Programs
Graduate Degrees
The School of Information offers four degrees: professional master’s degrees in information management, data science, and cybersecurity and an academic doctoral degree.
The Master of Information Management and Systems (MIMS) program is a two-year full-time program, designed to train students in the skills needed to succeed as information professionals. Such a profession is inherently interdisciplinary, requiring aspects of computer science, cognitive science, psychology and sociology, economics, business, law, library/information studies, and communications.
The Master of Information and Data Science (MIDS) program is an innovative part-time fully online program that trains data-savvy professionals and managers. Working with data at scale requires distinctive new skills and tools. The MIDS program is distinguished by its disciplinary breadth; unlike other programs that focus on advanced mathematics and modeling alone, the MIDS degree provides students insights from social science and policy research, as well as statistics, computer science and engineering.
The 5th Year Master of Information and Data Science (MIDS) program is tailored for UC Berkeley undergraduates interested in data science careers. Building on their UC Berkeley undergraduate education, the 5th Year MIDS provides Cal students with a streamlined path to earning a professional master’s degree through focused advising and guided preparation.
The Master of Information and Cybersecurity (MICS) program teaches students to develop solutions for complex cybersecurity challenges. Delivered online, MICS provides the technical skills and contextual knowledge students need to assume leadership positions in private sector technology companies as well as government and military organizations.
The I School’s Ph.D. program in Information Science offers the resources, support, and inspiration that scholars need to pursue new ideas, conduct their own research, and shape the evolving relationship between people and information around the world.
| MIMS | MIDS | 5th Year MIDS | MICS | Ph.D. | ||
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| UC Berkeley’s South Hall |  |
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| Online | |
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| 4- to 5-day immersion on the UC Berkeley campus. | |
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| Program length: | Two years | 20 months | 16 months | 20 months | About 6 years | |
| Semesters | 4 | 4–5 | 4 | 4–5 | about 12 | |
| Summers included? | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
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| Full-time | |
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| Part-time | |
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| Standard course load per semester | 12 units (4 courses) | 6 units (2 courses) | 6–9 units (2–3 courses)* | 6 units (2 courses) | 12 units | |
| Total units | 48 | 27 | 27 | 27 | varies | |
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January
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| May | |
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| August | |
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| Application deadline | Early January | Rolling admissions | Early March | Rolling admissions | Early December | |
* 5th Year MIDS students will take 3 classes in the fall, 3 classes in spring, a data science practicum in the summer, and 2 classes, including the capstone, in the fall.
Graduate Certificates
The School of Information offers two graduate certificates for students who have already been admitted to a Berkeley graduate program. These certificates complement a wide range of existing degree programs:
- The Graduate Certificate in Applied Data Science introduces the tools, methods, and conceptual approaches of modern data analysis and decision-making.
- The Graduate Certificate in Information and Communication Technologies and Development equips students to work across boundaries on societal problems in the developing world.
