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Admissions

Program Options

On Campus: The M.L.I.S. program is offered on the New Brunswick Campus of Rutgers University. The program on campus offers the full range of courses described on this website for the program under Curriculum and Requirements and Plans of Study. We have about 325 students on campus, about half full-time and half part-time. Courses are held during the day and in the evening, although it is not likely that you can complete your degree without taking at least some courses during the day. Some on-campus courses have an online component. The Admissions Committee reviews applications on a rolling basis and students can be admitted for either the Fall or Spring terms, depending on when they apply.

Online: Specializations within the M.L.I.S. program are offered for online, part-time study: (1) School Library Media; (2) Digital Libraries; (3) Public Libraries; (4) General Study. The online program is designed for part-time study. If you would like to take more than three courses per term, you should apply to the campus program. When applying, please indicate your primary interest as either in the on-campus or online option to avoid confusion. If you are undecided about which option to select and would like to discuss your situation, please contact either the MLIS Program at 848-932-8936 or Kay Cassell, Director of the M.L.I.S. Program, at 848-932-8789.

Entry Requirements

Entry into the Masters of Library and Information Science degree program is competitive and is affected by the quality and academic promise of the pool of candidates. GRE scores or a transcript showing completion of another graduate degree, undergraduate and graduate academic records, letters of recommendation and a personal statement are all considered in the selection process. In evaluating credentials, the admissions committee looks for both potential for graduate study and potential for service to the profession.  Specific admissions requirements are as follows:

• Applicants must have a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a recognized institution of higher education. Evidence of potential for graduate study is demonstrated by a B or higher GPA in previous academic studies.

• GRE scores must be, at a minimum, above the 57th percentile verbal and not below the 20th percentile quantitative.  An earned advanced degree obviates the need for GRE scores.  GRE scores or a transcript indicating completion of a previous graduate degree program must be submitted by all applicants. For students who have taken the GRE General Test on or after August 1, 2011:  Official GRE score reports will be available in November 2011 with score equivalents provided to the institutions.  However, we encourage you to self- report your scores in the meantime.

• Letters of recommendation: three letters of recommendation are recommended, but two letters are acceptable.  These should focus on the applicant's academic capacity (e.g., problem solving, thinking, analytical, and reflective skills) to undertake a rigorous program of graduate study.   Letters are expected from an applicant's professors or from senior members of professional and/or corporate organizations who are able to comment substantially on the applicant's academic capabilities rather than on workplace efficiency and character traits. The recommender's relationship to the applicant must be established in the letter of recommendation.  Personal friends, clergy and family members are not usually appropriate recommenders. Applicants will be asked to supply e-mail addresses for recommenders as part of the online application process at http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/apply.shtml.

• Personal statement:  The applicant should answer the question, "In an information age, how do you see yourself working as a librarian, or more generally, as an information professional?" The personal statement should be no more than 750 words in length and is submitted as part of the online application. If the applicant thinks that there are elements of the application that could benefit from a brief explanation, it can be included here.

• TOEFL scores are required for all international applicants, in addition to GRE scores.  The TOEFL should have been taken within the last 3 years.  The TOEFL Internet-based score total must be 100 or higher.  The Graduate School-New Brunswick suggests the following minimum score distribution: writing, 22; speaking, 23; reading, 21; listening, 17.  Applicants of questionable English proficiency will be required to take a written or oral test when entering the program and, if necessary, to take course work in the English as a Second Language Program before commencing their M.L.I.S. studies. Non-immigrant students must present evidence of adequate financial resources. The university may deny admission to nonimmigrant students for lack of English proficiency, for lack of financial support, or because of improper visa status. Waivers for TOEFL are granted to students who earned their bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university. The waiver will not be applied to your application until official transcripts are received. Once we have confirmed that a degree was earned, the TOEFL is waived.

In making decisions, the Admissions Committee may deem that extremely good grades and/or other positive factors may outweigh poor GRE scores, but the minimum percentiles must be met.  Conversely, high GRE scores may compensate for GPAs that do not fully meet the B standard.

Completing Your Application

The online application can be found here:
http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/apply.shtml

Please review all of the information below, especially in the "Materials" section for detailed instructions.

Application Timeline and Notification of Decisions

Please ensure that your application documentation is complete. Incomplete applications (e.g. those which do not include ALL of the required items) will not be considered. Make use of the tracking capabilities of the Graduate Admission website (http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/statusnotes.shtml ) to ensure that we have received your application, statement, transcripts, letters, and scores.

Fall Semester

Applications for the fall semester are considered on a rolling basis and are reviewed until the incoming cohort for fall is filled.  The early action deadline to be considered for our limited scholarships is February 1; all application materials (#1 through #7 below) must be received by that date. Applicants who apply by February 1 will be notified of the outcome by March 31 and will be asked to notify Graduate Admissions by April 30 if they intend to enroll.  Priority for graduate scholarships and early registration will be given to admitted students who notify Graduate Admissions of their intention to enroll well in advance of the April 30.

Notification of a positive admissions decision may list certain conditions that must be satisfied prior to registration for coursework, such as submission of a final undergraduate transcript or other credentials.

Spring Semester

To begin in a spring semester, all application materials (#1 through #7 below) should be received by September 15th to be included in the first round of offers. Applicants will be notified of the outcome by October 31st. Notification of a positive admissions decision may list certain conditions that must be satisfied prior to registration for coursework, such as submission of a final undergraduate transcript or other credentials. Applicants receiving an offer of admission will need to notify Graduate Admissions of acceptance by November 30th.Applications submitted after September 15th are welcome, and will be considered on a rolling basis, and on a places-available basis.

Summer

While the on campus program currently does not admit students to begin in the summer, the online program does offer summer admission. To begin as an online student in a summer semester, all application materials (#1 through #7 below) should be received by February 1st (which is the same deadline as fall admission) to be included in the first round of offers. Applicants will be notified of the outcome by March 15th. Notification of a positive admissions decision may list certain conditions that must be satisfied prior to registration for coursework, such as submission of a final undergraduate transcript or other credentials. Applicants receiving an offer of admission will need to notify Graduate Admissions of acceptance by April 15th. Applications submitted after February 1st are welcome and will be considered on a rolling basis, and on a places-available basis.

Deferring Admission

If you wish to defer admission to a subsequent term you must contact the program director. Admission may be deferred up to one year; after one year, a new application is required.

Materials

A complete application to the M.L.I.S. program consists of the following items:
1. An application for admission. Go to http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/apply.shtml to complete the form. Please make sure to make the proper selection under Program Information in your application and double check it before you submit the form to make sure you are applying to the program you want. To apply to the on-campus M.L.I.S. program in New Brunswick , select "Library and Information Science - 17610" o To apply to the online M.L.I.S. program, select "Library and Information Science - Distance - 176100O"
2. The personal statement, which is part of the application form. Follow the directions outlined above under "Entry requirements" when considering what to submit. Also, please note that the online application form has an option to submit the application without the personal statement, suggesting that you can mail the statement at a later time. We strongly recommend that you wait to submit your online application until you have your personal statement ready to include. Statements submitted separately run the risk of being lost, and we will not consider your application without the statement, so you do not gain any time by submitting the two separately.
3. Letters of recommendation (three letters of recommendation are recommended, but two letters are acceptable). Follow the directions outlined above under "Entry requirements" in selecting people to write letters. You should print and complete the top the Rutgers form (found at http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/pdf/2005recommend.pdf) for each recommender. You should either give them an envelope addressed to Rutgers and have them mail the recommendation in, or give them an envelope addressed to you and then you can submit three sealed envelopes to Rutgers.
4. Official transcripts of previous academic work. Please send transcripts from your bachelor's degree and any graduate study, both degree and nondegree, to the address listed at the Graduate Admissions site.
5. Official test scores from the GRE, as outlined above.
6. Individuals whose native language is not English should also submit TOEFL scores, as outlined above.
7. A $65 nonrefundable application fee. All materials should be sent to:

Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
18 Bishop Place, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8530 USA
732/932-7711 Fax: 732/932-8231

Admission Information Sessions

On-campus information sessions are scheduled on a regular basis. Our Information Sessions provide an opportunity for prospective students to learn more about the The Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) and The School of Communication and Information at Rutgers University.

The sessions are designed to answer all of your questions about the program, explain the benefits of a graduate degree from Rutgers University, and discuss emerging trends and careers in your intended field of study.

The next Information Sessions will be held:

The Information Sessions will be held in the Faculty Lounge (Room 323), SC&I building (4 Huntington Street) on the College Avenue Campus in New Brunswick. Attendance at an information session is not required for application or admission. If you have questions about the information sessions, please write to .

Technology Proficiency Required To Begin Coursework

While we admit students at varying levels of technology skills to the M.L.I.S. program, you must gain a certain level of proficiency before you can actually begin classes. What is required is enumerated here. All of our classes assume you possess these skills. On-Campus Students : Technology workshops are offered in New Brunswick in the weeks before classes begin if you need them. Online Students : Please contact the Professional Development Studies office if you need help gaining the technology skills listed on our webpage. We will do limited technology training at the orientation session before you begin your program.

Transferring Credit

No transfer of credit is granted for undergraduate course work, or for work experience in library and information service. A maximum of 6 credits of graduate coursework may be transferred to the M.L.I.S. program under the following conditions:

- You may request transfer of credits from a graduate program of library and information science accredited by the American Library Association (ALA) if the work was completed with a grade of B or better within three years prior to admission to the Rutgers M.L.I.S. program. At the time of your application to the program, if you have potential credits to transfer you should submit, with your application package, a cover letter indicating that you have credits you would like to be considered for transfer. Please also include your relevant graduate transcript along with a course description and/or syllabus from the potential transfer courses. We will review your request at the same time as we review your application to the program.

- After admission to Rutgers, and with the prior permission of your adviser, you may take coursework in another department at Rutgers or in another library and information science program accredited by the ALA.

- The total credits applied to the Rutgers M.L.I.S. program from other ALA accredited schools and other Rutgers programs cannot exceed 6 credits. Under all circumstances students must take a minimum of 30 credits through the Rutgers M.L.I.S. program to earn the degree.

Tuition and Fees - General Information

For the 2010-11 academic year, tuition per credit for New Jersey residents is $600, and for non-state residents is $939. Student and other fees vary, depending on whether you are on- or off-campus and how many credits you are taking. The M.L.I.S. program requires a minimum of 36 credits over three years. Tuition for each academic year is set by the Board of Governors during July. You can locate current information about New Brunswick Graduate Tuition at http://www.studentabc.rutgers.edu/tuition/tuitionpdf.html/. When estimating your tuition for the upcoming academic year, please consider that in the past few years tuition increases have ranged between 5% and 10% per year. You can use the Rutgers tuition estimator to get an idea of what your tuition and fees will be; visit https://sasweb.rutgers.edu/estimator/ - but please note:
The answer to the question "At which campus will you be registered?" is "New Brunswick."
The answer to the question " Will you be attending classes on a university campus or elsewhere (i.e., a community college)?" depends on which program option you are choosing. If you intend at attend on-campus, the response should be "On a Rutgers University Campus." If you intend to attend online, the response should be "Outside of the university." Student fees are slightly different for these two options.

Financial Aid

Rutgers University offers only a very limited number of scholarships for M.L.I.S. students. However, there are other sources of scholarships and loans for study in this program.

The Libraries Internship/Residency Program

The Libraries Internship/Residency program reflects the university's long standing commitment to equal opportunity and affirmative action, and its efforts to increase diversity in academic librarianship. The program is designed to provide one student in the Masters of Library and Information Science program at Rutgers with an intensive three-year exposure to the various aspects of professional work within an academic library such as reference, instruction and information services, collection development, access services, administration, digital library systems, preservation, and special collections. The internship rotation and residency may be tailored to reflect the successful candidate's personal interests and long-term career goals. For more information, please visit the library's human resources website.


For More Information

The SC&I catalog for 2008-2010 can be found here.
Other information of interest about librarianship and our program is posted at http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/~pack501/