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Degrees and Programs Offered

  1. Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS)

    1. Requirements for the MLIS degree
    2. Required Courses
    3. Transfer and Extension Credit
    4. Exemption Exams
    5. Graduate Grade-Point Average

  2. Certificate of Advanced Study in Library and Information Science (CLIS)

    1. Admission to the CLIS Program
    2. Objectives of the Program
    3. Requirements of the Program
    4. Specializations Available

Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS)

Requirements for the MLIS degree are as follows:

Basic computer skills are important in the library and information service field. Many courses in the SLIS program assume that students possess familiarity with at least one operating system, one commercial word processor, one common commercial spreadsheet, one web browser, and have the ability to use electronic mail and to search an online library catalog or bibliographic database at a basic level.

Although not required, a thesis may be submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the master's degree. Maximum credit allowed for the thesis is nine semester hours. Top

Required Courses

Transfer and Extension Credit

Up to six semester hours of graduate credit from other universities may be considered for transfer toward the MLIS degree. A student requesting transfer credit must have been enrolled in the graduate school from which the credit is to be transferred. Up to 12 graduate semester hours of credit earned from within the LSU System, but outside the SLIS, may be considered for application toward the MLIS degree. In either case, the hours must be relevant to library and information science, recommended by the student's major professor, and approved by the dean of the Graduate School. The work must have been taken for graduate residence credit and must have been part of an otherwise satisfactory graduate program. Further, Graduate School policy states that no course work older than five years from other schools may be accepted as transfer credit. To petition for acceptance of transfer credit, the student must have completed at least nine hours of graduate residence credit at LSU. No credit will be transferred for courses completed with a grade of "C" or below, or unsatisfactory, or the equivalent. Top

Exemption Exams

By means of written examinations, students may be exempt from some or all required courses. Students who wish to take exemption examinations must inform the dean of the SLIS at least two weeks prior to their first registration in the SLIS. Such exemption does not reduce the 40-hour degree requirement. Top

Graduate Grade-Point Average

A student in the SLIS must maintain a 3.00 grade-point average in library and information science courses, as well as a 3.00 grade-point average on all graduate work. Grades for courses other than those offered by the SLIS and those specifically identified as adjunct courses will not ordinarily contribute to the library and information science grade-point average. A SLIS student who receives a grade of "C" in three library science courses is not eligible for the MLIS degree, regardless of the number of credit hours of "A" and "B" on the student's transcript.

SLIS required courses must be completed with a grade of "A" or "B." A student who makes a "C" in any of these courses must repeat the course during the next semester in which the student is enrolled and the course is offered, and earn a grade of "A" or "B." Top

Certificate of Advanced Study in Library and Information Science

Attainment of the Master of Library and Information Science degree marks the fulfillment of the first major library and information science educational experience. For the librarian who is active and concerned, the MLIS is never the last educational experience. Although professional librarians engage in a variety of informal educational activities, for many librarians further formal education is the best approach to continuing education. The Certificate of Advanced Study in Library and Information Science (CLIS) is a program tailored to the needs of professional librarians who desire further formal education to achieve their career goals. The CLIS is an advanced educational step for librarians who have previously demonstrated capabilities and competencies essential to the profession. Top

Admission to the CLIS Program

Admission requirements and procedures for the Certificate of Advanced Study in Library and Information Science program are the same as those described for the Master of Library and Information Science degree in the section, "Admission Requirements," with two additional requirements:

Although not a requirement, previous professional library experience is recommended. CLIS Main

Objectives of the Program

The CLIS program is designed to meet two major objectives of continuing professional education:

CLIS Main

Certificate Requirements

The CLIS program requires 24 semester hours of study beyond the Master of Library and Information Science degree, including at least six hours in library and information science; at least six hours from one or more other areas of interest; and at least three hours of directed independent study in library and information science. A course in research methods is recommended for all CLIS students who have not taken such a course previously. Specific courses of study are tailored to the needs of individual students in consultation with faculty advisers. Several specializations are listed below as examples of possible courses of study, although any area of emphasis with a demonstrated relationship to library and information science is permissible. CLIS Main

Specializations

  1. Library Automation
  2. Academic Library Administration
  3. Medicine, Science, and Technology
  4. Public Relations
  5. Special Collections
  6. Special Libraries and Information Centers
  7. Technical Processes
  8. Youth Services
  9. School Library Media Centers
  10. Public Libraries

CLIS Main

Library Automation

Libraries and information centers are in great need of librarians and information specialists with the technical and quantitative experience necessary for planning and implementing programs using new technologies and new approaches. Specialization in library automation is designed to prepare librarians for positions involving the design, selection, installation, management, and evaluation of computer systems in libraries. Specialization in library automation may include courses offered in areas such as computer science, experimental statistics, quantitative business analysis, electrical and computer engineering, industrial engineering, and educational leadership, research and counseling, as well as library and information science. A typical course of study might cover topics such as management of information systems, programming and data manipulation, database processes and management, programming languages and systems software, analysis and design of management information systems, and applied statistics. Specializations Main

Academic Library Administration

The administration of a university library, division, or department usually requires expertise not provided in a library and information science master's degree program. This expertise includes general business administration abilities related to resource, fiscal, and personnel management and planning, and specific skills related to higher education and library contexts. A program emphasizing academic library administration might include courses in accounting, educational leadership, research and counseling, business administration, experimental statistics, finance, management, marketing, public administration, and quantitative business analysis. Depending on previous education, professional experience, and career goals, an individualized program of study will be planned. Specializations Main

Medicine, Science, and Technology

There is a continuing demand for librarians able to work with information resources in the sciences and technology. This specialization will prepare students for positions in medical, research, academic, and special libraries, even if they do not possess formal backgrounds in the sciences. Students with no previous course work in special librarianship or library automation are encouraged to take courses in these areas. There are excellent opportunities for field experiences and independent studies in medical and science collections. Specializations Main

Public Relations

Effective communication and public relations skills are essential for librarians who are presenting issues to their users, their advisory boards, and their parent organizations. Emphasis in this specialization would include strategic planning, campaign development, and management of integrated communication efforts. In addition to LIS courses, students will take three to five courses offered by the Manship School of Mass Communication. The student's directed independent study will focus on an aspect of public relations as it applies to libraries and information centers. Specializations Main

Special Collections

The maintenance and servicing of special collections of rare books, manuscript materials, archives, and other materials requires specialized skills. The Certificate of Advanced Study offers a specialization which prepares students to work in this area. The program of study will be determined by the student's education and experience. Field experience and independent study beyond the required three semester hours is highly recommended. The facilities of Hill Memorial Library are available for specialized study in this area. Specializations Main

Special Libraries and Information Centers

The program of study for this specialization is one of the broadest in terms of potential for including a wide variety of courses. It is recommended that students include at least one course from the following three areas: management, automation, and statistics. Additional course work will focus on one type of special library or information center and one aspect of center operation such as database access and public services, technical services and cataloging, information retrieval, or management information systems. Courses in subject areas specifically related to students' interests are appropriate for this specialization, as well as courses in business administration, computer science, experimental statistics, and quantitative business analysis. Specializations Main

Technical Processes

Managers of library technical services can successfully use techniques gained from manufacturing. For example, waiting line models often provide appropriate models for cataloging department operations. Other manufacturing techniques useful to library operations include accounting for work in progress, and determining optimal and timely flow of materials. These techniques can be studied in industrial engineering, general management, and library science courses. Students in this specialization may take course work in quantitative business analysis, accounting, or industrial engineering. The mathematical prerequisites for courses in quantitative business analysis are more stringent than for those in industrial engineering. It is recommended that the student take either the quantitative business analysis or the industrial engineering option, as well as courses in accounting. With the addition of suitable courses from the SLIS, a student will acquire an excellent background in the management of library technical services. Specializations Main

Youth Services

This specialization relates library and information science to areas such as child and adolescent development and psychology, reading, and behavioral studies. Opportunities exist to explore services to special subgroups such as physically, emotionally, and economically disadvantaged children and young adults. Other courses of study may emphasize functional areas such as management, literature for children and young adults, or the social context of libraries as community organizations. Areas of study might include English, social work, psychology, human ecology, curriculum and instruction, administrative and foundational services, management, and speech. This specialization may be of particular interest to teachers and librarians working toward the "Plus Thirty Hours" in the educational career ladder. Specializations Main

School Library Media Centers

The CLIS program is appropriate for school media librarians desiring to update their library skills, managerial competencies, or education credentials. The SLIS faculty is uniquely qualified to guide the practicing school librarian through a program of instruction which highlights important aspects of librarianship essential in school libraries. In this specialization the student will explore areas within the school and in other disciplines which play a vital role in meeting the information needs of a school's students and faculty. Specializations Main

Public Libraries

Public libraries are faced with an increasing diversity of demand for services. At the same time, it is necessary to cope with limited financial resources and an astonishing array of available resource materials. The specialization in public libraries is designed to prepare individuals for positions as public library administrators, department heads in large public libraries, network librarians, or state library consultants. The focus of the specialization is areas of current interest such as literacy education, employment counseling, long range planning, information referral, service evaluation, and management. Through the CLIS. program, students can also develop expertise in services to special population groups, including ethnic minorities, the aging, the unemployed, and the physically or culturally disadvantaged. Specializations Main