FastTrack status

September 21, 2011

Ten years ago, LIS faculty launched the development of Pitt’s first online Master’s degree program. Since that time, the program has welcomed 18 student cohorts and awarded 534 MLIS degrees. Graduates have made important contributions to the profession and have received numerous awards. FastTrack’s pioneering accomplishments demonstrated the viability of online graduate education at Pitt, leading to the subsequent development of Pitt Online, a university-supported strategy and infrastructure for graduate professional education. Pitt Online has matured to the point that it now provides an alternative platform for the MLIS online program, and one that appears to have some operational cost efficiencies.

I have submitted a pre-proposal to the Provost’s Office to initiate the migration of the FastTrack program to Pitt Online. I propose that we admit the September 2012 cohort of online MLIS students to the Pitt Online version of the program. The complete transition will occur in phases, with two new courses converted to Pitt Online each term. I anticipate that the “Individualized” specialization will be available first, with other specializations to follow.

Sue Alman and Kip Currier will comprise the core of the transition planning group.