Combined Degree Program

Combined Degree Program Coordinator: Prof. Heather MacNeil

Full-time students have the option of pursing both Master of Information and Master of Museum Studies degrees at the same time. The duration of this joint program is three years.

On this page, you will find:

• Degree requirements & pathways to completion
• Sample course sequence
• Careers
• Fees
• Frequently Asked Questions

Quick links:

• Master of Information program information
• Master of Museum Studies program information

If you have any questions about the program, please connect with the Student Services team at inquire.ischool@utoronto.ca.

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Degree requirements & pathways

All CDP students achieve 13.0-credits by completing the required courses of the MI and MMSt degree programs and electives. CDP is offered on a full-time basis, and designed to be completed in 3 years (with a maximum allowed duration of 4 years).

The program requires students to complete 13.0-credits. Once students complete 13.0-credits, they will be marked for graduation and no additional courses can be taken. In the process of completing the 13.0-credits, students might be eligible to request to take up to 1.0-credit of “extra” courses that do not contribute to degree requirements.

CDP students typically follow the following sequence of enrolment and registration:

1. Year 1 of study as an MI student,
2. Year 2 of study as an MMSt student
3. Year 3 with dual registration in both the MI and MMSt programs.

To fulfill the Combined Degree Program requirements, students must:

(a) Complete 13.0-credits of courses

(b) Complete the following:

It is important to note that students in the CDP follow a structured and rigorous set of requirements to complete 2 degrees over 3 years that would normally take 4 years to complete if taken separately. It is important to us that you are thinking conscientiously about the competencies and skill sets that you want to acquire in this condensed format. Depending on the MI concentration/pathway that you want to follow, and the skill set you intend to acquire under the MMSt branch, we recommend that you connect with Student Services, the CDP coordinator, the MI/MMSt Program Directors or Concentration liaisons to ensure that your choice of electives supports your interests and career goals.

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Sample course sequence

The above sample sequence will allow you to complete degree requirements in 3 years.

Final check:

• Did you complete at least 5.0-credits of MMSt courses (out of the 13.0-credits total)?
  • Did you complete all the MMSt required courses?
• Did you complete at least 5.0-credits of MI courses (out of the 13.0-credits total)?
  • Did you complete all the required courses for your MI concentration (or the GPP)?

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Careers

According to the Committee on Libraries, Archives and Museums (CALM), established by the American Library Association, there is large interest in collaboration, convergence and joint standards among these institutions. Overlapping roles and integrated access to collections are good reasons for such partnerships. Museums cannot be imagined without websites and its increasingly common to have collections digitally recorded in a database or information system.

The use of interactive kiosks, 3D technology, mobile apps and the latest digital tools is growing as museums are integrating technology in all aspects of their operations. At the annual conference “Museums and the Web”, presentations on “user experience design in web museums”, “museum informatics” and “digital curation” are further uncovering this trend. Big data is a hot topic in information and museum fields, while conversations about usability, access to information, crowdsourcing, cloud computing, and digital preservation are gaining more attention in both areas. Finally, our students are also actively involved in social justice related matters such as fostering equity, diversity and inclusion through

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Fees

1. Year 1 Full-time fees will be charged for the program started first (MI) only.
2. Year 2 Full-time fees will be charged for the program started second (MMSt) only.
3. Year 3 Students will pay full-time fees for the program started first (MI)

Tuition fees for a full-time Master’s student at the Faculty of Information is approximately $6,000 per term for domestic students, and $20,000 per term for international students. Please review our Fees page for accurate year to year tuition fees information. A year constitutes of 2 terms (the Fall and Winter term). If students take courses in the Summer, no additional tuition will be charged.

Review information on our Money Matters page on awards, scholarships and financial aid that students should be applying for.

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Frequently asked questions

• Can I do a Thesis in the CDP program?
• Can I do two MI concentrations?
• Can I do an MI Co-op?
• Can I do a Summer Museum Studies internship?
• Why do CDP’s begin 1st year in the MI program?
• Can I withdraw from CDP and revert to one program (i,e. MI or MMSt)
• Why does it make sense to take these two programs together?
• What course sequence should I follow?

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Can I do a thesis?

Because the CDP program is particularly demanding and complex to navigate, completing a thesis, which is already a major engagement on its own, is usually neither possible nor recommendable for CDP students. Enrolling in the thesis option would likely involve additional time and affect program cost and potentially cause scheduling difficulties.

CDP students who have a strong motivation to pursue a thesis must clearly articulate why that would be the best option for them, and secure a supervisor who supports their request before the end of the Fall term of their second year. As thesis requirements are different for MI and MMSt students, CDP students must declare whether they intend to complete an MI or an MMSt thesis, and complete all requirements accordingly.

CDP students who decide to pursue a thesis are not eligible to do the Exhibition Project (MSL4000Y).

Quick links:

• MI thesis requirements
• MMSt thesis requirements

Request procedure:

Please provide a statement to the CDP Coordinator with the following information:

• A clear rationale on why a thesis is the best path forward for your academic plan
• Indicate your thesis supervisor/second reader as support for your request
• A brief overview of your research topic (no more than 500 words)
• Whether or not you have met the pre-requisite(s) for doing the MI or MMSt thesis

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Can I do two MI concentrations?

Yes, though it may be difficult to satisfy both sets of required courses. There are no guarantees that we can ensure a manageable pathway. Students following a concentration must ensure that they choose appropriate required and elective courses to fulfill the requirements of their concentration. A maximum of two concentrations is allowed; however, it is strongly advised that students choose only one concentration. Students choosing to do two concentrations may encounter scheduling difficulties. You are responsible for ensuring that you complete the concentration requirements – which is tallied only at the time of request to graduate. Students can enrol in courses from all concentrations as an elective, no matter what concentration they choose.

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Can I do an MI co-op?

No. As CDP students must fulfill a complex and intense set of requirements for both the Master of Information and Master of Museum Studies in order to graduate with both degrees. Also, the MMSt portion of the program involves work integrated learning in the form of an internship (MSL3000H, elective choice) and Exhibition Project (MSL4000Y, required); the MI program can involve a practicum course (INF2173H; INF2158H) The program requirements for the combined degree does not allow time to complete two work terms outside of the university. As such, this makes it difficult to complete the co-op.

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Can I do a Museum Studies summer internship?

Yes. Starting in the winter of the second year, students have the option of completing a 12-week summer internship (MSL3000H). The mandatory ‘The Emerging Professional’ course (INF3900H) offered in the Fall will help you prepare for and identify an internship opportunity through class sessions, group work, assignments and one-on-one advising sessions with the course instructors. Additionally, CDP students will be completing an exhibition project (MSL4000Y) in their 3rd year.

The Museum Studies Internship Award

There are two bursaries from the Rebanks and Campbell families that provide some level of financial assistance to eligible students who participate in MSL3000H. There is an application process to be eligible as students must demonstrate financial need. All eligible students receive the same funding and it is based upon the combined investment return from previous year.

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Why do CDP’s begin 1st year in the MI program?

All CDPs begin their first year in the MI program. There are several reasons for doing so, namely:

• By starting all in the same program, we build a co-operative CDP cohort that will move together through the three year program.
• This allows for greater flexibility in course enrolment as the larger program of the two (almost 5 times more students), there are more MI electives. This provides CDP students with the maximum time (three years) to take advantage of both required and elective MI courses.

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Can I withdraw from CDP and revert to one program (i,e. MI or MMSt)?

It is not common; however, we understand that unexpected circumstances may occur that require a switch / withdrawal. Consult with Student Services and/or the CDP Coordinator when making this determination. Student Services can help you complete the required notification forms and meet with you to consider degree completion costs and course requirements to compete your program.

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Why does it make sense to take these two programs together?

This is a great question! There are many operational and theoretical benefits for taking two programs as one.

Unlike program specific students, courses are not considered external; which means you do not require special permission to enrol in MI / MMSt courses.

At the very basic level, you can complete two Master’s programs in three, instead of four years. The program recognizes some overlap in learning objectives and have identified program success by completing 13.0 credits instead of 15.5 credits.

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What course sequence should I follow?

This is a personal choice on how you wish to map your academic plan while at the Faculty.

It is important to note that students in the CDP follow a structured and rigorous set of requirements to complete 2 degrees over 3 years that would normally take 4 years to complete if taken separately. It is important to us that you are thinking conscientiously about the competencies and skill sets that you want to acquire in this condensed format. Depending on the MI concentration/pathway that you want to follow, and the skill set you intend to acquire under the MMSt branch, we recommend that you connect with Student Services, the CDP coordinator, the MI/MMSt Program Directors or Concentration liaisons to ensure that your choice of electives supports your interests and career goals.

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