School of Library and Information Science

Departmental E-mail: slis [at] indiana [dot] edu

Departmental URL: www.slis.indiana.edu

(Please note that when conferring University Graduate School degrees, minors, certificates, and sub-plans, The University Graduate School’s staff use those requirements contained only in The University Graduate School Bulletin. Requirements may or may not be reflected identically in departmental URLs.)

Curriculum

Curriculum
Courses
Faculty

Degrees Offered

Doctor of Philosophy, and, jointly with other academic pro­grams, Master of Library Science and Doctor of Jurisprudence; Master of Information Science and master’s degrees in Central Eurasian Studies, folklore and ethnomusicology, public affairs, and Russian and East Euro­pean studies; Master of Library Science and master’s degree in African American and African Diaspora Studies, African Studies, art history, Central Eurasian Studies, comparative literature, English, folklore and ethno­musicology, history, history and philosophy of science, jour­nalism, Latin American and Caribbean studies, music theory or musicology, public affairs, and Russian and East European studies. The School of Library and Information Science offers the Specialist in Library and Information Science, the Master of Library Science, the Master of Information Science, a dual MIS/MLS, the Master of Library Science with specializations in African studies librarianship, archives and records manage­ment, children's and young adult services,  library technology management, music librarianship, rare books and manuscripts librarianship, and the Master of Library Science or Master of Information Science with specializations in chemical information and in digital libraries degrees. SLIS also offers a Graduate Certiciate in Information Architecture.

For further information, see the School of Library and Information Science Bulletin.

Special School Requirements

(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)

Dual Master’s Degree Programs with the University Graduate School

• African American and African Diaspora Studies (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• African Studies (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• Art History (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• Central Eurasian Studies (M.A.) and M.I.S.
• Central EurasianStudies (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• Comparative Literature (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• English (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• Folklore and Ethnomusicology (M.A.) and M.I.S.
• Folklore and Ethnomusicology (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• History (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• History and Philosophy of Science (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• Journalism (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• Latin American and Caribbean Studies (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• Musicology or Music Theory (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• Russian and East European Studies (M.A.) and M.I.S.
• Russian and East European Studies (M.A.) and M.L.S.
• African American and African Diaspora Studies (M.A.) and Master of Library Science (M.L.S.)

The dual M.A./M.L.S. program requires completion of a mini­mum of 58 credit hours of graduate course work. (The de­grees, if completed separately, would require 68 credit hours.) Students must apply for admission to the master’s programs of both the School of Library and Information Science and the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies and meet the admissions criteria established for each. The two degrees must be awarded at the same time.

In addition to the SLIS S401 pre-requisite, the requirements for the Master of Library Science (30 hours) are as follows:

1. M.L.S. Foundation courses (15 cr.).       
2. Either S521 Humanities Information or S522 Social Sciences Information (3 cr.).
3. SLIS elective courses (12 cr.).

A minimum of 28 credit hours is required in the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies for the Master of Arts degree. See the University Graduate School Bulletin for specific requirements.

African Studies (M.A.) and Master of Library Science (M.L.S.)

The dual M.A./M.L.S. program requires completion of a mini­mum of 56 credit hours of graduate course work, rather than the 66 credit hours required if the two degrees are earned separately. Students must apply for admission to the masters programs of both the School of Library and Information Science and the African Studies Program and meet the admissions criteria established for each. The two degrees must be awarded at the same time.

In addition to the SLIS S401 pre-requisite, the requirements for the Master of Library Science (30 hours) are as follows:

1. M.L.S. Foundation courses (15 cr.), with S551 Library Management to fulfill the management and leadership skills requirement.
2. Either S521 Humanities Information or S522 Social Sciences Information (3 cr.).
3. SLIS elective courses (12 cr.).

A minimum of 26 credit hours is required for the Master of Arts degree. Contact the African Studies Program for details.

Art History (M.A.) and Master of Library Science (M.L.S.)

This program is designed to prepare students for professional library and information specialist positions in fine arts and related libraries and information centers. The program requires a minimum of 60 credit hours of graduate course work includ­ing a comprehensive set of required courses and overlapping electives. Students must apply for admission to the master’s programs of both the School of Library and Information Science and the School of Fine Arts/History of Art and meet the admis­sion criteria established for each. The two degrees must be awarded simultaneously.

In addition to the SLIS S401 pre-requisite, the requirements for the Master of Library Science (30 hours) are as follows:

1. M.L.S. Foundation courses (15 credit hours).
2. Other required SLIS courses (9 cr.): S521 Humanities Information, S651 Art Librarianship and S605 Internship in Library and Information Science.
3. SLIS elective courses (6 cr.) chosen from among S533 Online Searching, S532 Information Architecture for the Web, S652 Digital Libraries, or S633 Indexing.

At least 30 credit hours in the School of Fine Arts are required. Course work must include A500, A575, and no fewer than two seminars in two areas. Also required are four lecture courses at the 400 and 500 levels, at least two of which must be in Western art. See specific requirements under Art History in the University Graduate School Bulletin.

Central Eurasian Studies (M.A.) and Master of Information Science (M.I.S.)

The dual M.A./M.I.S. program requires completion of a mini­mum of 60 credit hours of graduate course work, rather than the 66 credit hours required if the two degrees are earned separately. Students must apply for admission to the masters programs of both the School of Library and Information Science and the Department of Central Eurasian Studies and meet the admissions criteria established for each. The two degrees must be awarded at the same time.

The requirements for the Master of Information Science (36 hours) are as follows:

1. M.I.S. Foundation courses (21 cr.)
2. SLIS elective courses (15 cr.) appropriate to the student's background and interests.

A minimum of 24 credit hours is required for the Master of Arts degree. Contact the Department of Central Eurasian Studies for details.

Central Eurasian Studies (M.A.) and Master of Library Science (M.L.S.)

The dual M.A./M.L.S. program requires completion of a mini­mum of 54 credit hours of graduate course work, rather than the 66 credit hours required if the two degrees are earned separately. Students must apply for admission to the masters programs of both the School of Library and Information Science and the Department of Central Eurasian Studies and meet the admissions criteria established for each. The two degrees must be awarded at the same time.

In addition to the SLIS S401 pre-requisite, the requirements for the Master of Library Science (30 hours) are as follows:

1. M.L.S. Foundation courses (15 cr.)
2. SLIS elective courses (15 cr.) appropriate to the student's background and interests.

A minimum of 24 credit hours is required for the Master of Arts degree. Contact the Department of Central Eurasian Studies for details.

Comparative Literature (M.A.) and Master of Library Science (M.L.S.)

This program prepares candidates for positions in academic, research, and other libraries with a humanities orientation. The total program consists of at least 50 graduate credit hours. Students must apply for admission to the master’s programs of both the School of Library and Information Science and the Department of Comparative Literature and meet the admission criteria established for each. The two degrees must be awarded simultaneously.

In addition to the SLIS S401 pre-requisite, the requirements for the Master of Library Science (30 hours) are as follows:

1. M.L.S. Foundation courses (15 credit hours).
2. At least 15 credit hours of SLIS elective courses appropriate to the student’s background and interests.

At least 20 graduate credit hours are required in comparative literature course work. The Department of Comparative Lit­erature requires certification in at least two foreign languages, which does not count toward the 20 credit hour total required for the degree. Emphasis in the course work may be in Western literatures, East-West relations studies, Third World literatures, film studies, or studies of the interrelations of the arts (litera­ture, music, the visual arts). For specific requirements see the entry for the Department of Comparative Literature in the University Graduate School Bulletin.

English (M.A.) and Master of Library Science (M.L.S.)

Study for these two degrees can be combined for a total of 54 credit hours rather than the 66 credit hours required for the two degrees taken separately. Admission to each of the two master’s programs is approved separately on the same basis as for applicants not in the dual program. The two degrees must be awarded simultaneously. In addition to the SLIS S401 pre-requisite, the requirements for the Master of Library Science (30 hours) are as follows:

1. M.L.S Foundation courses (15 credit hours).
2. SLIS S521 Humanities Information (3 cr.).
3. SLIS elective courses (12 cr.).

A minimum of 24 credit hours is required in the Department of English. All students must fulfill the core requirements as outlined in the English Department’s Master of Arts with Con­centration in Literature or Special Field Master of Arts degree requirements. No thesis or examination is required for the M.A. in English. The M.A. in English does require reading proficiency in one of the following languages: French, German, Greek, Ital­ian, Latin, Russian, Spanish. Consult the University Graduate School Bulletin for additional details on the M.A. in English.

Folklore and Ethnomusicology (M.A.) and Master of Informa­tion Science (M.I.S.)

Study for these two degrees can be combined for a total of 57 credit hours rather than the 72 credit hours required for the two degrees taken separately. Students take at least 36 gradu­ate credit hours in information science, and at least 21 credit hours in folklore and ethnomusicology. To graduate under the dual-degree option, the two degrees must be awarded simulta­neously.
Master of Information Science (36 credit hours): 21 credit hours of MIS Foundation courses, 15 credit hours of SLIS elec­tive courses.

Master of Arts in Folklore and Ethnomusicology (21 credit hours): consult the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicol­ogy.
Students must apply for admission to the master’s programs of both the School of Library and Information Science and the De­partment of Folklore and Ethnomusicology. Admissions criteria established for each program must be met. For specific M.A. requirements, see the University Graduate School Bulletin.

Folklore and Ethnomusicology (M.A.) and Master of Library Science (M.L.S.)

Study for these two degrees can be combined for a total of 51 credit hours rather than the 66 credit hours required for the two degrees taken separately. Students take at least 30 gradu­ate credit hours in library and information science, and at least 21 credit hours in folklore and ethnomusicology. To gradu­ate under the dual-degree option, the two degrees must be awarded simultaneously.

Master of Library Science (30 credit hours): 15 credit hours of required MLS Foundation courses, plus 15 credit hours of SLIS elective courses. The S401 pre-requisite is also required.

Master of Arts in Folklore and Ethnomusicology (21 credits): Consult the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology.
Students must apply for admission to the master’s programs of both the School of Library and Information Science and the De­partment of Folklore and Ethnomusicology. Admissions criteria established for each program must be met. For specific M.A. requirements, see the University Graduate School Bulletin.

History (M.A.) and Master of Library Science (M.L.S.)

Interest in public history, genealogy, historic preservation, and archives and museum administration creates a demand for professionals with expertise in both historical research and information management. The dual M.L.S./M.A. in history program requires completion of a minimum of 50 credit hours of graduate course work. Students must apply for admission to the master’s programs of both the School of Library and Infor­mation Science and the Department of History and meet the admission criteria established for each. The two degrees must be awarded simultaneously.

In addition to the SLIS S401 pre-requisite, the requirements for the Master of Library Science (30 hours) are as follows:

1. M.L.S. Foundation courses (15 credit hours).   
2. Other required SLIS courses (9 cr.): S581 or S584, S605, and S521 or S522.
3. SLIS elective courses (6 cr.).

A minimum of 20 credit hours is required in the Department of History for the Master of Arts degree.  For specific require­ments, see the entry for the Department of History in the University Graduate School Bulletin.

History and Philosophy of Science (M.A.) and Master of Li­brary Science (M.L.S.)

This program meets the growing demand for information pro­fessionals with a scientific academic specialty and prepares stu­dents for a variety of positions in library, research, and archival settings. The program consists of a minimum of 51 credit hours for both degrees. Students must apply for admission to the master’s programs of both the School of Library and Informa­tion Science and the Department of History and Philosophy of Science and meet the admission criteria established for each. The two degrees must be awarded simultaneously.

In addition to the SLIS S401 pre-requisite, students must com­plete (30 credits):

1. The M.L.S. Foundation courses (15 credit hours).
2. Other required SLIS courses (9 cr.): S581 Archives and Records Management or S584 Manuscripts, S523 Science and Technology Information, and S605 Internship in Library and Information Science.
3. SLIS elective courses (6 cr.).

A minimum of 21 credit hours is required in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science for the Master of Arts degree. For specific requirements, see the University Graduate School Bulletin.

Journalism (M.A.) and Master of Library Science (M.L.S.)

The dual M.L.S./M.A. in journalism program provides excellent preparation for professional library and information special­ist positions in news media and in corporate, academic, and public libraries. The program consists of a minimum of 51 credit hours for both degrees. Students must apply for admis­sion to the master’s programs of both the School of Library and Information Science and the School of Journalism and meet the admission criteria established for each. The two degrees must be awarded simultaneously. In addition to the SLIS S401 pre-requisite, students must com­plete (30 credits):

1. The M.L.S. Foundation courses (15 credit hours).
2. Other required SLIS courses (9 cr.): S533 Online Searching, S525 Government Information, and either S521 Humanities Information or S522 Social Science Information.
3. SLIS elective courses (6 cr.).

A minimum of 21 credit hours is required in journalism. For specific requirements contact the School of Journalism, and consult the University Graduate School Bulletin.

Latin American and Caribbean Studies (M.A.) and Master of Library Science (M.L.S.)

The School of Library and Information Science and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies jointly offer a three-year program that qualifies students for two master’s degrees. Study for these two degrees in the dual program (M.A./M.L.S.) can be completed in a total of 51 credit hours rather than the 66 credit hours that would otherwise be required for the two degrees taken separately. Students must apply for admission to the master’s programs of both the School of Library and Infor­mation Science and the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Department and meet the admissions criteria established for each. The two degrees must be awarded simultaneously.

In addition to the SLIS S401 pre-requisite, students must com­plete (30 credits):

1. The M.L.S. Foundation courses (15 credit hours).
2. Other required SLIS courses (9 cr.): S533 Online Searching, S605 Internship in Library and Information Science (internship under the supervision of the Latin American bibliographer), and S629 Topics in Information Sources and Services (Topic: Latin American Bibliography).
3. SLIS elective courses (6 cr.).

Students take 21 credit hours of advanced courses relating to Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LTAM). The interdisci­plinary seminar LTAM S501 (3 credits) must be taken, together with 18 credit hours in other LTAM courses or those Latin American and Caribbean Studies courses that are cross-listed with other departments. All other requirements for completion of the Latin American Studies M.A., including language profi­ciency and thesis or oral examination, remain as listed in the University Graduate School Bulletin.

Musicology or Music Theory (M.A.) and Master of Library Sci­ence (M.L.S.)

The dual-degree program combines an M.L.S. with an M.A. in musicology or an M.A. or M.M. in music theory. It combines the advantages of top-ranked graduate programs in library and information science and in music, and the librarians and professional staff of one of the country’s largest music librar­ies. Through enrollment in these curricula, students may earn two master’s degrees by a combination of work in the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) and the School of Music amounting to approximately 60 credit hours (6 credits are shared between the two degrees). Applicants are expected to hold at least a bachelor’s degree in music from an accredited four-year collegiate institution. For this program, students must apply for admission to both schools and the Music Librarian­ship Specialization and meet the admission criteria established for all three. (The admissions committee for the specialization consists of the IU music librarians.) Degrees from both schools must be awarded simultaneously.

In addition to the SLIS S401 pre-requisite, students must com­plete (30 credits):

1. The M.L.S. Foundation courses (15 credit hours).
2. MUS M539 Introduction to Music Bibliography (3 cr.).
3. SLIS S605 Internship in Library and Information Science (6 cr.) (P: M539, S504). Two 3 credit internships in one or two areas related to music librarianship (e.g., music cataloging, music collection development, music reference, music technology), approved by the coordinator of the Music Librarianship Specialization.
4. SLIS S655 Music Librarianship (3 cr.) (P: M539, P or C: S504 or consent of instructor).
5. SLIS elective courses (3 cr.).

For detailed information regarding degrees offered exclusively or jointly by the Jacobs School of Music and the School of Library and Information Science also see their respective bul­letins.

Russian and East European Studies (M.A.) and Master of Infor­mation Science (M.I.S.)

Study for the two degrees can be combined for a total of 60 credit hours rather than the 72 credit hours required for the two degrees taken separately.

Requirements for the Master of Information Science degree are as follows:

1. Completion of SLIS M.I.S. Foundation course requirements (21 credit hours).
2. SLIS electives (15 cr.), not including SLIS S603 and REEI R620 (SLIS S629), which are considered part of the Russian and East European Studies degree, chosen in consultation with the advisor, to bring the total of credit hours to 36.

Students take 24 credit hours in Russian and East European Studies, including R600, R601, R620, four area studies courses (one each from the social science group, the historical/geo­graphical group, the sociocultural group, and the literature group), SLIS S605 Internship in Library and Information Sci­ence (in an area pertinent to REEI), and complete all other requirements for the Russian and East European Studies M.A., including the language proficiency exam, M.A. essay, and oral defense.
Application for admission to the dual M.A./M.I.S. degree pro­gram must be made to the School of Library and Information Science for study toward the Master of Information Science and to the Russian and East European Institute for study to­ward the Master of Arts degree. Applicants must be accepted by both degree programs. The student must select an M.A. essay committee of three faculty members representing both REEI and the School of Library and Information Science. Both degrees will be awarded simultaneously. Consult the University Graduate School Bulletin for REEI details.

Russian and East European Studies (M.A.) and Master of Library Science (M.L.S.)

Study for the two degrees can be combined for a total of 54 credit hours rather than the 66 credit hours required for the two degrees taken separately.

In addition to the SLIS S401 pre-requisite, students must com­plete (30 credits):

1. The M.L.S. Foundation courses (15 credit hours).
2. SLIS electives (15 cr.), not including SLIS S605 and REEI R620 (SLIS S629), which are considered part of the Russian and East European Studies degree, chosen in consultation with the advisor, to bring the total of credit hours to 30. Students take 24 credit hours in Russian and East European Studies, including R600, R601, R620, four area studies courses (one each from the social science group, the historical/geo­graphical group, the sociocultural group, and the literature group), SLIS S605 – “Internship in Library and Information Science” (in an area pertinent to REEI), and complete all other requirements for the Russian and East European Studies M.A., including the language proficiency exam, M.A. essay, and oral defense.

Application for admission to the dual M.A./M.L.S. degree pro­gram must be made to the School of Library and Information Science for study toward the Master of Library Science and to the Russian and East European Institute for study toward the Master of Arts degree. Applicants must be accepted by both degree programs. The student must select an M.A. essay com­mittee of three faculty members representing both REEI and the School of Library and Information Science. Both degrees will be awarded simultaneously. Consult the University Gradu­ate School Bulletin for REEI details.

Graduate Certificate in Information Architecture

Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet requirements for admission to the master's degree programs in the School of Library and Information Science: www.slis.indiana.edu.

Course Requirements

Students must complete 18 graduate credit hours; credits counted toward another degree may not be applied toward the Certificate. Required courses: S515 Information Architecture (3 cr.); S556 Systems Analysis and Design (3 cr.); S512, Informaton System Design (3 cr.); S633 Indexing (3 cr.); S516 Human Computer Interaction (3 cr.); S690 Capstone inInformation ARchitecture (3cr.)

Doctor of Philosophy in Information Science

Admission Requirements

A bachelor’s degree with a minimum grade point average of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale for undergraduate work and a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale for any previous graduate level work. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required and must have been taken within three years of application. A minimum overall GRE score of 1000 (i.e., Verbal = 500, Quantitative = 500 and Analytical Writing = 4.5) is required; however, admission is competitive and higher GRE scores are expected. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for all applicants for whom English is not a native language; a minimum score of 600 on the TOEFL Paper-based Test (PBT) or 100 on the TOEFL Internet-based Test (IBT) is expected. Additional requirements include a personal statement of 800-1000 words; three letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources; a current curriculum vitae or résumé; a chronology of activities from high school graduation to the time of application; and a writing sample. The writing sample may be a single-authored publication, a technical white paper, a grant proposal, or a paper submitted to fulfill a course requirement.

Course Requirements

A total of 90 credit hours are required for the Ph.D. in Information Science. At least 60 of the 90 credit hours must be taken at the Bloomington (IUB) or Indianapolis (IUPUI) campuses of Indiana University. SLIS courses required for the doctoral degree are: S701 Introduction to Doctoral Research in Information Science (3 cr.); S702 Doctoral Research Practicum I (2 cr.); S703 Doctoral Research Practicum II (2 cr.); S710 Doctoral Research Practicum III (3 cr.); and three sections of S764 Seminar in Information Science (total of 9 cr.). Up to 15 credit hours of S799 Ph.D. Thesis may be counted toward the required 90 credit hours.

Major

A minimum of 21 credit hours of graduate coursework, approved by the student's advisory committee, must be completed in the major area. The requirement for three sections of S764 may be counted toward the total 21 credit hours for the major.

Minor

The outside minor generally consists of 9-15 credit hours. The number of credit hours, specific courses, and other requirements for the outside minor are determined by the minor department.

Research Skills

The research skills requirement consists of a minimum of 9 credit hours of basic and advanced research courses: one graduate level statistics course (3 credits) and two advanced courses (3 credits each) in graduate-level statistics, research methods, or research design.

Qualifying Examination

The qualifying examination in SLIS consists of an extended written review and analysis of a problem area that addresses critical theoretical and methodological issues relevant to the problem area. The examination includes an oral presentation and defense of the qualifying paper.

Final Examination

Final examination for the Doctor of Philosophy in Information Science consists of a public oral defense of the doctoral dissertation.

Ph.D. Minor in Information Science

The outside minor in Information Science consists of four courses (12 credit hours) of graduate coursework in the School of Library and Information Science. Coursework for the minor is identified in consultation with the SLIS faculty member who serves as the outside member on the student's advisory committee. A qualifying examination is generally not required for the minor in Information Science.