Information Section

1. Unit and Chief Administrator

Graduate School of Library and Information Science
John M. Unsworth, Dean and Professor

2. Parent Institution, Chief Executive, and Chief Academic Officer

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Richard H. Herman, Interim Chancellor
Jesse G. Delia, Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
[Dean Unsworth reports to the Provost]

3. Accrediting Agency for the Parent Institution

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

4. Name and brief description of program

Master of Science

We equip students with the theories and practices of library and information science (LIS) through the study of the foundations, principles, and ideas of the discipline, and the status and expectations of the profession. Our program objectives include teaching graduates to anticipate social and technological changes, and promote change to advance the profession; fostering critical thinking about literature and research in LIS and related fields; encouraging commitment to high standards of practice, conduct, responsibility, and service; and preparing for evaluation and development of services. Graduates of the master's program are qualified to pursue careers as beginning librarians and information scientists in the information industry.

For the master's degree, a student must complete ten units (40 semester hours) of graduate study. There are multiple enrollment options:

1) On campus. Students can pursue the degree on a full- or part-time basis.

2) Fridays Only. Commuting students can complete the degree in two and a half years by enrolling in on-campus courses offered on Fridays during the fall and spring semesters. Students may register for courses on other days of the week and have options for completing some online course work away from the Urbana-Champaign campus in order to complete the program in less time.

3) LEEP. The LEEP distance education option brings students to campus only for brief periods of study; remaining course work is completed online, using a variety of information technologies to communicate synchronously and asynchronously. Full- or part-time study is available.

4) K-12 School Media Program. Graduates of the Combined MS in LIS / K-12 Library Information Specialist Certification program are qualified to receive an Illinois K-12 Library Information Specialist certificate for library work in a school environment as well as to pursue careers as beginning librarians and information professionals in other work settings. This program is similar to the Master of Science degree program but includes significantly more required coursework. There are, however, a number of electives that K-12 Library Information Specialist candidates may choose in designing their programs.

We are seeking accreditation of our MS program including all enrollment options.  As demonstrated in the section of the program presentation devoted to LEEP, there is substantial integration among these options.  Although LEEP and Fridays Only students have priority for enrollment in sections of courses designated as LEEP or Fridays Only respectively, students in other enrollment options can elect to take these sections on a space-available basis.  On-campus courses have made increasing use of asynchronous communication and web-based technologies, so the modes of teaching and learning in the various degree options have become more similar over time.  All students must meet the same standards for admission and satisfy the same degree requirements.  As we work to sustain our tradition of excellence in graduate professional education while pursuing new initiatives, we welcome the review by the Committee on Accreditation.

Historical Background

In 1893, Katharine L. Sharp founded a department of library science at the Armour Institute in Chicago.  It was the first such school in the Midwest and the fourth in the United States.  In 1897, Katharine Sharp accepted an invitation to move her school to Urbana to become part of the University of Illinois, the longest continuous university affiliation of any library school in the United States.  Since 1926, when accreditation of library education programs was initiated, the School’s entry-level professional credential program has been accredited by the American Library Association.  In addition to the MS program, the School now offers a Certificate of Advanced Study, the Doctor of Philosophy degree, and an undergraduate minor in information technology studies.