Graduate Course List

Last updated: June 10, 2025

Here you will find a complete list of graduate courses offered at UBC School of Information, organized by program and subject area.

Each title links to the individual course page where you will find more details about the course and requirements. Unless otherwise indicated, each course is worth 3 credits.

For past and present timetables, visit our Timetables page.

Archival Studies Courses (ARST) 

ARST

* Core Course † Required Course

Library and Information Studies Courses (LIBR) 

LIBR

* Core Course † Required Course

Foundations & Required Courses

Knowledge Representation & Organization

Information Behaviour, Materials, and Services

Information Technology & Systems

Information & Society 

Management of Information Organizations

Text & Collections

Individual Study Courses

Doctoral Courses (PhD) 

PhD Courses

Children’s Literature Courses (CHIL)

CHIL

Students in the MACL program should consult the MACL "Courses" webpage for details on approved courses.

Courses within the School that may be taken by MACL students are:

Courses Outside of the Degree Programs

External Courses

MAS and MLIS Students:

  • Elective courses other than those designated ARST (for MAS students) and LIBR for (MLIS students) may be applied to the program, whether taken at UBC or another institution.
  • External courses may total no more than 12 of the 48 credits required for the MAS or MLIS degree.

Dual MAS/MLIS Students:

  • Elective courses other than those designated ARST and/or LIBR may be applied to the program, whether taken at UBC or another institution.
  • External courses may total no more than 9 of the 81 credits required for the Dual MAS/MLIS degree.

Undergraduate Courses:

  • All courses external to the degree program must be at the 300-level or above (or the equivalent at another institution).
  • A maximum of 6 credits at the undergraduate level in courses numbered 300 to 499 may be counted toward the requirements of a master's degree.
  • Students completing the First Nations Curriculum Concentration are allowed a maximum six (6) credits of approved First Nations coursework at the 300- or 400-level in their Master’s degree program.

Process to Apply for External Credit:

  • Students do not need permission to take iSchool courses outside their program and may elect to take cognate courses from other units at UBC. However, only 12 credits of external coursework can count toward the MLIS or MAS degree (9 credits for the DUAL MASLIS), including courses transferred or taken at other universities. Students should consult with their faculty advisor and/or the Graduate Advisor before selecting courses outside their program.
  • Permission must also be obtained from the instructor of the course and the host department/institution. Some fees may apply for courses taken outside of the department and/or university. Students should consult directly with the hosting department/institution. UBC has exchange agreements with some post-secondary institutions through the Western Dean's Agreement, the Graduate Exchange Agreement, and the Go Global program.

Credit Value of Courses

Credit Value of Courses

Some courses are listed in the UBC Calendar with a choice of credit value. This permits the School to offer several different courses in the same area of specialization carrying the same course number. The form (3-9) indicates that courses within a specialization group number may be taken more than once for credit (with different content each time, as designated by different letters following the course number, and worth 3 credits each time). Within a specialization area, a letter differentiates the courses, e.g. 575A. Courses at UBC iSchool are worth 3 credits.

 

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