The Department of Information Science Health Librarianship/Informatics program rose to the No. 6 spot in the nation in the 2022 U.S. News and World Report rankings of specialty programs in Library and Information Studies. The program is also ranked #1 in Texas. In addition, the Master of Science with majors in Library Science or Information Science program maintained its spot as 20th (tie) in the nation, and 18th among public universities.
“The Department of Information Science continues to excel in training leading information professionals and scholarly activities,” said Dr. Jiangping Chen, department chair and professor. “Our faculty are innovative researchers and educators who are actively engaged in serving the information communities and the public. We are proud of the achievements of our students and the quality of our nationally ranked programs."
The Health Informatics program, a concentration within the Information Science major, focuses on fundamental concepts and activities in health information management such as electronic health systems, e-science and legal, ethical and philosophical concerns in the field.
"Once again, the UNT medical librarianship/informatics concentration has been recognized for its innovative curriculum and dedicated faculty," said Dr. Ana Cleveland, regents professor and director of the Health Informatics program. "We are known to be a center of excellence, and with the help of our partners, we have achieved a balance in theory and practice. Most of all, we are pleased to contribute to the overall success of UNT."
The program offers students opportunities to connect with leaders in the profession through its Health Informatics Lecture Series. The series, which launched in Fall 2019 has welcomed renowned industry and academic speakers to present on a range of relevant topics.
Most recently, as part of a grant with the Medical Library Association (MLA) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), four students within the UNT Health Informatics program have been selected to participate in the MLA Research Training Institute (RTI) this summer. The Research Training Institute is an online continuing education program for health sciences librarians that provides advanced research methods training and an intensive level of support for health sciences librarians to design, conduct, and disseminate a research project.
The rankings of MLIS programs is based on a survey of academics at peer institutions of over 50 ALA-accredited master’s degree programs in library and information studies.