About the School
ÉSIS offers an Information Studies program grounded in theory, supported by practical work experience, and integrally connected to the pulse and trends of the leading knowledge centres in the National Capital Region and beyond. With a wide variety of professors from a range of interdisciplinary backgrounds, a multi-cultural student body, and a strong commitment to student learning outcomes, uOttawa offers a first-class Information Studies education, all within a bilingual North American setting.
The path to a career in information and library sciences is a unique journey: we’re looking for students from a well-rounded undergraduate background who are ready to take their current information or library career to a higher level, as well as those seeking a master’s degree to support a new career path. These students are curious, conceptual thinkers, and they have the ability to adapt to a fast-changing landscape.
Established in 2007, the School grew out of a real need: the library and information community in the National Capital Region was seeking to hire bilingual employees who were graduates of a master’s program, well versed in information skills, and who could grow to be future leaders, managers and curators of the information profession. Because the School was established in close consultation with the local information professional sectors, ÉSIS receives unparalleled support from its hiring community.
ÉSIS is unique because of its:
- bilingual (English-French) program that offers the only North American opportunity to prepare for a career in a multilingual and multicultural organization;
- small class sizes which support personal attention from our highly qualified faculty members;
- experienced and interdisciplinary faculty drawn not only from the School, but also from a variety of academic units within the University of Ottawa (such as law, translation, management and communication), as well as from the professional community;
- flexible study options, including course-based, co-op or thesis options, allowing students to tailor their program of study to meet their professional and research-based interests;
- unparalleled proximity to major Canadian information institutions, such as Library and Archives Canada, the Library of Parliament, the Canadian Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (CISTI-NRC), the archives of the national museums and galleries, two major public library systems (Ottawa and Gatineau), three university libraries (uOttawa, Carleton and Université du Québec en Outaouais), and a wide range of information-based centres in government departments, NGOs and private institutions, that offer a variety of experiences and opportunities for students;
- full- and part-time programs that consistently attract mature students wishing to expand their career options; full-time students can complete their graduate studies in two years, while part-time students can pace themselves and keep their current jobs while laying the groundwork for a new career.
Read what current students and recent graduates are saying about our programs.