School of Library Science: OUR PROGRAM

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Minimum Credit Hours = 30

• The courses do not have to be taken in a prescribed sequence as they do not have prerequisites.
• Therefore you may enter the program in the fall, spring, or summer without impacting your path to completion.
• The expected term in which each course will be taught is listed:

Core Courses

•12 hours of essential core courses that build your foundational knowledge in library and informational science.

1. LSC 500 - Library Foundations – 3 credit hours (fall) – basics of library careers including topics on library types, information organization, collection development, reference services, library management, and library history.
2. LSC 505 - Library Organization – 3 credit hours (fall) - introduction to the theories, practices, standards, and tools used in the organization across a variety of information environments; includes information structures and their retrieval systems, cataloging, the MARC record, and other metadata standards and description, subject analysis, vocabularies, and systems for categorization.
3. LSC 510 - Library Research Skills – 3 credit hours (spring) – techniques to design and implement effective information literacy programs, use discovery tools, perform research, reference interviews, resource evaluation, and deploy innovative teaching techniques.
4. LSC 515 - Library Management – 3 credit hours (summer) – prepares students to lead and evaluate library services; includes topics on organizational structure, basics of personnel management, strategic planning, policy development, external reporting, and metrics for closing the assessment loop.

Focused Courses

•18 hours required on specialized topics

1. LSC 600 - Library Access Services – 3 credit hours (fall) – strategies and technologies for seamless user access, resource sharing, and improving web-based, print, or in-person user experiences that enhance the library patrons’ experience in contemporary libraries.
2. LSC 605 - Collection Development – 3 credit hours (fall) – proficiency in building, managing, and assessing library collections, covering principles, strategies, budget considerations, and demographic alignment to meet diverse user needs.
3. LSC 610 - Library Resource Management – 3 credit hours (spring) - practical skills in the latest library technologies, enhancing services for efficient access, organization, and preservation of information resources.
4. LSC 615 - Print/Digital Preservation – 3 credit hours (spring) – basics for preserving cultural heritage and information resources in evolving library landscapes, covering both print and digital formats.
5. LSC 620 - Library Marketing Skills – 3 credit hours (spring) - library marketing techniques and programming for a variety of library types and services; covers effective messaging, grant writing, and fundraising to enhance library facilities, services, and collections.
6. LSC 520 - Ethical Librarianship – 3 credit hours (summer) – ethical library services and policies, meeting DEI personnel, collection, and service needs, and understanding the library’s advocacy role in the community it serves. Covers legal issues, combating mis/dis information, and use of AI in libraries.
7. LSC 625 - Library Internship – 3 credit hours (any term) – a minimum of 45 paid or unpaid contact hours for the duration of the class consisting of hands-on experience working in a library applying theoretical knowledge to practical scenarios and enhancing essential skills under the guidance of experienced professionals. Current library workers will be required to perform their internships in a library or library department other than their own.

Curriculum Note

• Opportunities for library specialization will also be made available as the program evolves, enrollment picks up, and adjunct faculty are added.
• Special topics and independent study course numbers can be used immediately by the new MSLS faculty to anticipate trends in the profession to cover specialized areas necessary for job attainment.
• Relevant substitutions up to nine hours among the focused courses will be allowed with permission from both the MSLS program and the academic unit providing substitutions.

Other

• Minimum Credit hours to complete the Degree Program. 30
• Research-tool requirements Access to the Internet, the university's learning management system, and library databases and tools.
• Examination procedures A comprehensive exam will be administered online via a remote proctoring service covering topics presented in the four core courses. The comps will take place during a student's final term by arrangement with the MSLS program director.
• Requirements for a research paper, thesis, or dissertation. N/A
• Field work or similar requirements An optional 3-credit hour internship course will be available that consists of 45 paid or unpaid contact hours for the duration of the class consisting of hands-on experience working in a library applying theoretical knowledge to practical scenarios and enhancing essential skills under the guidance of experienced professionals. Current library workers will be required to perform their internships in a library or library department other than their own. The Marshall program director and/or advisor will assist in coordinating internships with the preceptors who must be master's degree-holding professional librarians at the library site.
• Any other information that helps to describe the program of study. Each student will be given a clear path to completion; the course sequence is fixed and repeats each fall, spring, and summer so students can enter the program three times per year and finish within 12 months. Electives and special topics courses will be added after the second year and when there is a demand for further specialization. Students may also substitute focused courses up to 6 hours from a related MU graduate program with their approval and the MSLS advisor's permission if the courses are relevant to the field and the student's goals.

* Marshall MSLS ITP document