Program Outcomes

Page Contents

• Key Statistics
• Student Acceptance, Retention, and Graduation Rates
• Student Learning Outcome Assessment (SLOA) Results
• Employment Outcomes and Stakeholder Surveys

Key Statistics

Retention rate: Percentage of enrolled students who enrolled a term one year or longer after their first semester of program admission/readmission.

Data as of February 2023. Note: Cohort Academic Year is based on the semester in which the applicant applied to begin or continue in his/her program. These numbers include applicants seeking readmission into the MLIS program.
¹ Students who complete their program in less than three semesters are identified as retained in the table. 

Average time to degree completion

Student Acceptance, Retention, and Graduation Rates  

The Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program has competitive admissions due to the program's high volume of quality applicants. The program accepts new applicants twice per year (fall and spring semesters) and students are contacted by the VSU Graduate School when an application decision has been made. Students are assigned a high-quality academic advisor upon admission and typically take approximately 2 1/2 - 3 years to complete the 36-hour MLIS degree program.

Cohort Academic Year	# of Accepted Applicants Who Enrolled	% of Accepted Applicants Who Enrolled	% of Enrolled Students Who Were Retained in Program One Year Later2	% of Enrolled Students Who Graduated with MLIS Degree3	% of Enrolled Students Who Have Not Graduated Yet But Are Considered Active Students4
2021-22	141	86.0	83.7	0.0	87.2
2020-21	158	91.9	86.1	30.4	51.3
2019-20	171	85.9	93.6	63.7	21.6
2018-19	146	89.6	90.4	78.1	8.2
2017-18	115	85.2	87.8	80.0	0.0
2016-17	102	91.1	88.2	82.4	0.0
2015-16	104	91.2	93.3	86.5	1.0
2014-15	105	92.1	78.1	72.4	0.0
2013-14	81	85.3	86.4	81.5	0.0
2012-13	68	87.2	82.4	77.9	0.0
2011-12	71	69.6	87.3	81.7	0.0
Data as of February 2023. Note: Cohort Academic Year is based on the semester in which the applicant applied to begin or continue in his/her program. These numbers include applicants seeking readmission into the MLIS program. 2 Students who complete their program in less than three semesters are identified as retained in the table. 3 It typically takes part-time students about 2 ½ to 3 years to complete the MLIS degree program. 4 An active student is considered a student who has enrolled in MLIS coursework within the last three semesters.

Student Learning Outcome Assessment (SLOA) Results

Students enrolled in the MLIS program are assessed throughout their program to ensure they are meeting programs expectations. The assessments are based on American Library Association standards and the program's student learning outcomes. Assessment data are collected within an electronic assessment management system and are reviewed annually by the MLIS Assessment Committee.

Archival Summary of Student Learning Outcome Assessment Results

Employment Outcomes and Stakeholder Surveys

The MLIS program systematically contacts three types of stakeholders in order to gain valuable feedback on the program and its intended outcomes. MLIS students are asked to evaluate their preparation to enter the professional workforce during their final semester of the program. The same evaluation categories, which are based on ALA standards, are used on the MLIS alumni and employer survey. Alumni are contacted every two years and employers are contacted every three years to solicit feedback on program effectiveness. The results from these surveys are analyzed by the MLIS Assessment Committee on an annual basis and reported out to program faculty.

Alumni Employment Status 12-24 Months After Graduation

 MLIS Program Stakeholder Survey Results