Library & Info ScienceOnline

Be an information expert in the Digital Age

Information literacy, metadata management, and other modern challenges are what we study as experts in library science and data technology.

Now you can expand your skills without putting your life on hold, by earning your Master of Library Science (M.L.S) degree online through at the IU School of Informatics and Computing at IUPUI. Join a community of highly regarded professionals who provide creative, data-driven ideas that empower library patrons, corporations, civic groups, and our communities.

Earn your M.L.S. 100% online

A leader in the field of online learning, IUPUIs Department of Library and Information Science specializes in fostering collaborative learning from a distance. In your online classes youll create technology plans, develop leadership strategies, build web pages, and organize and preserve information in digital library formats. 

Our Master of Library Science, the entry degree for a professional librarian, is accredited by the American Library Association (ALA-M.L.S). Universally required for professionals in academic libraries, the M.L.S. is essential for leadership in public libraries and provides valuable management skills.

Preparing you for a new world of information

Your online M.L.S. coursework reflects whats expected of graduates in the working world.

Areas of study such as digital libraries better prepare you for finding, collecting, organizing, and preserving information. Learn about legal aspects of the profession, including copyright law, freedom of speech, and ethical and policy issues arising from the digital age.

Knowing the options

Youll learn emerging trends to help you assist researchers, small business owners, amateur genealogists and others in finding the data they need.

Creating connections

Staying current with technology in areas such as databases and social media gives you the power in more ways than ever to link users to information.

Spreading the word

Making information resources accessible relies on being well-grounded in digital technology. 

Taming the data

Youll analyze, design, and implement new systems that make searching easier for users.

Preserving a legacy in 3-D

M.L.S. students learn and work alongside our faculty on real-world projects such as Virtual Bethel, the digital preservation of the original Bethel AME Church building in downtown Indianapolis. Faculty and students painstakingly archived historical treasures from the citys oldest African-American church and created a 3-D virtual walk-through.

Careers in library science

Youll learn the skills to become a steward of all kinds of information, organizing and preserving the history were making each day.

Opportunities in the information sciences include positions in museums and other cultural institutions, research facilities, businesses, nonprofitsanywhere that information expertise is needed.

Youll also find our graduates in public, school, academic, and special librariesas well as in corporate information centers. They manage physical and virtual collections, and are passionate about the vital role that libraries play in community engagement.

Careers our graduates pursue

• Digital collections librarian
• Genealogy researcher
• Metadata specialist
• Technical services specialist
• Library director
• Curator
• Information architect
• What our graduates do
• Assist patrons
• Write grants
• Develop data research tools
• Create library technology plans and websites
• Archive and preserve digital information for easy retrieval

Degree options

You can add a specialization or combine your Master of Library Science degree with a graduate degree from another field to expand your career options.

All courses through the Department of Library and Information Science are offered online.

Students who hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 on a 4.00-point scale, or with an overall “B” grade equivalent may be considered for admission to graduate degree programs in the School of Engineering and Technology. International applicants must submit official test score reports from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to be considered for admissions.  Some graduate programs require official test scores for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) from both domestic and international applications.

All international students must demonstrate English proficiency for admission into IUPUI graduate and professional programs. Non-native English speaking domestic applicants may also be required to complete standardized testing dependent on their English proficiency.

There are many different ways to demonstrate your English proficiency to meet our graduate or professional admission requirements. Please make careful note of the different minimum requirements for Purdue and IU graduate programs shown below. Additionally, some graduate programs only accept the TOEFL, and some may require a score higher than the minimum campus standard. Verify this information with your program before selecting an alternative to the TOEFL.

Your first step is to talk to the academic department that offers your program. You will want to check their admission standards and deadlines before you start the application process.

You are required to submit some supporting documents for your department to make the initial admission decision. Each department has different requirements.