Library and Information Science (MS)
Faculty
Naresh Agarwal- Associate Professor
Jeannette Bastian, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Peter Batticelli- Assistant Professor -
Gerald Benoit- Associate Professor
Janet Ceja- Assistant Professor
Michele Cloonan- Professor and Dean Emerita
Melanie Kimball- Associate Professor
Martha Mahard- Associate Professor of Practice
Amy Pattee- Associate Professor (Program Director)
Amber Stubbs- Assistant Professor
Rong Tang- Associate Professor
Donna Webber- Associate Professor of Practice
Katherine Wisser- Assistant Professor
Description
Integrate theory with practice, analyze information needs to create solutions by applying a variety of tools and technologies. Insure the organization, accessibility, and management of library and information resources. Create dynamic ways for a variety of users to interact with resources.
Our students thrive in classes brought to life by professors who bring real world experience and take pride in being personal mentors. The interests and expertise of our faculty cover a wide range of areas, including big data, technology, ethics, and access to information for all users and how this applies to archives, school libraries, public libraries, academic, and special libraries.
Through internships, site visits and pre-professional work opportunities throughout Massachusetts and across New England, our students gain experience in their fields. Take advantage of what Boston has to offer while taking on a flexible schedule, with classes held on days, nights, weekends, part-time, full-time, or online. Achieve a successful career, a meaningful life and a powerful return on your educational investment.
Our students go on to a variety of successful careers as web developers, digital librarians, social media managers, school media specialists and much more. The skills and knowledge you gain in this program prepare you for libraries, museums, archives, management of information systems and also for data-rich business and research settings.
Concentrations
LIS students may choose to focus their studies by following a degree concentration curriculum designed to prepare students to work in a variety of information institutions with a diversity of materials and tools. Students who choose to concentrate their studies must complete the LIS core courses required of all MS students as well as a sequence of courses required to earn the degree concentration. The following concentrations are available. (See below for additional information.)
Archives Management
School Library Teacher Program
Information Science and Technology
Cultural Heritage Informatics
Tracks
The LIS faculty has developed topical “tracks” which serve as guides for course selection and professional development in specific areas of the library and information science field. Students may customize their LIS degree program by working with their faculty advisor to select recommended “key courses” in a track of interest as well as elective courses that can broaden and deepen a student’s knowledge in the subject area.
Please refer to the description of the tracks (http://internal.simmons.edu/students/slis/current/courses/mslis-tracks) on the web site to explore the key courses and electives in each curricular track:
Information Organization
Management and Leadership
Preservation Management
Reference and Information Services
Youth Services
Learning Outcomes
- Apply professional standards, tools, and best practices in the information field and across specialized areas.
- Communicate effectively to different audiences through use of oral, written, and visual formats across multiple media.
- Develop appropriate technology strategies across a range of information settings.
- Critically analyze and apply research.
- Evaluate and create information services and/or systems to reflect and respond to the needs of diverse communities and stakeholders.
- Demonstrate individual and collaborative leadership ability.
- Be guided by professional ethics and values.
Requirements for entry into program
Applicants to the MS (LIS) program must have a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Applicants must also submit official transcripts from all institutions attended (including transfer credits), three letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, a resume, a completed application form, and application fee. International applicants must also submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) tests are required only when the an applicant’s Grade Point Average (GPA)--when averaged and reflective of any and all degrees earned prior to application for admission to SLIS--measures less than 3.0. Applicants with less than a 3.0 GPA for all degrees will be considered after they submit the GREs.
Costs
Including financing and fellowships / assistantships
MS: $1,136 per credit hour
Activity Fee: $50
Priority Scholarship Deadlines
If you wish to receive priority consideration for merit scholarships, please make sure to have a completed application on file by February 1st for the Fall (Sept.) semester and September 1st for the Spring (Jan.) semester. You will automatically be considered for a merit scholarship by having a completed application in by the priority deadline.
Delivery Modes Available (full-time, part-time, locations, technologies, etc.)
Flexible schedule, with classes held on days, nights, weekends, part-time, full-time, or online.
Attend the master’s program part-time at SLIS West in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The small classes and cohesive community help our working students succeed in the classroom and in their careers.
Students may now complete the master of science degree program in library and information science fully online.
Degree requirements
Students in the MS (LIS) degree program must complete 36 credits of graduate coursework to be qualified to earn the MS (LIS) degree.
MS (LIS) students must maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 to continue in the program.
Students in the School Library Teacher Program (SLTP) must receive a “B” (3.0) or better in every course. Any course in which the student has received a grade lower than a B must be repeated before the candidate may enroll in a practicum or be recommended for licensure. See “Degree Progress and Academic Sanctions” for further information.
MS (LIS) students are required to complete three courses equaling nine (9) credits of core coursework in library and information science:
| LIS 407 | Information Sources & Services | 3 |
| LIS 415 | Information Organization | 3 |
| | | |
| LIS 488 | Technology for Information_Professionals | 3 |
| | or, if a student is in the School Library Teacher Program (SLTP) | |
| LIS 460 | Technology and the School Library_Teacher | 3 |
These core courses must be completed within a student’s first twelve (12) hours of coursework. SLTP students must complete LIS 407 and LIS 415 within their first twelve (12) hours of coursework and may complete LIS 460 any time during the course of their degree program.
Students have up to six years to complete the program, and can take courses either on a part-time (3-6 credits per semester) or full-time (9 credits per semester) basis. (Please see the Maximum Credit Load policy to see how many courses can be taken in a given semester. Additionally, please see the Enrollment Requirement policy for federal definitions of “half-time” and “full-time” status for federal financial aid purposes. New students are strongly encouraged not to take more than three courses during their first semester. Each student will progress through the program differently, depending on area of specialization and on how many courses are planned per semester.
School Library Teacher Program and Archives Concentration students should see their respective concentration details for specific requirements which differ from those of other concentrations.
A student in the Master of Science degree program must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0 (B). A student who fails to meet this requirement will ordinarily not be considered for exclusion from the School until he/she has completed at least 12 semester hours. It is understood, however, that the student's connection with the College may be terminated whenever, in the judgment of the faculty, he/she fails to show sufficient scholarship.
The School has initiated a program to provide a common base of knowledge of the technologies and tools students will encounter during the course of their studies, as well as resources available to them as a Simmons LIS student. All students entering the program are required to register for the 0-credit LIS 400 - TOR, which allows them to complete a series of tasks demonstrating technological proficiency by the middle of their first semester. To assist students unfamiliar with the material, workshops are offered during the first two weeks of the semester. See the TOR website for more information.
Time to Degree
MS (LIS) students must complete course requirements for the MS (LIS) degree within six (6) years of their initial matriculation. In exceptional circumstances, students may petition the Assistant Dean for Student and Alumni Affairs to extend the six-year time limit up to one academic year.
Credits
36-credits
Maximum Credits Allowed per Semester:
Fall and Spring Semesters:
MS (LIS) students may register for no more than twelve (12) credits during the fall or spring terms. During the spring term, this total includes any short courses offered during the semester spring break period.
Summer Semester:
MS (LIS) students may register for no more than six (6) credits during the six-week summer session.
Short Course Week or Period:
“Short Course” is the name given to an LIS course that is organized, scheduled, and taught in a compressed or intensive form. Short courses may be scheduled to meet eight hours daily for a period of one week (compared to a typical course, which meets once per week for three hours) to allow a student to earn three (3) credits in the compressed time period. Or, short courses may be scheduled to take place over two weekends, during which students may meet eight hours daily to earn three (3) credits.
Week-long short courses are typically scheduled to occur three times per year: during the Winter Break period between the fall and spring semesters, during Spring Break, or during the intersession period between the spring and summer semesters. Weekend courses may be scheduled in any semester, or during the intersession period between the spring and summer semesters.
MS (LIS) Students may register for no more than one (1) short course during any scheduled short course week, intersession, or traditional semester.
Academic Standing:
Students must maintain standing according to the standards for academic (and, in some cases, professional) performance established by each graduate program. These may include minimum GPA, minimum grades in particular or all courses in a program, a time limit to completing the degree, and others.
SLIS graduate students (MS [LIS], MA [CHL], MFA [Writing for Children] and dual degree students) must maintain a minimum cumulative and semester Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 to remain in good academic standing and to qualify for graduation from the degree program. Students in dual degree programs must maintain minimum cumulative and semester GPAs of 3.0 in each program to remain in good standing and qualify for graduation with a dual degree.
Transfer of Credit:
SLIS may accept credit for graduate work completed at another institution as well as graduate work completed in a Simmons College academic program outside of the student’s current academic program to be applied to the graduate degree. Students may not petition to transfer credit to their SLIS degree that has already been applied to an earned degree.
Transferring Credit from Domestic External Institutions Earned Prior to Matriculation at SLIS to the MS (LIS) Degree:
LIS students (including those in dual degree programs) may petition to transfer up to six (6) credits of coursework earned at an ALA-accredited graduate institution within five (5) years prior to matriculation at SLIS and apply these credits to their MS (LIS) degree. Under special circumstances, SLIS may approve petitions for transfer of credit from non ALA-accredited graduate institutions. Students may petition for a transfer of credit only after they have successfully completed nine (9) credits of coursework in the MS (LIS) program.
To petition for approval of such a transfer of credit, MS (LIS) students must complete the Transfer of Credit form and submit the completed form and relevant documentation to the Student Services Center. The student’s faculty advisor, MS Program Director, and the Assistant Dean for Student and Alumni Affairs will consider the merits of the petition and communicate the outcome of the petition to the student. If the petition is approved, the requested number of credits will be applied as elective credits to a student’s record. See “Waiving Required Courses” for policy addressing the application of externally earned credits to program course requirements.
Transferring Credit from Domestic External Institutions Earned While a Student is Currently a Student at SLIS to the MS (LIS) Degree:
LIS students (including those in dual degree programs) may petition to transfer of up six (6) credits of coursework earned at an ALA-accredited graduate institution concurrent to their matriculation at SLIS and apply these credits to their MS (LIS) degree. Under special circumstances, SLIS may approve petitions for transfer of credit from non ALA-accredited graduate institutions.
To petition for approval of such a transfer of credit, MS (LIS) students must first seek permission to enroll in a course offered by an external institution with the intent of transferring credit earned to their MS (LIS) degree. Students seeking permission to enroll in a course offered by an external institution must meet with their faculty advisor(s) to discuss the merits and feasibility of the petition and then complete the Permission to Enroll form and submit this form to the Student Services Center. Once a student has received permission to enroll in a course offered by an external institution, the student may enroll in the external course.
Upon successful completion of the external course, the student must complete the Transfer of Credit form and submit the completed form and relevant documentation to the Student Services Center. Because a student has already received permission to enroll in the external course with the goal of transferring credits earned from this course to the MS (LIS) degree, the requested number of credits will then be applied as elective credits to a student’s record.
Transferring Credit from International Travel Courses to the MS (LIS) Degree:
LIS students (including those in dual degree programs) may petition to transfer up to six (6) credits earned through participation in a SLIS-approved international travel course offered by an ALA-accredited graduate institution and apply these credits to their MS (LIS) degree. To petition the faculty to approve such a transfer of credit, MS (LIS) students must complete the Transfer of Credit form and submit the completed form and relevant documentation to the Student Services Center, where approval and specific instructions for registering for the international travel course may be found.
Students interested in participating in and transferring credit earned through participation in international travel courses that have not been approved by SLIS must contact the Assistant Dean for Student and Alumni Affairs for approval.
Waiving Courses
Students who enter the MS (LIS), MA (History)/MS (Archives Management) or MA (Children’s Literature)/MS (LIS) degree programs with a background of study may, once they have successfully completed nine (9) credit hours at Simmons, petition the faculty to waive a course required of all students in the MS degree program or in a degree concentration.
Students who wish to waive a course requirement may petition to request a waiver, or petition to request a waiver and a transfer of credit.
Petition to Waive a Course Requirement:
Students petitioning to waive a course requirement must complete the Petition to Waive a Required Course form and write a letter of petition to the LIS faculty describing the reason for requesting a waiver and demonstrating proficiency or mastery in the area addressed by the required course the student wishes to waive. This petition should be submitted to the Assistant Dean for Student and Alumni Affairs.
If a student has completed relevant coursework in an ALA-accredited degree program or in a related degree program and wishes to waive a course requirement, they must enclose a description of the course (from the external institution’s course catalog), the course syllabus, and an official transcript reflecting the grade the student earned in the course.
If a student has accumulated significant professional experience and wishes to waive a course requirement, they must enclose a current resume or CV that reflects and demonstrates this experience.
Once a student has submitted their petition to waive a course requirement, this petition will be considered and voted on by the relevant LIS faculty and the results of this vote will be communicated to the petitioning student by the Assistant Dean for Student and Alumni Affairs.
A decision to waive a course requirement does not signify a decision to waive the credit requirements the waived course represents.
Petition to Waive LIS 488:
Students with significant technology knowledge, skills, and expertise may petition to waive LIS 488, the required technology core course for all students (excepting students in the School Library Teacher Program), and, instead, select an alternate technology course to fulfill this requirement.
To petition to waive LIS 488, a student must complete the LIS 488 Course Waiver form and submit this form to the Assistant Dean for Student and Alumni Affairs. Once the petition has been submitted, it will be sent to the LIS information science and technology faculty, who will review the petition and communicate their decision to accept or deny the petition to the Student Services Center. Once this decision has been communicated to the Assistant Dean for Student and Alumni Affairs, the Assistant Dean will forward this decision to the petitioning student.
Withdrawing from Courses:
Students may withdraw from a course any time prior to its final scheduled class meeting or, in the case of online classes, students may withdraw from an online course any time prior to the end of the first day of the last week of the class. If a student wishes to withdraw from a course during the first four weeks of the semester, they may drop the course on AARC during the first two weeks of the semester, or by completing an Add/Drop form during the second through fourth weeks of the semester.
Following the fourth week of the semester, students must complete an Add/Drop form to withdraw from the course and, following this withdrawal, a “W” will appear on the student’s transcript.
Core Courses
| LIS 401 | Foundations in Lib & Info Sci | 3 |
| LIS 415 | Information Organization | 3 |
| LIS 407 | Information Sources & Services | 3 |
| | One course from the Technology Suite | |
| | Capstone Experience | |
Concentrations, specializations, etc.
Students choosing to focus their studies by participating in a degree concentration may be asked to meet additional curricular requirements in the form of coursework required of students in the degree concentration.
Archives Concentration Course Requirements:
LIS core courses (9 credits):
| LIS 407 | Information Sources & Services | 3 |
| LIS 415 | Information Organization | 3 |
| LIS 488 | Technology for Information_Professionals | 3 |
Take the following:
| LIS 438 | Introduction to Archival Methods and_Services | 3 |
| LIS 440 | Archival Access and Use | 3 |
| LIS 442 | Establishing Archives and Manuscript_Programs | 3 |
One of the following:
| LIS 456 | Records Management_Environments | 3 |
| LIS 532E | Archives & Cultural Heritage Outreach | 3 |
| LIS 441 | Appraisal of Archives and Manuscripts | 3 |
| LIS 433 | Oral History | 3 |
One of the following:
Four elective courses
Information Science and Technology Concentration Course Requirements:
LIS core courses (9 credits):
| LIS 407 | Information Sources & Services | 3 |
| LIS 415 | Information Organization | 3 |
| LIS 488 | Technology for Information_Professionals | 3 |
Take the following:
Two of the following:
Four elective courses
Cultural Heritage Informatics Concentration Course Requirements:
LIS core courses (9 credits):
| LIS 407 | Information Sources & Services | 3 |
| LIS 415 | Information Organization | 3 |
| LIS 488 | Technology for Information_Professionals | 3 |
Take the following:
| LIS 432 | Concepts in Cultural Heritage_Informatics | 3 |
| LIS 438 | Introduction to Archival Methods and_Services | 3 |
| LIS 532F | Digital Asset Management for Libraries,_Archives & Museums | 3 |
One of the following:
Three of the following:
Two elective courses
School Library Teacher Program Course Requirements:
LIS core courses (6 credits):
| LIS 407 | Information Sources & Services | 3 |
| LIS 415 | Information Organization | 3 |
Take the following:
| LIS 532M | School Library Teacher Pre-Practicum_Field Experience | 3 |
| LIS 406 | Management & Evaluation of School_Library Programs | 3 |
| LIS 532L | Curriculum & Instructional Strategies_For the School Library Teacher | 3 |
| LIS 460 | Technology and the School Library_Teacher | 3 |
| LIS 481 | Library Collections & Materials for_Children | 3 |
| LIS 483 | Library Collections and Materials for_Young Adults | 3 |
| LIS 498 | Practicum (PreK-8) | 3 |
| LIS 499 | Practicum (7-12) | 3 |
Two elective courses
Changing to or from a Concentration:
LIS students may choose to focus their studies by following a degree concentration curriculum designed to prepare students to work in a variety of information institutions with a diversity of materials and tools. Students who choose to concentrate their studies must complete the LIS core courses required of all MS students as well as a sequence of courses required to earn the degree concentration.
Students who have begun their program of study within a concentration may decide to leave the concentration or switch to an alternate concentration. If a student wishes to leave a concentration or switch to an alternate concentration, they must complete the Change of Concentration form and submit this form to the Student Services Center.
Students electing to leave a concentration or change from one concentration to another may request a new advisor to guide their progress through the degree program. To request a new advisor, students must first contact the advisor with whom they wish to work and then complete the Change of Advisor form, which requires the signature of the student and their new advisor, and submit this form to the Student Services Center.
Capstone, placement, internship, practicum, etc.
SLIS students develop hands-on skills and experience through internships, practicums, and pre-professional jobs in a wide variety of settings, including schools, libraries, corporations, hospitals, government agencies, NGOs, and media organizations. We strongly encourage all students to gain experience in the field, and we help students connect with the best sites for their career goals.
Every SLIS student is offered the opportunity to gain experience via coursework or pre-professional positions with one of many institutions across New England. Archives and SLT students have experiential learning opportunities built into their programs, whereas students in the general LIS program can take an internship elective for credit. SLIS has a long history with internship sites in the local area, thereby providing matches for students rather than requiring students to find their own sites.
Licensure, certification, etc.
See School Library Teacher concentration information above.
Dual (and other) degree options
Dual-degree in archives and history (MS/MA)
Dual Degree in library and information science and children’s literature (MS/MA)
Applying for Entry to a Dual Degree Program as a Single Degree Student:
MA (Children’s Literature), MFA (Writing for Children) and MS (LIS) Students:
Students currently matriculated in the MS (Library and Information Science) degree program may apply for entry to the MA/MS (Children’s Literature and LIS) dual degree program. To be admitted to a dual degree program, students must apply for admission to both degree programs. Those students who have been admitted to and matriculated in one degree program must apply for admission and be admitted to the second degree program to be considered a dual degree student.
Because of the highly structured nature of this dual degree program’s curriculum, students must apply to be considered for the dual degree before they have completed 12 credit hours in a single degree program. Applications for the dual degree program from students who have completed more than 12 credit hours of coursework in a single degree program may not be considered.
To apply for acceptance to the dual degree program, students who are currently matriculated in a single degree program must meet with the relevant dual degree Program Directors to discuss their entry into the dual degree program and then complete the relevant application form for the program for which they are requesting entry. The application fee will be waived for these students. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis by the Admissions staff and the degree program directors.
MS (LIS) Students in the Archives Management Concentration:
Students currently enrolled in the MS (LIS) program and in the Archives Management concentration can apply for admission to the dual degree (MA/MS) program in Archives and History by submitting an application and the required materials with the College of Arts and Sciences admissions office. Once these materials have been received, an interview with the history program director is also required.
Other program information