MLIS Degree Requirements

Course Requirements

The minimum degree requirement is 36 graduate credits, of which 30 credits must be in library and information science; up to 6 credits may be selected from approved related areas. 

Students who have already completed a master's or doctorate in a field other than library and information science may have the library and information science master's program reduced to 30 credits, under special circumstances up to 6 of these credits may be from another field in a closely allied area with advisor consent.

Students who have completed library science courses at the undergraduate level may request the SOIS Admissions Committee to review their course work to determine whether the content was the equivalent of that in similar courses in the School. However, the establishment of such equivalencies will not reduce the total number of credits required for the master's degree, but merely enable the student to avoid unnecessary repetition. 

Core Courses

The following are the required core courses in Library and Information Science:

• L&I SCI 501 Foundations of Library and Information Science
• L&I SCI 511 Organization of Information
• L&I SCI 571 Information Access and Retrieval
• L&I SCI 591 Research in Library and Information Science

Were you admitted to, and enrolled in the SOIS MLIS program prior to Fall 2007?
The MLIS program core curriculum has been updated to better serve the profession as a whole. This change became effective in Fall 2007. Students who were admitted to, and enrolled in the MLIS program prior to Fall 2007 should contact their graduate advisor to discuss their individual program completion.

Minimum Grade Requirement

The minimum grade requirement for each of the core courses is B (It does not include B-). If an MLIS student fails to meet this requirement, she/he is required to retake that core course. Students have only one chance to retake a failed core course. Students are responsible for the tuition of the retaken course. If a student fails to meet the minimum core course requirement, she/he cannot take another course in which that core course is a prerequisite until the requirement is met. A student who fails to receive a B (It does not include B-) or higher after retaking a core course will be recommended to the Graduate School for academic dismissal. (Effective: Fall 2004) 

Program Completion Timeframe

Students in the 36 credit hour program must complete all degree requirements within seven years of initial enrollment. Students in the 30 credit hour program must complete all degree requirements within five years of initial enrollment.

Proficiency Requirements

MLIS students are required to demonstrate proficiency in the field of library and information science. There are two options for completing the proficiency requirement: passing a proficiency examination or completing and successfully defending a thesis. 

• Proficiency Examination Option
• Thesis Option