Standard IV. Students
IV.4 Students construct coherent programs of study that allow individual needs, goals, and aspirations to be met within the context of program requirements established by the school. Students receive systematic, multifaceted evaluation of their achievements. Students have access to continuing opportunities for guidance, counseling, and placement assistance.
The MLIS program permits students to follow an individualized course of study or to follow more prescribed courses of studies in the MLIS specializations. The APRM and SLCP specializations have strict course options and order. All students in the program take a set of core courses which provide essential foundational knowledge, which is then built upon in more advanced courses. The specific courses are determined by the specialization. Students can identify the appropriate specialization by reviewing the iSchool’s Web site, which provides complete descriptions of the various courses of study. Students can also consult with the School’s recruiters and program administrators to determine the specialization or course of study which will help them to reach their professional goals. Often, an applicant’s essay will reveal a strong interest in one area of the LIS field and program administrators work with the applicant to ensure that they understand the values of various specializations.
The actual courses of study are available here. When first applying, the student selects to follow either the individualized program or one of the specializations. Upon this determination, the student is provided with a Planner to ensure that they take the appropriate set of courses, in the proper order. The Planners are included in the Appendix CUR 5 and can be found here. All specializations allow students some choice in the courses they take, either from prescribed sets of courses or from the full course catalog; the number of required or recommended courses varies for the different specialty areas. The final selection of courses is determined by the student and the advisor. Students are encouraged to look outside of the LIS program and the iSchool for electives, when appropriate. With the approval of the advisor, students can take up to two courses from outside of the School.
Upon being admitted to the School, the student is assigned to an advisor to provide them with guidance on moving through the MLIS degree program. The advisors, all full-time members of the faculty, help students to clearly define their academic and professional goals, and then to identify the appropriate specialization and courses. Through the use of PeopleSoft, Pitt’s student information management system, advisors have constant access to the student’s academic record. They may check to make sure that students are making satisfactory progress, taking appropriate coursework, and maintaining mandated grades.
Throughout the term, faculty can utilize Pitt’s course management system (CourseWeb) to post grades for individual assignments or team projects. This regular evaluation offers students sufficient opportunities to redress any negative grade situations. Course grades are published within 10 days of the end of the term. Each term, the program faculty meet to review student grades and progress to degree. If problems become apparent, the program administrator or faculty will contact the student to advise on corrective actions. In addition, the iSchool’s Student Services Manager performs a grade review for all students. If students fall below the required minimums, they receive official notification of being placed on academic jeopardy, which is described in detail in Standard IV.1.
Students may self-enroll, utilizing the PeopleSoft course enrollment module. However, the School strongly recommends that students communicate with advisors each term to review progress to degree and future courses to be taken. Faculty determine the appropriate communications channels and usually offer opportunities to advise students face-to-face, through phone calls or e-mails, IM or text.
Students have access to a wealth of resources to assist in their job search, which are described in more detail in Standard IV.1.
Students also have access to counseling services as provided by the University of Pittsburgh through the University Counseling Center. The UCC is maintained by a multidisciplinary staff of psychologists, social workers, licensed professional counselors, psychiatrists, and advanced graduate-level trainees in a variety of mental health disciplines. All students who are enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh and registered for classes are eligible to receive UCC services. UCC services are provided free of charge. Individual, couples, and group counseling services are offered, as well as seminars throughout the year dealing with issues such as stress management, healthy relationships, and career development. See this Web page for more details.