MLIS Degree Requirements
students have identical degree requirements:
- 63 total credits
- Includes nine core courses and electives
- Includes a culminating experience
- Residential students (considered full time) typically take two years to complete the degree
- Online students (considered part time) typically take three years to complete the degree
- No matter what mode, the degree must be completed within a six-year time frame
students have a different set of degree requirements:
- 44 total credits
- Includes six core courses and five law librarianship electives
- Includes a final paper and presentation as part of LIS 595
- Law students (considered full time) complete the degree in one full calendar year
Elective Courses:
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Out of School Courses: Elective courses are intended to help students acquire knowledge and skills related to their areas of specialty. A minimum of 42 credits (to include the core required credits) must be from the MLIS curriculum. Therefore, a maximum of 21 elective credits may be taken from other UW departments. Electives taken in other departments must be pre-approved by your faculty advisor. The “Out of School Course Approval Form” may be found in the Student Guide.
Foreign language courses which are primarily “learning the language” courses, (i.e. grammar, syntax, vocabulary, conversation, composition, etc.) are not acceptable toward the Master of Library and Information Science degree, regardless of the course number level. Such courses are not transferable under any circumstances. Foreign language courses at the 400-level or above that are primarily reading, research, and/or bibliography courses may be eligible to be considered for degree credit.
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Directed Fieldwork: LIS 590 (Directed Fieldwork) is an elective course that offers students an opportunity for practical application of new skills in a professional setting (internship).
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Independent Study: Students are encouraged to fulfill their degree requirements via our regular classes and coursework. In rare instances, however, students may wish to pursue LIS 600, Independent Study, to explore particular aspects of library and information science that may not be available through coursework. An independent study must not be a replication of a current LIS course; however it may expand on a topic touched upon in a course. You should also complete at least 20 credits in the MLIS program prior to proposing an independent study, which may be between 1 to 5 credits per quarter (in total, a maximum of 15 credits of LIS 600 may be applied toward the MLIS degree). For further information on setting up an Independent Study, please read the “LIS 600 Independent Study Proposal Form and Procedures” document in the Student Guide.
MLIS students are provided with a range of options for completing the required Culminating Experience (CE) for completion of the MLIS degree. Students may choose one Culminating Experience option to begin pursuing after completion of 30 credits in the MLIS program.
Program of Study Form:
The iSchool has designed a “Program of Study Form” to help students track progress through the MLIS program and to ensure the completion of all requirements for the degree. Fill out this form quarterly as a way of tracking your degree progress. During your final quarter in the program (the quarter in which you intend to graduate), submit your completed Program of Study form to the Student Services office by Friday of the first week of the quarter. More information on how to submit the form at the MLIS Apply for Graduation site; note that there are separate forms for Residential/Online MLIS students and Law Librarianship students, and these can also be found in the Student Guide.
Petitioning iSchool Requirements/Policies:
If you would like to request a waiver of an iSchool requirement or make a special request of iSchool policies you will need to fill out the “Petition to Request Waiver of an iSchool Departmental or Program Requirement Form” found in the Student Guide.