E-Government Concentration at University of Maryland's iSchool
View PDF VersionThe E-government Concentration focuses on the nature, current impacts, and potential future impacts of e-government, also known as digital government or electronic government. E-government is the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies by governments to provide information and services, as well as to use as channels of communication to citizens, businesses, and other governments. The United States and many other governments around the world at local, state, federal, and supra-national levels have developed an online presence, ranging from simple information provision to complex, interactive services.
E-government is an evolving phenomenon, with implications for government efficiency, transparency, communication, service delivery, engagement with citizens, and information provision, collection, and preservation. This concentration will include study of the nature of government information, the role of the political process and information policy in shaping e-government, the reasons that cause populations to use or not use e-government, challenges to accessing e-government, and the means of evaluating the impacts and successes of e-government. It will also address critical foundational content areas that information professionals will require in designing, delivering, evaluating, and managing e-government.
Enrollment in this concentration is open to students in the MLS program at the College of Information Studies. Courses within this concentration are open to both MLS and MIM students, though MIM students may take the courses only as electives. MLS students interested in enrolling in the E-government Concentration should contact Dr. Paul T. Jaeger at pjaeger@umd.edu or (301) 645-1741.
Interested MLS students may enroll concurrently in the E-government Concentration and the Archives, Records, and Information Management Specialization. Such a combination will be valuable to students wishing to work in electronic archives or electronic records management for the government.
CurriculumAn MLS student enrolling in this concentration will be required to take 15 credits focused on this concentration. Such a Master's program will consist of the following courses:
| Area | Details | Credits |
| MLS Core Courses | LBSC 601, 650, 670, and 690* | 12 |
| MLS Management Course | LBSC 635 (or predecessor) | 3 |
| Electives | Two approved courses from MLS, MIM, Public Affairs, or other relevant programs | 6 |
| E-Gov Concentration Courses | As specified below | 15 |
| TOTAL CREDITS FOR MLS WITH E-GOVERNMENT CONCENTRATION | 36 |
The specific courses and options that comprise the E-Government Concentration requirement are:
| Course Title | Credits |
| E-Government (LBSC 708E/INFM 718E) | 3 |
| Information Policy (LBSC 625/INFM 719) | 3 |
| Access to Federal Government Information (LBSC 767) | 3 |
| Legal Issues in Managing Information (LBSC 735) | 3 |
One of the following (depending on interests and professional goals):
|
3 |
If a student enrolled in the program wishes to write a thesis on e-government, LBSC 799 Masters' Thesis Research (6 hours) will substitute for one course in the concentration (except E-government LBSC 708E/INFM 718E) and one elective course. With permission of the concentration advisor, LBSC 709 Independent Study may count as a course in the concentration (except E-government LBSC 708E/INFM 718E) or as an elective.
GOALS of the E-government concentration The primary goals of the E-government Concentration are to prepare students to understand:- The range of information, services, and activities that comprise e-government;
- The policy and legal issues framing e-government initiatives;
- The relationship of e-government to other government activities;
- The social, political, and technological factors driving the development and current state of e-government;
- The identification of best practices and lessons learned from the national and international community;
- The methods of ensuring the availability, integrity, authentication, confidentiality, and non-repudiation of information systems;
- The issues and challenges in providing universal access to e-government;
- The ethical responsibilities and challenges of providing government services via the Internet;
- The technical implementation, management, and security of e-government;
- The future social and political implications of e-government;
- The techniques for analyzing e-government within the larger policy environment and political context; and
- The process of evaluating e-government websites.