Address

207 Graduate School of Education and Information Studies Building
Box 951520
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1520

Phone

(310) 825-5269

Email

abler@gseis.ucla.edu

Leading to the degree of

M.L.I.S., post M.L.I.S. certificate of specialization

Admission Limited to

Fall, Winter, Spring

Deadline to apply

December 15th

GRE (General and/or Subject), TWE

GRE: General (taken within the last five years) and TWE

MLIS applicants who already hold a Ph.D. are not required to submit GRE scores.

Letters of Recommendation 

3

Other Requirements

In addition to the University’s minimum requirements and those listed above, all applicants are expected to submit a statement of purpose and a resume.

M.L.I.S.: While work experience is not a requirement for admission, consideration is given to such experience in reviewing the total application.

The admissions committee may request a report of an interview by the chair of the department or by a person designated by the chair as qualified to conduct an interview. Interviews are rarely conducted, and only for the purpose of clarifying a candidate’s academic background and career objectives.

Applicants are expected to submit evidence of satisfaction of the following entrance requirements: (a) a college-level course in statistics (three semester units or four quarter units), covering descriptive and inferential statistics, within the last five years with a minimum grade of C, and (b) a college-level course in computer programming (three semester units or four quarter units) within the last five years with a minimum grade of C. Most standard languages such as BASIC, Visual Basic, C++, COBOL, FORTRAN, Java, or Perl are acceptable, as is a college-level course in the use of data management systems such as Oracle, FileMaker, or Microsoft Access. At least one third of the course grade should be based on programming assignments. In exceptional circumstances it is possible to meet these requirements by passing competency examinations administered by the department.

Entrance requirements should be completed before beginning the M.L.I.S. program. However, one requirement may be satisfied in the Fall Quarter of the student’s first year.

Management, M.B.A./Library Information Science, M.L.I.S.

The M.L.I.S./M.B.A. is a concurrent degree program jointly sponsored by the Department of Information Studies and the John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management and is designed to provide an integrated set of courses for students who seek careers which draw on general and specialized skills in the two professional fields.

Latin American Studies, M.A./Library Information Science, M.L.I.S.

The M.L.I.S./M.A. Latin American Studies is an articulated degree program of the Department of Information Studies and the Latin American Studies Program.

Ph.D.: Applicants may enter with the M.L.S. or M.L.I.S. degree, other advanced degree, or directly out of a bachelor’s degree program. If the prior graduate degree does not include coursework equivalent to the core identified for the M.L.I.S. program, the applicant must complete the core after admission.

Applicants are expected to have fulfilled a statistics requirement, satisfied by completing a college-level course with a minimum grade of C.

It is recommended that applicants have general knowledge of and basic experience in the use of computers (e.g., for word processing, statistics, online searches, spreadsheets, graphics, or web browsing).

The statement of purpose should identify the applicant’s proposed area of specialization, accompanied by appropriate evidence of qualifications for pursuing a doctoral program, and of research and writing, such as published work, master’s thesis, or two research papers written in English, submitted with the applicant’s dossier.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores must be from a test taken within the last five years. There is no minimum score for the GRE, but high scores are regarded favorably. Admitted students typically score above the 75th percentile in all areas.

In cases where the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination and the Test of Written English (TWE) are required, the department expects a minimum score of 600 (paper and pencil test) or 250 (computer-based test) on the TOEFL, overall band score of 7.0 on the IELTS, and 4.5 on the TWE. Only in exceptional cases are applicants recommended for provisional admission who do not meet the minimum scores; in such cases, strong evidence of competency is English (such as a high verbal GRE score) must be provided.

Favorable consideration may be given to applicants who have made distinguished contributions to the profession while working as a practicing professional, for instance in publications and/or work with professional societies.

A personal interview is required. The committee seeks evidence of an appreciation of research and knowledge of potential research topics. The committee is particularly interested in the applicant’s commitment to a career in library and information science education and research, signs of originality and inquisitiveness, and good communication skills.

Post-M.L.I.S. Certificate of Specialization:

The Post-M.L.I.S. Certificate of Specialization is designed for holders of the M.L.S. or M.L.I.S. degree who want either (1) to redirect their careers and need the structure of a nine-course program and specialization paper to accomplish that, (2) to update knowledge and skills across the discipline and require the structure of a nine-course program and specialization paper to accomplish those goals, or who (3) recently graduated from a less comprehensive M.L.I.S. or M.L.S. degree program than that offered by UCLA and did not have the opportunity to specialize.

Applicants should hold a master’s degree from a program accredited by the American Library Association. The committee may offer admission to (1) applicants holding the master’s degree in library and information science from foreign countries when the degree has been evaluated by the Graduate Division as a bona fide master’s degree and (2) applicants who attended unaccredited programs if documentation supports admission but for the lack of a degree from an accredited program.

Meeting the requirements for a field of specialization does not automatically assure admission to the program. Part-time enrollment is encouraged to provide flexibility for the working information professional. Opportunities for relevant coursework outside the department and internships, both on and off campus, are available.

Advising

Upon being accepted into the school, the student is assigned a faculty member for initial counseling and direction. Normally, this faculty member is retained as an interim counselor for a year or less, until such time as the student selects a regular faculty adviser, based on the student’s interest and specialization. Once chosen, the faculty adviser provides specific academic advice in matters pertaining to the specialization, program of study, and related matters.

Areas of Study

Consult the department.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

Full-time students are normally required to enroll in three courses per quarter in order to complete the program in six quarters. Part-time enrollment may be permitted.

Eighteen courses (72 units) are required for graduation from the M.L.I.S. program. Students take 24 units of required courses, four units of research methods courses, and 44 units of elective courses. Coursework must provide evidence both of basic professional competencies and of knowledge in a field of specialized competence.

Basic Professional Competence. This requirement is met by completing five core courses (Information Studies 200, 220, 245, 260, 410), and one graduate-level research methodology courses (such as Information Studies 281, 282, or 280).

Specialized Competence. Completion of a course of study is required as evidence of knowledge of a field of specialization in informatics, library studies, or archival studies. The field of specialization and the specialized course program must be approved by a faculty adviser. The specialized competence requirement is ordinarily met by the completion of nine additional courses, which may include internships. Relevant coursework in other departments or schools is encouraged. Students may petition to have prior coursework applied to their specializations.

During the second year, the student may apply for an internship of one to three quarters either on campus or off campus at one or more approved library or information centers. The internship is a regularly scheduled course and may be applied toward the 18 required courses.

No more than eight units of Information Studies 596 may be applied toward the total course requirement for students under the comprehensive examination plan; only four units may be applied toward the minimum graduate course requirements. In order to enroll in any S/U graded course, including 500-series courses, the student must be in good academic standing.

Students who choose the thesis option are allowed to apply 12 units of 500-series coursework toward the requirements for the degree.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not Required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

Students who choose this option complete a comprehensive examination that consists of two components: a basic component and a specialization component.

Basic Component. A portfolio presentation, the culminating experience and comparable to a comprehensive examination, is required. The portfolio is a presentation of its author’s professional self as developed in the M.L.I.S. program. The portfolio serves as a comprehensive examination by requiring students to assess and integrate their learning throughout the core courses of the program, to relate the advanced work done in specialty courses to their career goals, to identify learning objectives and describe the degree to which those objectives have been met, to select key papers written during the program, and to describe a plan for continuing education and professional involvement. After preparing these elements of the portfolio, students make a public presentation of the work to a panel consisting of the adviser, another ladder faculty member of the department, and a qualified professional. Failure in any part of the portfolio may lead to only one opportunity to present the recorded and/or in-person presentation again.

Students present the portfolio in either the second to last or in the last quarter of enrollment, and after completion of: (1) all outstanding entrance requirements; (2) the nine required courses, not counting the entrance requirements, by the end of the quarter in which the portfolio is presented; (3) courses to the level required for good academic standing (grade-point average of 3.0 or higher); and (4) all outstanding Incomplete grades.

Specialization Component. A major paper produced in an elective course, normally in the student’s area of specialization, is required. A grade of B or better must be earned in this course. The same course may not be used to satisfy both the paper and the research methods requirement.

Thesis Plan

Every master’s degree thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research.

Students who choose this option must submit a thesis reporting on results of their original investigation of a problem. While the problem may be one of only limited scope, the thesis must show a significant style, organization, and depth of understanding of the subject.

Students indicate their interest in this plan by the end of Spring Quarter of the first year. If the thesis option (Plan I) is approved, a thesis committee of at least three faculty members is established. Most students complete 12 units of related coursework under the direction of the committee. The committee approves the subject and plan of the thesis, provides guidance in research, and approves the completed manuscript. Approval must be unanimous among committee members. After acceptance of the thesis, subject, and plan, there is an oral examination on the thesis.

There is no written examination or portfolio requirement under the thesis plan.

Time-to-Degree

The M.L.I.S. is a two-year program, consisting normally of three four-unit courses each quarter during six consecutive academic quarters, for a total of eighteen courses. Those students who enroll in less than 12 units per quarter will necessarily take a longer time to obtain the degree, but not more than ten quarters.

Post-M.L.I.S. Certificate of Specialization

Advising

Consult the department.

Areas of Study

The program meets the need for specialized training in various areas of archival studies, informatics, or library studies, as well as research competence. Further specialization within these fields is possible.

Foreign Language Requirement

None.

Course Requirements

The course program may begin in any quarter of the academic year. If a student is admitted for a preliminary quarter to complete prerequisite courses, that quarter is not counted in the minimum residence requirements.

A minimum of nine courses (100, 200, 400, and 500 series) must be completed in the Information Studies and other departments of the University. A research paper, bibliographical study, or literature survey appropriate for publication in a professional or scholarly journal or as a separate paper must be completed by the final quarter of study, usually in connection with enrollment in Information Studies 596. The specialization paper or project is required even if the student has an advanced academic degree in which a thesis or dissertation was required, and the paper or project must be approved by the faculty adviser.

Teaching Experience

Not required.

Field Experience

Not required.

Comprehensive Examination Plan

Consult the department.

Thesis Plan

None.

Time-to-Degree

Consult the Department.