Why continue with Information and Social Computing after Stage 1?
The 20-credit Information and Social Computing minor and the 25-credit joint major offer students a wonderful opportunity to explore the interplay among people, information, technology and social structures. In our programme you'll investigate ways to organise, create, present, search and share information more effectively. You'll learn the fundamentals of technolgoies, such as social networking applications and online searching, and examine how they impact lives, organisations and society. You'll be challenged to apply what you're learning to real world problems and solutions.
You can combine your interest in information and social computing with other subjects of choice, to create a package tailored to your personal and career interests.
Moreover, the skills that are developed in Stage 1, and honed in Stage 2/3 modules – including research analysis, evaluation of information, referencing and report writing – are essential for the successful completion of every undergraduate degree, and will prove invaluable, should students choose to continue on to postgraduate research. A number of the later stage modules also offer very practical, technical skills (e.g. web publishing) which are increasingly required in information-based jobs, and are valuable additions to one’s skills portfolio.
Students have the freedom to choose combinations of modules in the later stages of the programmes, which will prepare them to work in information careers, such as
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- Knowledge Officer, Knowledge Administrator, Knowledge Management Analyst, Knowledge & Collaboration Manager
- Information Architect, Web Content Manager, Web Content Developer, Web Designer, Web Information Officer, Intranet Content Manager, Portal Manager, Webmaster
- Social Media Consultant, Social Computing Consultant, Social Computing Officer, Social Media Officer, Social Computing Manager, Social Media Manager
- Social Web Editor, Social Media Coordinator, Interactive Media Specialist, Online Consumer Experience Professional, Social Media Professional, Digital Communications Professional, Social Marketing Professional
- Information Officer, Information Specialist, Information Analyst, Information Consultant
- Researcher, Research Specialist, Research Analyst
- Copy Editor, Publisher, Digital Publisher
- Cataloguer, Indexer, Taxonomy Specialist
- Information Centre Specialist, Records Officer
- Librarian Assistant, Senior Library Assistant
- Digital Librarian, Cybrarian, Net Librarian, Library Technician
- Health service information managers - records management, Market researcher
- Public Sector Information manager – Policy / Foreign Affairs / EU
- Business analyst / Management Consultant
- Public Relations officer / Marketing manager
- Learning Resources Centre Manager, Senior Learning Resource Advisor, Reader Development Officer
- Information Officer, Information Specialist, Information Research Specialist, Assistant Information Officer, Information Adviser, Community and Information Officer, Junior Knowledge Professional
- Legal Information and Records and Manager, Schools Liaison Officer, Clinical Knowledge Database Trainer, Research and Projects Officer, Research Assistant
- Knowledge Officer, Knowledge Administrator, Knowledge Management Analyst, Knowledge & Collaboration Manager
Graduates of our undergraduate programmes have obtained positions in such diverse careers as information managers, bank officials, webmasters, instructional designers, librarians, PR executives, civil servants, research anlaysts, teachers, marketing executives, and information and resource officers.
SILS also has vibrant research programmes and activities. Students from our undergraduate programmes (and other undergraduate programmes) can obtain MA, MLIS and MLitt/PhD degrees at SILS. In the undergraduate programmes, students can take the opportunity to discover topics of interest, which they might wish to research further at postgraduate level. Some of the research areas that can be supervised by SILS academic staff include:
- The use of new social media by individuals, groups and communities
- Inter-organizational and inter-disciplinary collaboration
- Technology to support collaboration in eResearch, medicine and other domains
- Web 2.0 technologies and Virtual Research Environments
- Healthcare information needs and behaviour
- Information behavior of scientists, healthcare professionals, and other professionals
- Everyday life information behaviour
- Ethical issues in information work
