Specialist in Library and Information Science
The specialist in library and information science program is a flexible post-master's degree which allows students to focus in depth on a subject of particular interest. The specialist degree can be a means of updating knowledge in a given area or of repositioning oneself in the labor market. SLIS welcomes both full-time and part-time students.
Admission Criteria
A student holding a master's degree in library and/or information science from an accredited university may apply for admission to the specialist degree program. GRE or GMAT scores are not required for those students whose previous graduate degree GPA was 3.2 or higher. SLIS admits students for the Fall, Spring, and Second Summer sessions.
Admissions materials needed are similar to the MIS or MLS requirements.
Degree Requirements
The candidate for the specialist degree must complete 30 credit hours of graduate course work, of which at least 15 must be taken from the SLIS curriculum. The additional 15 credit hours may be taken in another school or department of Indiana University. The student's entire program must be planned in consultation with the SLIS advisor to meet the student's academic and professional goals. Students must complete the degree requirements within a period of five years.
A maximum of 6 graduate credit hours from another accredited university may, in certain limited circumstances and with the permission of the dean, be applied to the Specialist degree. Outside courses are warranted only when they are relevant to the student's career objectives. Ordinarily, permission for such outside course work must be obtained before enrolling in the course. "Outside Course Approval" forms must be completed to have credits applied. The course must be completed with a grade of "B" or better, must not be applied to another degree, and must be taken within the five-year time frame allowed for completion of the degree.
A research project or thesis is not required, but students may receive up to 6 hours of credit by completing such work. An average grade of at least B (3.0) must be achieved in all graduate work taken. Application for degree must be submitted early in the Fall semester for December graduation, and early in the Spring semester for May, June or August graduation. SLIS S401, Computer-Based Information Tools, is a pre-requisite for many of our courses.
