School of Information Sciences - MLIS Online at Pitt

Academics

The iSchool's MLIS program represents a continuous 100-plus-year tradition of education for the library and information professions. The degree program has evolved over the century to include skills and knowledge necessary for the modern information professional. Beginning in 2000, the MLIS Program was offered online.

The MLIS program is a 12-course, 36-credit program. There are four required core courses; the remaining eight courses are tailored to your career goals. The course of study calls for each student to take several core courses, which will provide the foundational knowledge upon which subsequent courses build. These core courses offer students the opportunity to gain competency in organizing, retrieving, and managing information, as well as familiarity with various technologies and types of library institutions. With the advice of an advisor, students can select elective courses that meet their specific academic and professional needs.

Students who have no professional experience in a library setting may elect to do a three-credit Field Experience during which they perform professional activities in a library or information center where they live, under the supervision of a local librarian or information specialist and with the cooperation of a member of the iSchool faculty. Please check our FAQ to ensure that you state of residence permits such learning opportunity. Also, students can take advantage of the Web-based Information Science Education (WISE) program, which features different courses each term.

Statute of Limitations

The Master’s Degree program must be completed within four years of the first term in which courses were taken after admission. The normal part-time course load is 6 credits per term, which permits part-time students to complete the program in six terms. The faculty, in response to a student petition, must approve exceptions to the four-year limit if extenuating circumstances exist.

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This program is hosted on the Pitt Online platform, an easy-to-use online learning environment at the University of Pittsburgh. Learn more >

Contact Info

  • Brandi Belleau
    Recruitment & Admissions
  • Phone: 412-648-3108
    Fax: 412-624-5231
    E-mail: lisinq@sis.pitt.edu

SIS is a member of the ISchools Caucus

Enriching Careers

The Holocaust Museum, the Queens Public Library, the Library of Congress, the Seattle Public Library…just a few of the places recent iSchool graduates are employed.