Library and Information Science (Bachelor of Arts, B.A.)

Information in all its forms plays and will continue to play a vital role in every area of knowledge society. The subject is shaped by terms such as ‘networking’, ‘information literacy’, ‘long-term archiving’, ‘media diversity’, ‘open access’, ‘electronic publishing’, ‘copyright’, etc. All of these are closely related to the concept of the ‘digital library’, as well as to documentation and archiving.

In addition to supporting the ability to do independent academic work, the aim of the course is to acquire knowledge regarding functions, structures and working methods as well as the capacity to organise knowledge and information processes.
There is an extremely broad range of professional possibilities in knowledge society for graduates of this bachelor’s course. These range from classical fields of work in library, document and information institutions of all kinds, to activities in areas such as information, content and knowledge management.

The secondary subject course qualifies students for work in positions that require library and information science skills and also technical expertise, such as specialised libraries, technical information institutions, publishing houses and research institutes. This is one of the elements which sets HU students apart from graduates of library-related university courses.

The bachelor’s course offers special preparation for the research-orientated Library and Information Science master’s course, and may be followed by a doctorate at HU.

Core subject Library and Information Science with 120 CP

Mandatory modules (80 CP)

Module BP1: Introduction into Library and Information Science, 10 CP
Module BP2: Information and Communication Technology, 10 CP
Module BP3: Information Production and Management, 10 CP
Module BP4: Metadata Design and Information Organization, 10 CP
Module BP5: Human Information Behavior, 10 CP
Module BP6: Project Module, 10 CP
Module BP7: Practical Training, 10 CP
Module BP8: Bachelor's Thesis, 10 CP

Mandatory elective modules(40 CP)

Select 2 of the following 5 elective modules:

Module BWP1: Information Literacy, 10 CP
Module BWP2: Information Processing and Storage, 10 CP
Module BWP3: Information and Society, 10 CP
Module BWP4: Human-Computer-Interaction , 10 CP
Module BWP5: Management of Information Organizations, 10 CP

The remaining 20 CP may be selected from other annotated university calendars.
In addition to specialised study, Students acquire subject-specific, non-specialist and interdisciplinary key qualifications of 20 CP. The general elective modules can be chosen from the module catalogues of other subjects or central institutions (see: http://agnes.hu-berlin.de/).

Second subject Library and Information Science with 60 CP

Modules BP1 to BP5 of the bachelor core subject mandatory modules, 50 CP together
Modul BP7 of the bachelor core subject mandatory modules, 10 CP

General elective course offerings for Students coming from other Courses of Studies

Module BP2: Information and Communication Technology, 10 CP
Module BP3: Information Production and Management, 10 CP
Module BP4: Metadata Design and Information Organization, 10 CP
Module BP5: Human Information Behavior, 10 CP
Module BP6: Project Module, 10 CP
Module BWP2: Information Processing and Storage, 10 CP
Module BWP3: Information and Society, 10 CP
Module BWP4: Human-Computer-Interaction , 10 CP
Module BWP5: Management of Information Organizations, 10 CP