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VSU > Graduate School > Master of Library and Information Science

mlis Program Overview

The primary goal of Valdosta State University’s Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program is to prepare professionals who will exercise leadership in planning, promoting, implementing, and administering the preservation, organization, dissemination, and effective use of society’s recorded information. The MLIS program:

• is a 39-hour non-thesis program that is primarily web-based.
• is based on VSU’s assessment of the graduate education needs of library and information science professionals in Georgia.
• capitalizes on the latest developments in distance education and collaborative education.
• uses web-based software to provide students with the technological capacity for audiovisual communication.
• lets students interact with the professor and other students by email and special “chat rooms” established for each course.
• allows a student to earn a degree by combining face-to-face instruction with Internet instruction.
• contains curriculum designed for students who cannot leave jobs and families to return to a single campus for extended periods.

Recipients of the MLIS degree will acquire a broad range of skills and knowledge in:

• organizing and retrieving information
• information management
• information services
• information resources
• information systems

Curriculum

The curriculum reflects the role of library and information services in a rapidly changing technological and global society. It is designed to take advantage of institutional cooperation and to allow student flexibility. Full-time students should be able to complete the program in two academic years. The flexibility of the program, moreover, affords adult learners the opportunity to earn the degree as part-time students.
The core curriculum is designed to give expertise in four major areas:

• Administration
• Resources for Clients
• Services in the Knowledge Society
• Technical Knowledge

 

Program of Study - MLIS

The Master of Library and Information Science program consists of 39 semester hours of coursework. There are six three-hour required core courses.

Core Courses:        18 hrs                                                   

• MLIS 7000 Foundations of Library and Information Science (face-to-face class)
• MLIS 7100 Information Sources and Services
• MLIS 7200 Management of Libraries and Information Centers
• MLIS 7300 Cataloging and Classification
• MLIS 7700 Research Methods
• MLIS 7800 Capstone Course

All core courses are offered every academic year.

Elective Courses:      21 hrs                                                

Elective courses may be offered as face-to-face classes or online, as appropriate. These courses are typically offered every other year.
Portfolio requirement - The MLIS Program requires its students to develop and maintain a portfolio. The portfolio requirement was a separate one-hour course sequence but has since been incorporated as an integral part of the Foundations and Capstone courses.

Tracks

The MLIS Program has developed tracks in Cataloging & Classification, Library Management, Reference Sources & Services, and Technology.

Additional tracks are being developed.

Total Required for the Degree:     39 hrs

Note:Face-to-face classes will be held at a central location in Georgia based on the geographic convenience of the whole class.

Classes with multiple sections may meet at more than one location.

Class Sites

VSU MLIS face-to-face (f-2-f) classes meet on various University System of Georgia campuses throughout the State.

We will seek to schedule classes on the campus most convenient to students in a specific class.

To date, we meet all first sections of courses on the campus of Macon State College. Second sections meet at Valdosta State University. Our f-2-f classes are typically scheduled to meet over four weekends per semester.

We also schedule Web based courses. About two thirds of our courses will be delivered on-line. Some courses are delivered in a "hybrid-format." Courses that are essentially Web-based may have f-2-f components.

Additional Admission Requirements

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.

Undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the last two years of undergraduate coursework or at least 3.0 GPA in a Master’s degree from an accredited institution.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) combined score of 950 verbal and quantitative or 450 verbal and 4.0 analytical (For GRE examinations taken prior to October 2002, a 950 combined verbal-quantitative or verbal-analytical score is required.) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) score of 410. (For MAT taken prior to October 2004, a score of 50 is required.)

For a student with less than 3.0 GPA or lower GRE or MAT scores, probationary admission can be considered.

For international students, Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score of 550 (231 on the Computer-based Test).

How do I apply?

The following items must be submitted to the Graduate School Office at Valdosta State University:

• A completed application including the required health form
• Official transcripts from all institutions where the applicant has been enrolled
• GRE or MAT scores and, if required, TOEFL scores
• Three letters of recommendation
• Résumé
• Goal statement
• The graduate school application fee

Contact Valdosta State University

Graduate School Ph: 229-333-5694 (or 800-618-1878) Fax: 229-245-3853	Department of Information Studies Ph: 229-333-5860 Fax 229-245-5055
By e-mail: gradschool@valdosta.edu or mlis@valdosta.edu
Internet: http://www.valdosta.edu/mlis or http://www.valdosta.edu/gradschool