See UCLA's minimum requirements for all graduate program applicants.

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

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.

In cases where the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination, the department expects a minimum score of 87 on the TOEFL iBT, or an overall band score of 7.0 on the IELTS. 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.