Admissions
Acceptance into the program requires:
- undergraduate degree from an accredited institution
- 2.75 or higher cumulative undergraduate GPA
- completion of an online application through the Office of Graduate Studies
- completion of a personal interview
Conditional Admission
If you do not meet the overall grade point average, you may be classified as “a non-degree
seeking student” until you achieve a minimum 3.50 graduate GPA after completing the
following courses:
- LIS 5100 - Foundations of Librarianship (3)
- LIS 5250 - Developing and Managing Collections (3)
- LIS 5622 - Library Administration and Leadership (3)
- LIS 5322 - Information Sources and Services (3)
These courses must be taken and grades received prior to enrolling in other courses
required for the degree or reapplying for admission.
Application Dates and Deadlines
- Fall Semester Start - applications due July 31
- Spring Semester Start - applications due December 1
- Summer Semester Start - applications due April 15
Costs
The UCM library science program has been consistently ranked one of the most affordable LIS degrees in the United States by Learn.org.
Full information on tuition and costs for UCM Graduate Students is available on the
Student Financial Assistance page. You can use the UCM Cost Calculator to estimate the total tuition for your degree.
UCM supports students as they fund their degree. Each student is paired with a Financial
Aid advisor to work with throughout their program. Access the UCM Financial Aid page to learn more about financing your degree.
Scholarships
UCM offers several scholarships specifically for students in the library science program:
Suzanne Foster Scholarship in Library Science
The Suzanne Foster Scholarship in Library Science is available through the University
of Central Missouri Alumni Foundation for a graduate student pursuing a degree in
library science at UCM. This scholarship is made possible by way of gifts from family,
friends and royalties earned from the sale of the University of Central Missouri (UCM)
General Education course LIS 1600 University Library & Research Skills textbook: Information
Literacy for Undergraduates by Sandra Jenkins, UCM faculty member.
Beatrice Ricks Library Scholarship
The Beatrice Ricks Library Scholarship is available through the University of Central
Missouri Alumni Foundation for a graduate student pursuing a degree in library science.
This scholarship is made possible by way of a gift from Dr. Beatrice Ricks.
Dr. Aileen Helmick Memorial Scholarship in Library Science
The Dr. Aileen Helmick Scholarship in Library Science is available through the University
of Central Missouri Alumni Foundation for a graduate student pursuing a degree in
Library Science. This scholarship is made possible by way of a gift from family and
friends of Aileen Helmick, ‘76.
Use the UCM Scholarship Finder to learn more about and apply for scholarship opportunities.
The library science program offers five exciting options for students who are interested
in earning a graduate degree in the area of Library Science and Information Services.
Master of Library Science Options
Master of Library Science, MLS
- 24 semester hours of required library science courses
- 12 semester hours of elective courses within your choice of specializations:
- School Librarianship
- Public Librarianship
- Academic Librarianship
Master of Library Science, MLS with a specialization in School Library + Education Specialist (EdS) in Initial Teacher
Certification:
- Approximately 17 semester hours of education courses (depending on previous coursework)
- 24 semester hours of required library science courses
- 12 semester hours within the school library specialization, including 4 semester hours
of practicum requirements
- 8 semester hours of internship experience (also referred to as “student teaching”)
- 1+ additional credit of the student's choice (as needed to complete the 30 credit
requirement of the EdS)
Education Specialist Options
Professional Leadership, EdS - Librarianship Option
- 27 semester hours of electives
- 3 semester hours of a research capstone project (LIS 6900)
Cooperative Bridge Program
This is a collaborative program in Library Science and Information Services between the University
of Central Missouri and Murray State University. Students can earn an Education Specialist (EdS) and a Doctorate in Education (EdD).
Admitted students must complete:
- EdS requirements at UCM: 30 credit hours
- 18 credits in LIS coursework
- 12 credits of research
- EdD requirements at Murray State: 30 credits
- 18 credits in core courses
- 12 credits of dissertation courses
Our retention rate from our 2022-2023 cohort is 80%. Most students graduate from the
program in 2-3 years, but UCM allows up to 8 years.
Our students are often busy, working adults and a majority are part-time students.
Our most recent placement rate from the Career and Life Design Center is 100%.
| Cohort Year |
Fall 2017 |
Fall 2018 |
Fall 2019 |
Fall 2020 |
Fall 2021 |
Fall 2022 |
| Fall-to-Fall Cohort Size |
15 |
16 |
18 |
21 |
18 |
20 |
|
% Cont. to Year 2
|
86.67% |
75.00% |
72.22% |
71.43% |
83.33% |
80.00% |
| % Cont. to Year 3 |
86.67% |
43.75% |
72.22% |
61.90% |
72.22% |
|
| % Cont. to Year 4 |
86.67% |
62.50% |
77.78% |
61.90% |
|
|
| % Cont. to Year 5 |
86.67% |
56.25% |
77.78% |
|
|
|
| % Cont. to Year 6 |
86.67% |
56.25% |
|
|
|
|
| Cohort Graduates |
13 |
9 |
13 |
11 |
10 |
1 |
| Cohort Graduation % |
86.67% |
56.25% |
72.22% |
52.38% |
55.56% |
5.00% |
| Total Declared Majors (MS) |
78 |
68 |
81 |
70 |
74 |
74 |
Source: UCM Academic Digital Innovations and Analytics
ALA Accreditation Precandidacy Status
The University of Central Missouri has been granted precandidacy status by the Committee
on Accreditation of the American Library Association (ALA) as of July 2021. Precandidacy
status is an indication that the MS in LIS at UCM has voluntarily committed to participate
in the ALA accreditation process and is actively seeking accreditation. Precandidacy
does not indicate that the program is accredited nor does it guarantee eventual accreditation
of the program by ALA.
Our program is CAEP-accredited and nationally recognized by AASL.
Our placement rate for graduates is 94%. Our graduates mainly work in school libraries,
followed by public libraries, with just a handful working in college libraries and
other types of agencies. We have a public library children's librarian from Pennsylvania,
a college librarian in California, and a public library branch manager in the St.
Louis, Missouri area who are recent graduates of the program.
