializations, with additional specializations available for students enrolled in residential degree options.
For each of these specializations, there is a single bridge course that provides the prerequisite skills. This will enable all students the ability to select either specialization regardless of your background. These bridge courses are IMT 511 (DS) and IMT 543 (BI).
Business Intelligence (BI)
Building analytical, managerial and baseline technical skills will help you learn to manage the process of transforming data into insight. This specialization has a managerial/strategic focus but also incorporates modern analytics and data warehousing toolsets to provide foundational exposure to key technologies.
Data Science (DS)
In this specialization, you will study the computational and quantitative analysis of large datasets to transform data into information. This track will teach you to use methods, tools and frameworks for analyzing and deriving insight from large-scale, heterogeneous data. Courses in this track are sequenced and cannot be taken out of order.
COURSE CURRICULUM
CORE COURSES
SPECIALIZATION BRIDGE COURSES
SPECIALIZATION COURSES
ELECTIVES
CULMINATING COURSES
Capstone refers to the three-course sequence required for Early-Career students. Capstone includes either:
- Organization-sponsored applied project
- Faculty-sponsored research project
Practicum refers to the one course required for Early-Career Accelerated track students, and optional for Mid-Career and Early-Career track students. Practicum includes either:
- Organization-sponsored applied project
- Faculty-sponsored research project
- Internship
Sample Track Course Plans
Below represents sample course plans depending on which track you intend to pursue. The MSIM online program follows a quarter term schedule. The quarters are: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn. Each term is 10 weeks long with one week for exams, finals, or final projects.
Early-Career Track
Term | EARLY CAREER COURSE PLAN* |
---|---|
Term 1 | IMT 500 (3) IMT 580 (4) |
Term 2 | IMT 550 (4) Optional: Bridge course or Specialization #1 (4) |
Term 3 | IMT 570 (4) Specialization #1 (4) |
Term 4 | Specialization #1 (4) Capstone I (1) Elective (4) |
Term 5 | Specialization #1 or Elective(4) IMT 596 Capstone II (2) |
Term 6 | Optional: Bridge course or Elective (4) IMT 597 Capstone III (2) |
Term 7 | Specialization #2 (4) Internship (5) |
Term 8 | Specialization #2 (4) Elective (4) |
Term 9 | Specialization #2 (4) |
Total | ~18 courses (65 credits) |
* A student can finish in as little as 8 terms if taking 3 courses in 1 of the terms.
Early-Career Accelerated Track
Term | EARLY CAREER ACCELERATED COURSE PLAN** |
---|---|
Term 1 | IMT 500 (3) IMT 580 (4) |
Term 2 | IMT 550 (4) Optional: Bridge course or Specialization (4) |
Term 3 | IMT 570 (4) Specialization (4) |
Term 4 | Specialization (4) Practicum (6) |
Term 5 | Specialization or Elective (4) Elective (3) |
Total | ~10 courses (40 credits) |
** A student can finish in as little as 5 terms
Mid-Career Track
Term | MID CAREER COURSE PLAN*** |
---|---|
Term 1 | IMT 580 (4) Optional: Bridge course (4) or IMT 500 (4) |
Term 2 | IMT 550 (4) Specialization (4) |
Term 3 | IMT 570 (4) Specialization (4) |
Term 4 | Specialization (4) Elective (4) |
Term 5 | Elective (4) |
Total | ~9 courses (36 credits) |
*** A student can finish in as little as 4 terms if taking 3 courses in 1 of the terms.
*** For students wishing to broaden their MSIM degree, it is possible to extend your time at the iSchool to complete a second specialization or additional experiential learning projects.
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COMPARE PROGRAMS
MSIM: Master of Science in Information Management (Information School) | MBA: Master of Business Administration (Foster School of Business)* | MSDS: Master of Science in Data Science (Interdisciplinary, UW Graduate School) | |
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*Note: Foster offers several MBA programs, only three of which are captured in this chart.