Library and Information Studies

The School of Library and Information Studies, the only graduate professional library and information studies program in the prairie provinces, offers the Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) degree. The MLIS degree is offered on campus or completely online.

As a professional degree, the MLIS represents a program designed to develop the knowledge, understanding, attitudes, and skills that will prepare graduates to help people define their information needs, make their information seeking more effective, use information tools efficiently, evaluate information, critically examine Internet resources, make informed decisions about what to read, and help organizations manage their records and knowledge.

The MLIS program is accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of the American Library Association. This accreditation is also recognized by the Canadian Library Association.

Master's Programs

Applicants are normally required to have completed a four-year baccalaureate degree, or its academic equivalent, from an academic institution recognized by the University of Alberta.

An admission grade point average of 3 on most 4-point grading systems or B on most letter grading systems, based on your most recent two years of full time study (or equivalent) is required.

Doctoral Programs

Applicants are normally required to have completed a master's degree, or its academic equivalent, from an academic institution recognized by the University of Alberta.

An admission grade point average of 3 on most 4-point grading systems or B on most letter grading systems, based on your most recent two years of full time study (or equivalent) is required.

Additional Requirements

Some departments have additional requirements, such as:

• Statement of research interests
• Previous work experience in the field
• Educational tests such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), or Miller Analogies Test

Contact the department directly to find out if there are any additional requirements.

Ensure that you have at least an hour to complete the online application. We recommend using the latest version of these browsers for the Graduate Application: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Safari.

The application requires digital copies (PDF - view instructions) of official documents. The documents are considered "unofficial" and will be used for the initial evaluation of the application.

Supporting documents may include the following:

• Application Requirements for Academic Documents (transcripts, degree certificates, marksheets)
• English Language Proficiency scores such as IELTS, Pearson, TOEFL, etc. (if applicable)
• Additional requirements might include:
  • CV, statement of intent, writing samples
  • GRE, GMAT, other test scores
  • References:
  • Will require the name of referees, title and email addresses.
  • An email with a secure link will only be sent to your referees after you submit and pay for your application.
  • Reference letters need to be in PDF and must be on your referees institution's or company's official letterhead or it will not be accepted.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that references and all required documents are received by the application deadline or the application will not be considered for admission.

A $135 CAD non-refundable application fee is required. Payments can be made using a valid credit card only. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discovery Card. Please note that the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research is no longer able to waive this application fee for students from specific countries; all applicants are required to pay the non-refundable application fee.

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