You will work with an advisor to design a plan of study by selecting courses to meet your interests and career goals. See Plans of Study for examples. Thirty-six credits, or twelve courses, are required to earn an MLIS degree.
Your course choices in the Master of Library and Information Science program are organized around six themes in the field of library and information science: human-interaction; information access; information and society; information systems; management; and organization of information. Six lead courses, one in each area, form the foundation of the curriculum and offer general knowledge of the major principles and issues of the field. Two or more central courses in each theme offer basic understanding and competencies in important components of the field. Specialization courses in each theme allow students to develop expertise in preparation for specific career objectives.
The six themes with their core, central, and specialization courses are outlined below. Please also check our complete list of courses with course descriptions and pre- and co- requisites.
Human-Information Interaction
| Lead course | 510 - Human Information Behavior |
| Central courses | 511 - Research Methods
518 - Designing User Centered Information Services and Systems |
| Specialization courses | 512 - Interface Design
514 - Information, Media and the Curriculum
515 - Traditions in Oral Narration
516 - Children's and Youth Services
517 - Planning Outreach Services
519 - User Instruction |
Organization of Information
| Lead course | 520 - Organizing Information |
| Central courses | 521 - Knowledge Representation for Information Retrieval
522 - Cataloging and Classification
523 - Classification for Information Display and Discovery |
| Specialization courses | N/A |
Information Access
| Lead course | 530 - Principles of Searching |
| Central courses | 540 - Reference Sources and Services |
| Specialization courses | 532 - Collection Development and Management
533 - Manuscripts and Archives
534 - Records Management
535 - Competitive Intelligence
541 - Government Information Resources
542 - Information Resources in Science and Technology
543 - Information Resources in Business and Economics
544 - Information Resources in the Humanities
545 - Information Resources in the Health Services
546 - Information Resources in Law
547 - Materials for Children
548 - Materials for Young Adults
549 - Information Resources in Social Sciences |
Information Systems
| Lead course | 550 - Information Technology for Libraries and Information Agencies |
| Central courses | 551 - Information Retrieval
552 - Automated and Networked Systems
553 - Digital Libraries |
| Specialization courses | 554 - Information Visualization and Presentation
555 - Multimedia Production
556 - Preservation of Library and Archival Materials
557 - Database Design and Management
558 - Networked Information
559 - Management Information Systems |
Management
| Lead course | 570 - Management of Libraries and Information Centers |
| Central courses | 571 - Leadership in Theory and Practice
574 - Knowledge Management in Organizations |
| Specialization courses | 572 - Financial Management for Library and Information Organizations
575 - Educational Media Center Management
576 - Supervision in the Media Center |
Information and Society
| Lead course | 580 - Knowledge Structures and the Information Professions |
| Central courses | 581 - Social Informatics
582 - Information Policy |
| Specialization courses | 583 - Social History of Children's Literature
585 - Reading Interests of Adults
586 - The History of Books, Documents, and Records in Print and Electronic Environments |
Required Noncredit Classes
501-Introduction to Library and Information Professions
502-Colloquium of Library and Information Studies
All of the classes listed above are available on the New Brunswick campus. The Online Degree option of our program offers a variety of streams of study for students who do not wish to come to campus for classes. Full plans of study online are available for school library media, digital libraries, public libraries, and general study.
Other Study Options
Other course options are available to you. Field experience offers the possibility of working for one semester in a library or information center and earning credit; it is highly recommended if you have never worked in an information environment. You can arrange to work under the supervision of a faculty member on an independent study course so you can explore a special interest. You can take an online course from another ALA-accredited M.L.I.S. degree program around the world through the WISE consortium. And in some cases, with permission, you can arrange to take a course at Rutgers outside the M.L.I.S. program and use the credit towards your degree.
You have a tremendous number of noncredit experiences available to you at SC&I and around the University. The M.L.I.S. program offers colloquia every semester where experts come to talk about their work or current issues in the field. Other degree programs at SC&I also offer colloquia which you may attend. And Rutgers offers you the opportunity on a weekly basis to hear speakers from around the world who come to campus sponsored by one of the university's hundreds of academic programs.
