Kent State University

School of Library and Information Science

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Degrees/Certificates Offered

Programs Offered

Program Philosophy

Individually and collectively, Kent State University's School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) puts excellence in action every day - through first-class research, inspired teaching and meaningful outreach across Ohio and beyond. SLIS at Kent State University is the only American Library Association accredited Masters in Library and Information Science (MLIS) degree program in the state of Ohio. An MLIS degree is the basic requirement for professional employment in most libraries and information centers. Home to 600 graduate students, a world renowned faculty, state-of-the-art technology, and a national reputation for outstanding scholarship, SLIS at Kent State University is your key to a challenging career in the library and information science profession. Kent State University's School of Library and Information Science is the largest single master's program at the university. With over 600 students, the school is ranked in the top twenty LIS programs nationally by a U.S. News and World Report survey. The archives, special collections, and preservation specialties are an area of growth and opportunity at Kent State. In the last five years, the curriculum of this specialty has grown to include ten graduate courses and six workshops. Launched in 2009, a post-MLIS graduate-level Certificate of Advanced Study in Digital Preservation will help archives and preservation professionals prepare for the responsibilities of caring for electronic records and other digital resources. These courses may also be taken by students working toward their MLIS who wish to specialize in digital preservation.

Facilities

The School of Library and Information Science is located on the Kent State campus, at the State Library in Columbus, as well as at several distance learning sites throughout Ohio. All sites offer classrooms, technology, and expert instruction by full-time and part-time faculty. Administrative and faculty offices are in close proximity to classroom areas, offering students instruction, advising, and administrative assistance in one convenient location. Housed on the third floor of University Library in the heart of Kent State's campus, the School of Library and Information Science in Kent boasts state-of-the-art technology, flexible classroom space, a student computer laboratory, a spacious student lounge, distance learning and videoconferencing facilities, and wireless internet access. In Fall 2010, the School will open a state-of-the-art laboratory to support instruction in digital imaging and digitization of audiovisual materials.

In Columbus, SLIS occupies a newly renovated 6,100-square-foot space at the State Library of Ohio's campus in the historic Jeffrey Mining Manufacturing Co. complex in Columbus' Italian Village. Facilities include state-of-the-art classrooms, conference and meeting areas, faculty and staff offices, and a computer laboratory.

Practicum/Internships/Assistantships Offered?

Practica for the Culminating Experience (LIS 60670) are taken for three hours of graduate credit (150 clock hours), with a minimum of 100 clock hours spent working in a library, information center, archive, museum, or media center for practicum-related training and activities and a practicum project, with the remainder of the required 150 clock hours to be spent on tasks or documentation without requiring the student's presence at the practicum site. The practicum supervisor must have an MLIS or a related subject specialist degree (e.g., masters or Ph.D. in history would be considered acceptable for a supervising archivist). A full-time faculty member will also serve as advisor to the student during the practicum.

The School has a limited number of graduate assistantships available each year on a competitive basis to full-time students.  A graduate assistantship provides full-time students with tuition remission and a stipend in exchange for 20 hours of work per week. The positions begin with the Fall semester.

Research

Faculty members in the areas of archives, preservation, and digital libraries welcome masters-level students with complementary research interests. A new interdisciplinary Ph.D. program, based within the College of Communication and Information, will welcome its first students in Fall 2010, providing opportunities for doctoral-level research.

Faculty Information

Faculty Listing

Courses Offered