The Faculty of Information is the information school (iSchool) of the University of Toronto, based on its St. George campus in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1928 as a library school to train professionals in library and information science, its research and teaching expanded over the decades to encompass various adjacent technical and non-technical fields.

To acknowledge this broader shift in academic inquiry from solely libraries, the faculty became a tier one member of the iSchool Association in 2005, and added the iSchool designation to its name in 2006, becoming the first information school in Canada to do so. It has since become a hub at the university for interdisciplinary inquiry and teaching in human-computer interaction, data science, knowledge management, information systems, information policy, museum studies, culture and technology, digital humanities and information science.

The Faculty of Information is housed at the Claude Bissell building, which is attached to the John P. Robarts Research Library and the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. As of August 2026, the building is undergoing a renovation intended to modernize its facilities and better support the Faculty's research and teaching activities. During the renovation period, the Faculty of Information has relocated to two locations on Spadina Avenue in Toronto: 455 Spadina Avenue and 481 Spadina Avenue.

History The Faculty of Information was founded as the University of Toronto Library School within the Ontario College of Education in 1928 and was initially housed at 315 Bloor Street.Bassam, Bertha. The Faculty of Library Science University of Toronto and Its Predecessors, 1911-1972. University of Toronto Press, 1978, p. 23. In 1971, the school moved again to its present location at 140 St. George Street. The name changed to the Faculty of Library and Information Science in 1982 and then the Faculty of Information Studies in 1994. In 2005, the faculty joined the iSchool movement and accordingly in 2006, it was renamed the Faculty of Information (iSchool).

The faculty has offered a variety of degrees since its inception, which haved reflected the evolving needs of professions in information and technology related professions, as well as librarianship. Between 1928 and 1936, it offered one-year Diploma in Librarianship, and from 1936 to 1970, a one-year Bachelor of Library Science degree, which was accredited by the American Library Association in 1937.Bassam, Bertha. The Faculty of Library Science University of Toronto and Its Predecessors, 1911-1972. University of Toronto Press, 1978, p. 42. The late 1960s saw the emergence of the Master of Library Science (MLS) degree as the first professional degree in librarianship, which was introduced in the school in 1970 and required four semesters to complete.Bassam, Bertha. The Faculty of Library Science University of Toronto and Its Predecessors, 1911-1972. University of Toronto Press, 1978, p. 84. The doctoral program was established in 1971, with Claire England holding the first PhD in library science that was awarded in Canada in 1974.Bassam, Bertha. The Faculty of Library Science University of Toronto and Its Predecessors, 1911-1972. University of Toronto Press, 1978, p. 108.

In 1988, the faculty began to offer a Master of Information Science (MIS) degree. In 1995, the MLS and MIS degrees were both replaced with the Master of Information Studies (MISt) degree, which had three areas of specialization: archival studies, information systems, and library and information science. The name of the degree was changed to Master of Information (MI) in 2009.

In 2006, the faculty began to offer a Master of Museum Studies (MMSt) degree when the Department of Museum Studies joined the Faculty of Information. The MMSt is a professionally oriented degree that aims to train professionals in galleries, museums and other cultural heritage institutions.

In 2019, the school welcomed the first cohort of its second-entry Bachelor of Information program. The curriculum blends social sciences, humanities, and computing science to study how societies interact with information technologies and to provide students with the skills needed to understand and create change in a data- and technology-intensive world. Conceived with a design and professionally-oriented focus, it aims to integrate students' prior academic training in the first two or more undergraduate years with coursework in computing, data science, design, and critical technology studies. The BI is unique for integrating design thinking, critical scholarship, and hands-on learning (including studio courses and a required Work Integrated Learning Practicum) into a single program, aiming to produce graduates ready for careers in information technology, policy and research, or cultural stewardship

Academics The Faculty offers degrees related to information studies: a second-entry undergraduate Bachelor of Information, a Master of Information (organised into 8 concentrations), a Master of Museum Studies, and a PhD in Information, along with combined degree programs awarded in collaboration with other academic divisions at the university, on both the St. George and Mississauga campuses.

Undergraduate program The Bachelor of Information (BI) is a professional program that blends coursework in the social sciences, humanities, and computer science to formally study how people and societies interact with information technologies. Being a second-entry program, students apply for the program at least by the end of their second year of undergraduate study. Many students also apply at the end of their third year or after completing an undergraduate degree in another field. Grades as well as a statement of intent for switching form the basis of their application to the program, with student fit for the faculty and program are emphasized in admissions decisions.

The BI imparts graduates with a interdisciplinary set of technical and conceptual tools that prepare them for computing- or data-related positions in industry, or for possible graduate study in Human Computer Interaction, Archives and Records Management, Librarianship, Policy Studies, Business or Computer Science.

The Faculty is transitioning its undergraduate curriculum to meet the evolving demands of the real world. The four-year Bachelor of Information (BI) degree is designed for students who want to understand both the technical and human dimensions of the digital world. The program prepares students to design, build, analyze and improve information systems responsibly and ethically.

The new degree received official approval from the Ontario Universities Council on Quality Assurance in April. It will welcome its first cohort of students in September 2027, with applications opening in fall 2026 for direct entry from high school.

Coursework Courses in the program involve lecture and technical studio work, instructed by professors from the graduate Information program and industry practitioners.

In the first year, lecture courses give rigorous training in critical analysis and in issues around technology and society, while studio courses offer hands-on training with conceptual frameworks, computer hardware, and software commonly used in user experience design, computer programming and data science professions. A practicum preparation course helps students become acquainted with information professions, transitions students from their previous studies, and provides guidance in acquiring their summer practicum position.

Between the first and second years, students take a practicum course which is a work integrated learning experience enabling them to get practical experience related to Information in an outside-of-classroom setting. These positions have ranged from industry roles in user experience design or data science, to research assistantships on campus with faculty doing similar work.

In the second year, more advanced lecture and studio work builds upon the foundational training, coupled with elective and independent research courses taken either from the Faculty of Information or other University of Toronto faculties such as Engineering or Arts and Science. In their final term, students are required to complete a capstone course, where teams of students are paired with a faculty advisor to solve an open-ended design problem typically within the realm of information technology. Previous projects have encompassed a social media account archival platform, a trash collection robot, and a terms and conditions summarization tool, among others.

Graduate programs Master of Information (MI) Archives and Records Management (ARM) Critical Information Policy Studies (CIPS) Culture and Technology (C&T) Human-Centred Data Science (HCDS) Information Systems and Design (ISD) Knowledge Management and Information Management (KMIM) Library and Information Science (LIS) User Experience Design (UXD) Master of Museum Studies (MMSt)

Combined Degree Program (CDP)

This program permits graduate students to complete a Master of Information (MI) and a Master of Museum Studies (MMSt) concurrently within the span of three years.

PhD program The Faculty of Information offers a PhD in Information, a four-year advanced research degree, attracting students from a wide range of backgrounds, who conduct research at the intersection of information, technology, culture, people, and communities.

Collaborative specializations Collaborative Specializations are open to all graduate students in the Faculty of Information.Faculty of Information. Collaborative Programs for MI and PhD Students. Retrieved 2011-10-22. They are designed to allow students to focus on specialized subject interests and since they are a result of cooperation between different graduate units at the university, separate admission process is required of those who wish enter them. Currently, there are eight collaborative specializations available: Aging, Palliative & Supportive Care Across the Life Course; Book History and Print Culture, based at Massey College; Environment Studies, Food Studies; Jewish Studies; Knowledge Media Design, led by Faculty of Information; Sexual Diversity Studies; Women and Gender Studies.

Research institutes

Knowledge Media Design Institute The Knowledge Media Design Institute (KMDI) was founded by Professor Ron Baecker and focuses on exploring and critiquing the knowledge media that enable people to communicate, create, learn, share, and collaborate. In 2018, KMDI merged with the Semaphore Research Cluster, which was co-founded in 2011 by Professors Matt Ratto, Sara Grimes, and Rhonda McEwen.

KMDI is concerned with the ever-evolving interaction between humans and technology, with a mission to carry out research and education that will inform the design of devices, systems, and applications to enhance and ameliorate the role of humans in a world of embedded, supporting, and sometimes controlling technologies.

The institute has over 60 faculty from more than 25 departments and 11 faculties across the tri-campus system. KMDI also runs a Makerspace and Virtual Reality Studio in the Bissell Building. Its research portfolio includes action research projects, cross-sector collaborations, and community outreach initiatives exploring the social, cultural, ethical, and political implications of technologies ranging from 3D printers to social media platforms and environmental data infrastructures.

The KMDI is directed by Dr. Beth Coleman, Dr. Matt Ratto, and Dr. Javed Mostafa.

Centre for Culture and Technology