Standard IV. Students
IV.3 Standards for admission are applied consistently. Students admitted to a program have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution; the policies and procedures for waiving any admission standard or academic prerequisite are stated clearly and applied consistently. Assessment of an application is based on a combined evaluation of academic, intellectual, and other qualifications as they relate to the constituencies served by a program, a program's goals and objectives, and the career objectives of the individual. Within the framework of institutional policy and programs, the admission policy for a program ensures that applicants possess sufficient interest, aptitude, and qualifications to enable successful completion of a program and subsequent contribution to the field.
The admissions criteria for the MLIS program are defined as follows:
The Library and Information Science Program seeks students with diverse educational and career backgrounds. Applicants for graduate study must have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a scholastic average of B (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better.
The LIS Program faculty are responsible for reviewing student applications and determining to whom to offer admission and financial aid. It should be noted that the admissions and financial aid review are separate processes: the admissions committee members review admissions applications and the Program Chair determines financial support distribution, after receiving recommendations from faculty involved in admissions.
The program has an appointed admissions committee which reviews all applications. All application materials are submitted online via the University’s Apply Yourself system, with the exception of the transcripts which are sent by the applicant’s current or previous institutions of higher learning. The committee determines which applicants meet the admissions criteria, which have a strong academic or professional background, and which have stated a specific interest with regards to specializations. If the applicant is interested in the School Library Certification or Archives specializations, their application packet is forwarded to the appropriate specialization faculty. The remainder of applications is reviewed by the Admissions Committee, and decisions are made and recorded about whether or not to offer admission to the applicant.
The LIS program faculty consider the following items in evaluating applicants for admission:
- Two letters of recommendation
- Transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate education
- GRE or Miller Analogies Test scores (this is a new requirement – applies to those seeking admission in Fall 2013 and beyond)
- Résumé/CV
- Statement of Intent – discussing academic and professional goals.
Archives, Preservation, and Records Management specialization applicants must have the equivalent of a year’s experience (this experience can be as either a student or paraprofessional) in archives and special collections units in their undergraduate schools and volunteer and other experience in historical societies, museum archives, historic sites, and cultural organizations), knowledge of the APRM field as demonstrated in their personal statements, and clear professional goals that can be supported by our academic program.
- TOEFL scores (for international students).
Fall 2010-2011-2012 Acceptance/Matriculation comparison
|
Admission rate |
Acceptance rate |
Matriculation rate |
||||||
Program |
Fall 2010 |
Fall 2011 |
Fall 2012 |
Fall 2010 |
Fall 2011 |
Fall 2012 |
Fall 2010 |
Fall 2011 |
Fall 2012 |
FT/ Pitt Online |
76% |
87% |
91% |
83% |
69% |
75% |
91% |
89% |
77% |
MLIS |
92% |
88% |
89% |
48% |
51% |
45% |
92% |
88% |
85% |
MSIS |
91% |
89% |
89% |
35% |
36% |
38% |
82% |
60% |
71% |
MST |
96% |
92% |
85% |
51% |
49% |
63% |
50% |
46% |
47% |
As can be seen in the table above, the school has varying admissions and matriculation (yield) rates across the various Master’s Programs. Within the LIS program, 89-91% of applicants are offered admission (based on the Fall 2012 statistics). Approximately 45% of applicants to the on-campus program accept the offer of admission, which 75% of the online applicants do so. The matriculation rates for both the on-campus and online programs are between 77-85%. The figures for the other Master’s programs within the iSchool are provided to present a comparative picture of yield across program lines.
In looking ahead, we’re noting a decline in the number of applications in the MLIS program (both on-campus and online), but outstanding increases in the number of applications to the MSIS/MST programs. This is not unexpected given the projected increase in employment opportunities in the STEM-related fields. However, the growth in applicants and enrolled students is mostly from international students (in 2012, the majority of applicants to the MSIS program were from China.) This presents several challenges: economic fluctuations and visa programs can significantly impact both applicant and enrollment numbers. The employment picture for LIS graduates, while improving, is not expected to reach the levels of the STEM fields, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects to be between 22-31% over the next decade. Therefore, a decrease in the number of applications to the LIS program is reasonable. The impact of the requirement of a GRE/Miller Analogies Score on applications has not yet been determined. At this point in time, it is difficult to differentiate between a market-related decline in applications and one caused by the requirement of the GRE. It is expected that some potential students will be put off by the requirement, but this may actually have a positive impact on the applicant pool.
MLIS applications for admission, Fall 2006-Fall 2012 chart is available on-site.
MLIS Students, Status of Admission chart is available on-site.
The LIS program has procedures in place to allow provisional admission to the program for three reasons: awaiting submission of final formal transcripts (either due to bureaucratic delay or to very recent completion of previous degree), pending acceptable performance on the Michigan Test, or for academic reasons. These academic reasons might include a QPA below the required minimum; the admissions committee weighs the QPA against professional experience in a pertinent field or the fact that the previous degree was earned at a time or place which makes a score such as QPA less valid.
The School grants provisional admission to a proportion of applicants each year. For the timeframe of 2006-2011, 929 applicants were offered full admission to the program, as compared to 296 who were offered provisional admission. Of those 296 applicants, 215 were awaiting final official transcripts, 31 were awaiting language scores from the Michigan Test, and only 49 were on the provisional admission list for academic reasons. As per the policy statement, such students were able to provide additional evidence of academic potential, professional potential (e.g., outstanding letters of recommendation and/or outstanding work experience). Students who failed to achieve a 3.0 QPA by the conclusion of the first 12 credits were dismissed from the MLIS program.
The School has always sought to recruit and retain students with strong academic histories.
Average GPA of newly-enrolled MLIS students, Fall 2008-2012 table is available on-site.
As can be seen in the chart above, the average GPA of entering students is well above the mandated minimum of 3.0. The academic performance of students can be judged by their grades in the core courses, which are most likely taken in the early semesters of the program. A significant majority of students successfully met the grading criteria for these core courses during the timeframe of Fall 2006 through Summer 2012:
Course |
% achieving “B or better” |
LIS 2000 |
90.9% |
LIS 2001 |
93.5% |
LIS 2002 |
92.8% |
LIS 2005 |
89.3% |
LIS 2600 |
93.8% |
LIS 2700 |
92.8% |
LIS 2220 |
90.3% |
LIS 2774 |
96.6% |
The admissions committee also assesses the applicant with regards to degrees earned. The School has noted a dramatic change in the disciplines which have been represented in previous applicant pools. Traditionally, students had previously earned degrees in Education, English/Writing, and History. Over the past six years, the number of students with degrees in Education has declined. This is not unexpected given the lack of hiring opportunities in education due to significant cuts in state and federal funding for K-12 programs. There has also been a slight overall decrease in the number of students coming from the English and Writing disciplines. Interestingly, there has been an increase in the number of students who have earned degrees in History and STEM fields. The history students tend to enroll in the APRM program, but the STEM students show no particular affinity for a specific specialization. The increase in STEM students is a bit surprising in that the job market has improved for such students. This might be in response to an increased awareness of the interrelationships between the traditional LIS field and the technology-related fields.
Disciplinary background of MLIS students, Fall 2006-2011
Categories of disciplines in which MLIS students earned previous degrees, 2006-2011
Fall 2006 |
Fall 2007 |
Fall 2008 |
Fall 2009 |
Fall 2010 |
Fall 2011 |
|
Arts |
7.9% |
7.2% |
9.3% |
7.1% |
8.7% |
14.8% |
Business |
5.3% |
3.6% |
3.1% |
2.5% |
2.0% |
0.7% |
Education |
7.9% |
11.4% |
5.2% |
2.5% |
4.0% |
2.0% |
English/Writing |
21.1% |
23.5% |
23.7% |
31.3% |
28.7% |
22.1% |
Health |
0.9% |
2.4% |
1.5% |
1.0% |
2.0% |
1.3% |
History |
11.4% |
15.1% |
12.9% |
16.7% |
14.0% |
20.1% |
Library Science |
1.8% |
1.2% |
2.1% |
1.5% |
2.0% |
0.7% |
Social Sciences/Studies |
28.9% |
21.1% |
23.2% |
18.2% |
24.7% |
22.8% |
STEM |
6.1% |
6.6% |
3.6% |
5.6% |
3.3% |
7.4% |
Other |
8.8% |
7.8% |
15.5% |
13.6% |
10.7% |
8.1% |
The students who have been admitted to the MLIS program over the timeframe of this study have been remarkably successful in achieving their academic goals. One way to evaluate this success is to track retention of the students:
Number of Students Dropping Out of Degree Program, 2005-2011 chart is available on-site.
Most years, fewer than 20 students dropped out of the MLIS program. This would result in a less than 10% loss rate for the program. The School has only anecdotal evidence of why this small group of students quit the program, which include family issues and time constraints.
Another indicator of student success is the QPA of graduating students, which reveals that students in the program are performing well above the mandated minimum of 3.0 QPA to remain in the program. There are fluctuations in each term, which is to be expected. However, the average GPA at graduation is consistently between 3.72 and 3.88.
Graduating GPA of MLIS Students, 2007-2011 chart is available on-site.
MLIS Time to Graduation
Students who started Fall 2004 and graduated through Summer 2010
This chart shows that a majority of MLIS students graduate within 3-6 terms, with more than half completing within the minimum one-year period, which is well ahead of the four-year statute of limitations. This indicates that students are able to construct programs of study that permit them to graduate within a reasonable timeframe. The program can be completed in three contiguous terms, but many students do not consistently take courses full-time, or gain approval for a leave of absence. The part-time students are encouraged to finish within 8 terms: as shown above, most of them do so.
In addition, there is a Beta Phi Mu chapter at the School: this is the national honor society intended to recognize and encourage scholastic achievement among library and information studies students. The motto, Aliis inserviendo consumor , meaning “Consumed in the service of others” was selected by the founders based on the concept of dedication of librarians and other information professionals to the service of others. Eligibility for this honor society is based on a minimum of 3.75 QPA and by invitation of the faculty from an American Library Association accredited professional degree program. As of November 2012, there are 186 Life Members of Beta Phi Mu and 61 Active Members in the University of Pittsburgh Chapter.