School Librarian Certification Program
Students may be admitted in the Summer and Fall terms.
For those students who would like to become library media specialists and work with students and teachers in elementary and secondary public schools in Pennsylvania, the Library and Information Science Program offers two options—the Endorsement Option and the Intern Option—each of which is approved by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education (PA DOE). The FastTrack MLIS program supports the Endorsement Option, under which students who already hold a valid Instructional I or Instructional II teaching certificate from the PA DOE and successfully complete the 36-credit hour School Library Certification Program will receive the endorsement Library Science, K-12, to this teaching certificate as well as the MLIS degree.
If you are interested in the Intern Option, which is for students who do not hold a valid Instructional I or II teaching certificate from PA DOE, an additional six (6) courses must be taken in education, as well as a nine (9)-credit hour practicum of supervised work in an elementary or a secondary school library media center. Students who complete the Intern Option will receive an Instructional I teaching certificate in Library Science. Please contact Dr. Mary K. Biagini for additional information in regards to how the Intern Option may be pursued through the FastTrack MLIS program.)
Sequence of Coursework
May Cohort
Summer - Year 1 |
Fall - Year 1 |
Spring - Year 1 |
elective |
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LIS 2323 Resources and Services for Young Adults
|
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Summer - Year 2 |
Fall - Year 2 |
Spring - Year 2 |
LIS 2327 Multicultural Sources & Services
|
LIS 2329 Special Education Resources & Service in School Library Media Centers |
LIS 2325 Curriculum Resources & Services in the School Library Media Center |
LIS 2328 Information Literacy Resources & Services for K-12 Students & Teachers
|
August Cohort
Fall - Year 1 |
Spring - Year 1 |
Summer - Year 1 |
LIS 2325 Curriculum Resources & Services in the School Library Media Center |
LIS 2328 Information Literacy Resources & Services for K-12 Students & Teachers |
|
Fall - Year 2 |
Spring - Year 2 |
Summer - Year 2 |
elective |
LIS 2329 Special Education Resources & Service in School Library Media Centers |
|
Intern Option Students: Requirements for Education Courses
Intern Option students (those who do not possess a valid Instructional I or II teaching certificate from the Pennsylvania Department of Education) must take up to five courses in education to meet requirements for certification in Library Science, K12, depending on education previously completed: one course in educational psychology; one course in education and society; and three courses in curriculum and teaching methods.
These courses may be taken at the undergraduate or graduate level at a college or university near the student, at an institution that offers such courses online, or on campus in the School of Education; each student consults with the SLCP Director to seek approval of the courses in advance of registering for the courses. When the student completes these courses, the student submits a transcript to the Director of the SLCP to verify that this requirement is completed successfully.
Find Out More About
On-campus School Library Certification Program
For more information about this specialization, please contact our Student Recruitment Coordinator at ftinfo@sis.pitt.edu or 412-648-3108 .