The Master¡¯s in Information Studies is centred around real-world cases and problems. Each semester, you and your fellow students will work on a semester project where you analyse, design, develop and evaluate solutions for the use of IT systems in companies and organisations. Each project will have you working with an external or internal partner. This way, you develop a strong portfolio of project work that demonstrates your ability to engage with and solve real-world problems, as well as your project management skills. Through the semester projects and elective courses, you get the opportunity to specialise in specific organisations, domains and contexts.

With a Master¡¯s in Information Studies, you will be familiar with all relevant state-of-the-art methods and practices for conducting user research. This enables you to form an understanding of your target audience, their characteristics, attitudes, behaviours, needs and contexts using qualitative and quantitative methods. You will also gain competences in the use of methods and tools for descriptive and predictive analyses to enable data-driven decision-making in your future user analyses and projects. You will learn about development methods (such as agile methods and prototyping as core tools), design methods (such as storyboards, flowcharts and wireframes) and user testing methods (such as eye-tracking and usability testing).

With a Master¡¯s in Information Studies, you will typically get responsibilities such as conducting detailed user research that enables you to understand how users interact with existing ICT systems, and how to identify potential problems. You will be skilled at designing solutions to address such problems through (re-)designing systems and monitoring their development, implementation and use ¨C and you will gain experience with managing a complex process.  Information Studies graduates work with tasks such as user research, behavioural analysis, usability, project management, information architecture and data analysis.

In the 1st semester you will be introduced to the role of the user in ICT systems: how to analyse existing user practises and involve them in the design and development of new systems and the improvement of existing ones. In addition, you will learn the core methods for data collection and analysis as well as get an overview of theories and traditions of Information Studies. The semester begins with an introduction to the problem-based learning approach used at Aalborg University, and the handwork of writing good academic English in the field of Information Studies.

Project module

• User Studies and Information Behaviour (10 ECTS)

Example projects

• Understanding the search behaviour of recruiters at Jobindex
• Self-tracking using apps and wearables: Habits, motivation and abandonment
• A usability evaluation of the UNOPS e-commerce platform

Additional courses on 1st semester

• Research and Methods in Information Studies (10 ECTS)
• Theories and Traditions in Information Studies (10 ECTS)

In the 2nd semester you will focus on the theoretical and methodical aspects of user centred systems design and Human-Computer-Interaction (HCI). The main project module deals with theories and methods for design and development of ICT systems. You will be introduced to key design approaches, processes and tools¡ªincorporating functional, aesthetic, experiential and learning design principles. The focus is on the interaction between users and technology, as well as deployment including understanding and organisation of social practises, policies and cultures around ICT systems. In your semester project you will typically be working on designing or redesigning an app or a website for a company or organisation.

Project module

• Development and Design of ICT (20 ECTS)

Example projects

• Designing and developing a chatbot solution to support Wikipedia editors
• Designing a patient flow management system at Svendborg Emergency Department
• An interactive Augmented Reality app for bars and caf¨¦s
• An iterative, user-centred design and development approach for a voice-user interface using Google Assistant to solve time management issues

Additional courses on 2nd semester - example electives

• Introduction to Data Science (10 ECTS)
• Design Thinking - from idea to action (10 ECTS)
• Computational Thinking - Creative Computing for All (10 ECTS)

In the 3rd semester you can gain experience with applying your knowledge of user studies, development and design in real-world situations. Through a three-month internship at a company or organisation you can test your skills and collaborate on solving an issue on the basis of Information Studies in a relevant company, organisation or institution. The idea is for you to develop a knowledge and understanding of the concrete work reality that the program is directed towards and to reflect on this. The internship will be documented in a written report on the basis of the theory and methods of the entire program.

If you feel that you already have plenty of work experience (e.g., through relevant student jobs), then as an alternative you can choose to work independently on a current problem in the ¡®Theoretical Information Science Course¡¯. The intention is that you develop an awareness of and insight in discussing and communicating a scientific problem. Your work will culminate in a scientific article that places the scientific problem within the subject field, and explains the theoretical and methodological framework as well as the academic contribution of your work.

Project module

• Information Studies in Practice (30 ECTS)

Example projects

• Developing a ¡®European Test Finder¡¯ at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (Internship report)
• Creating a floorwalk service in Conecto (Internship report)
• User attitudes towards conversational AI (Theoretical article)
• Automatic classification of relevance aspects in complex game requests (Theoretical article)

Alternative course on 3rd semester

• Theoretical Information Science Course (30 ECTS)

During the fourth semester you will be working on your Master¡¯s thesis with a subject of your choice. The content of the module will be partly direct supervision from a thesis supervisor, but also counselling regarding the academic, methodological and theoretical approaches to the thesis and partly teaching on a selected group of research- and methodology-related topics. The Master¡¯s thesis can be written in groups or individually, and typically focuses on? either a problem from an external organisation, or on a theoretically-inspired challenge.

Project module

• Master¡¯s thesis module (30 ECTS)

Example projects

• Examining the usability of Siri while driving a car
• Optimising the interface of the DR.tv recommender system
• The Influence of Data Storytelling on the Learning Effect
• Investigating the use of user-centred design among Bay Area start-ups
• Data-driven optimization of Google Ad campaigns
• Streamlining the workflow of Novo Nordisk¡¯s internal knowledge sharing platform
• An exploration of digital hoarding behaviour
• Investigating playlist curation behaviour on Spotify
• Implementing conversational design Models in a Chatbot Management System

Courses on 4th semester

• Individual supervision
• Research and methodology related workshops

See the curriculum.

Graduates from Information Studies are typically responsible for conducting detailed user studies in order to analyse how users interact with existing ICT systems and to identify potential issues. This is often combined with designing solutions to address these issues through the (re-)design of systems, as well as overseeing their development, implementation, and use.

Graduates in Information Studies work, for example, within:

• UX design
• User research
• Behavioural analysis
• Usability
• Project management
• Information architecture
• IT consultancy
• Data analysis

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