Mar 29, 2024  
2012-2013 Graduate Bulletin 
    
2012-2013 Graduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Master of Library and Information Science, M.L.I.S.


Admission Requirements

A graduate student in the School of Library and Information Science must meet the general requirements for admission to the university graduate program as outlined elsewhere in this Bulletin. Application forms for admission to the graduate program must be submitted to the Graduate School Admissions Office of the university.

Applications for admission are evaluated by a combination of the following criteria:

Undergraduate Record - Recently, students qualifying for regular admission to the master’s program have had a 3.0 (4.0 scale) grade point average for the last two years of undergraduate study. For conditional admission, the School of Library and Information Science adheres to the policies of the Graduate School as stated in this Bulletin.

Graduate Record Examination - The student must submit official GRE scores for verbal, quantitative, and written analytical sections.

Letters of Recommendation - Three letters of recommendation by professionals in the field assessing the readiness of the applicant for graduate work must be submitted to the School of Library and Information Science.

SLIS Application - The school requires the submission of an application.

Personal Interviews - Personal interviews with applicants will be conducted whenever possible.

Letter of Application - Letter of application discussing the development of the student’s interest in library and information science, the types of libraries they are interested in and statements about the student’s potential contributions to the field; a minimum of 1,000 words is required.

Resumé

Forms for the letters of recommendation and the application may be obtained by request from the School of Library and Information Science and are available on the school’s Web site.

Candidates for the Master of Library and Information Science (M.L.I.S.) degree must earn a minimum of forty (40) semester hours of credit with a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Eighteen (18) of these hours must be at the 600 level of courses. As many as six (6) hours may be selected from the offerings of other departments within the university with approval of the director. A total of no more than six (6) semester hours of transfer work may be applied toward the degree. A total of no more than nine (9) semester hours of combined transfer work and nondegree work may be applied toward the degree. Students must pass a comprehensive exam and complete a master’s proposal and project (LIS 695 ) and have a 3.0 GPA with no more than one “C” or lower to graduate. Specific courses cannot have less than a “B”.

The program of study for students will be individualized, taking into consideration previous academic backgrounds, experience, and career objectives. All programs of study must be planned with the counsel of a faculty adviser and approved by the director of the School of Library and Information Science.

Continuous Enrollment Requirement: Students must meet the requirements specified in the front section of this Bulletin for continuous enrollment.

Plan of Study. Students must submit their signed, official Plan of Study form to the Graduate School by the end of the first semester they are enrolled. The Plan of Study forms are available at www.usm.edu/graduateschool/planofstudy.php.

Responsible Conduct of Research Training

All faculty holding regular or associate graduate faculty status, must complete RCR training modules required by the Graduate School and their departments. All graduate students must complete the RCR training modules required by the Graduate School and their departments the first semester they are enrolled in graduate school. The RCR policy and training information are found on the Graduate School web page – www.usm.edu/graduateschool. Contact the Dean of the Graduate School if you have any questions regarding the policy or training information.

I. Master of Library and Information Science Degree Requirements


Electives (15 hours)


  • At least 3 hours at 600 level*

Comprehensive Exam


Master’s project (3 hours):


Note:


If near equivalences of any of the above required courses were taken on the graduate level at an ALA accredited institution with a grade of B or above, other electives may be substituted with permission of the director.

*One of the five electives must be one of these: 3 hours of LIS 516 LIS 557  or LIS 558 

II. Course Requirements for School Library-Media Specialist Licensure at the Master’s Level


Students who plan to use the master’s degree in library and information science for Class AA licensure should complete the following courses in addition to the required courses, master’s project and comprehensive exam listed above:

Note:


Students seeking licensure at the master’s level are also advised that they may be required to complete more than 40 hours to meet all degree and licensure requirements, especially if they do not hold Class A licensure in library and information science. Students should see their adviser or the director of the School of Library and Information Science for further information concerning licensure requirements.

III. Dual Master’s Degree in History and Library and Information Science


The History Department and the School of Library and Information Science offer a dual master’s degree program leading to the Master of Arts in History and the Master of Library and Information Science degrees. Students must be admitted separately to each program. The total number of hours required for both programs is 61; 31 for the Master of Library and Information Science and 30 for the Master of Arts in History.

Students in the combined program must complete the following requirements:

  1. thirty (30) hours in history (18 hours at the 600 level)
  2. thirty-one (31) hours in library and information science (18 hours at the 600 level)
    The following are required courses:
  3. a reading knowledge of one foreign language
  4. a thesis that confers three (3) hours of the minimum hourly requirement for the history component
  5. a 3.0 GPA to graduate

A comprehensive oral examination, administered by a three-member committee representing both disciplines, is given after satisfactory completion of the coursework and thesis.

The history requirements in this program are covered in the Department of History  section of this Bulletin.

IV. Dual Master’s Degree in Anthropology and Library and Information Science


The Department of Anthropology and Sociology and the School of Library and Information Science offer a dual master’s degree program leading to the Master of Arts in Anthropology and the Master of Library and Information Science degrees. Students must be admitted separately to each program. The total number of hours required for both programs is 61; 31 for the Master of Library and Information Science and 30 for the Master of Arts in Anthropology.

Students in the combined program must complete the following requirements:

  1. thirty (30) hours in anthropology (18 hours at the 600 level)
  2. thirty-one (31) hours in library and information science (18 hours at the 600 level); the following are required courses: LIS 500 , LIS 501 , LIS 505 , LIS 511 , LIS 605 , LIS 636 , LIS 651 , and LIS 666 
  3. proficiency in one foreign language (see this Bulletin) or two semesters (6 hours) of graduate-level quantitative research methods
  4. a comprehensive exam in anthropology
  5. a thesis (3 hrs of ANT 698  in anthropology); 3 hrs LIS 698  in library science
  6. a 3.0 GPA to graduate

The anthropology requirements in this program are covered in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology  section of this Bulletin.

V. Dual Master’s Degree in Political Science and Library and Information Science


The Department of Political Science and the School of Library and Information Science offer a dual master’s program leading to the Master of Arts in Political Science and the Master of Library and Information Science degrees. Students must be admitted separately to each program. The total number of hours required for both programs is 61, including 3 hours of thesis in each program; 3 hours for the Master of Library and Information Science and 30 hours for the Master of Arts in Political Science. Students must satisfy the requirements of both degrees before the degrees will be awarded and have a 3.0 GPA to graduate.

Students in the combined program must complete the following requirements:

Library and Information Science


Electives:


2 courses in LIS, 3 hours each, chosen in consultation with an academic adviser. Strongly recommended is at least one practicum (LIS 689 , 3 hours).

Comprehensive Exam

Political Science


  • PS 511 - Research in Political Science 3 hrs.
  • 1-6 hrs. for a total of 6 hours. (3 hrs. required)

Political Science (24 hours)


Chosen in consultation with the director of graduate studies in three of the following areas: