UCLA Library Science Masters Curriculum: A Comprehensive Guide

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) offers a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program designed to equip students with the foundational knowledge and practical skills necessary for a successful career in the evolving field of library and information services. This article provides a detailed look into the curriculum requirements, specializations, and opportunities available within the UCLA MLIS program.

Introduction to the UCLA MLIS Program

UCLA's MLIS program emphasizes core principles in information organization, access, and management. The curriculum integrates theoretical frameworks with practical applications, ensuring that students are well-prepared to address the challenges and opportunities of modern information environments. Students explore topics such as digital curation, data management, user-centered design, and information policy, enabling them to serve in various settings, including traditional libraries, digital repositories, and online communities.

Core Curriculum and Specializations

The MLIS program at UCLA offers several specialized tracks that allow students to tailor their education to their specific career interests. These specializations provide in-depth knowledge and skills in focused areas of library and information science.

Archival Studies

This specialization explores the full spectrum of archival materials, including paper and electronic records, manuscripts, still and moving images, and oral histories. It delves into the theory underlying recordkeeping, archival policy development, and memory-making. Students examine the historical roles of recordkeeping, archives, and documentary evidence in a global society. The specialization addresses the expansion of the archival field, preparing students for careers in traditional archives and emerging digital environments.

Informatics

The informatics specialization focuses on the integration of information services into society, emphasizing the role of information technologies as vehicles of power and social action. Students learn to design modern information services, such as digital libraries, data repositories, metadata services, and search engines, for various institutional contexts, including community archives, cultural heritage sites, e-commerce platforms, electronic publishing houses, and government agencies.

Library Studies

This specialization covers the functional activities associated with librarianship, such as collection development, public services, cataloging and classification, service to children and young adults, and outreach to underserved populations. Students can also take classes that prepare them to work in specific types of libraries, including public, academic, and corporate libraries. The specialization stresses the core values of the library profession, as articulated by the American Library Association: access, confidentiality and privacy, democracy, education and lifelong learning, intellectual freedom, preservation, the public good, professionalism, service, and social responsibility.

Media Archival Studies (MAS)

The Media Archival Studies (MAS) specialization focuses on the full range of historical, contemporary, and emergent media-making contexts and formats and the unique challenges they pose, from 19th-century optical devices through classical Hollywood cinema to the emerging sound, image, and video formats of today. Students in this specialization explore how theories and concepts of archival practice are most effectively applied to the particular needs and characteristics of all kinds of recorded media. This broad-based approach to media making, description, preservation and management encourages students to develop a highly adaptable professional skill set that allows them to keep pace in an environment of constant technological change.

Rare Books and Manuscripts

This specialization provides a foundation in the history of literacy technologies, from early writing and manuscript culture through print and digital format. It addresses contemporary challenges for thinking about digital scholarship and special collections. The specialization engages in active discussion of the ways legacy collections meet diversity initiatives in expanding horizons for scholarship and research.

Program Requirements and Coursework

To earn an MLIS degree at UCLA, students must complete a minimum of nine courses, totaling 36 units. However, depending on the chosen specialization and individual academic plan, students may take significantly more courses. These courses are chosen by the program or as electives. The curriculum includes a mix of core courses and electives, allowing students to deepen their knowledge in specific areas of interest.

Core Courses

The core courses provide a foundation in the fundamental principles and practices of library and information science. These courses cover topics such as:

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Information organization
Information access and retrieval
Information management
User-centered design
Information policy

Electives

Electives allow students to tailor their education to their specific career goals. Students can choose from a wide range of electives in areas such as:

Digital curation
Data management
Archival studies
Informatics
Library studies
Media archival studies
Rare books and manuscripts
Data Science

Practical Experience

Practical experience is a crucial component of the UCLA MLIS program. Students are encouraged to participate in internships, projects, and collaborations with industry partners to gain real-world skills and professional connections.

Internships

The internship program connects students with hands-on opportunities in various library and information settings. These internships provide valuable experience and prepare students for future careers in the field. The program boasts "near 100% work placement within six months of graduation," making it an ideal choice for those looking to break into the field.

Capstone Project

Most master’s students complete a capstone that may take the form of an exam, paper, or project. Some students will assemble a Master’s Committee chosen from faculty in order to write a thesis paper.

Admission Requirements

Applicants to the UCLA MLIS program must meet the following minimum requirements:

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A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution
A competitive GPA
A strong statement of purpose
Letters of recommendation

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the UCLA MLIS program are prepared for a wide range of careers in library and information science. Some common career paths include:

Librarian
Archivist
Information Architect
Data Scientist
Digital Asset Manager
Metadata Specialist
Information Consultant

Graduates can find employment in various settings, including:

Public libraries
Academic libraries
Special libraries
Archives
Museums
Government agencies
Corporations
Digital repositories
Online communities

Master’s Committee and Advancement to Candidacy

For those students on a Thesis Plan, during your second year, you’ll assemble (nominate) your Master’s Committee. On occasion, your committee will fall out of compliance, in which case you’ll be required to reconstitute your Master’s Committee.

Master’s students apply to advance to candidacy after completing requirements specified for each program. Advancing to candidacy means you are ready to complete a capstone project or final examination or write a Master’s thesis. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that advancement is requested, and to maintain progress to completion. You will file the applicable Master’s Advancement to Candidacy form with your major department no later than the second week of the quarter in which the award of the degree is expected.

You can expect to demonstrate your mastery of your field of study in one of several ways depending on your program. Most UCLA master’s students have the Capstone Plan. If you are in a field with this plan, your “examination” may be in the form of an examination, capstone project, tests, papers, individual or team projects, or some other format decided by the faculty in your program. At least three faculty members will evaluate your work. For those students on a Thesis Track, you will complete an approved thesis that demonstrates your ability to perform original, independent research in order to complete your master’s degree.

At the half-way point in your Master’s studies, you’ll apply to advance to candidacy. You must demonstrate to your faculty committee that you’re prepared to be awarded this degree.

Additional Information

The UCLA General Catalog is published annually in PDF and HTML formats. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in the UCLA General Catalog. However, all courses, course descriptions, instructor designations, curricular degree requirements, and fees described herein are subject to change or deletion without notice. Consult this Catalog for the most current, officially approved courses and curricula.

Other information about UCLA may be found in materials produced by the schools of Arts and Architecture; Dentistry; Education and Information Studies; Engineering and Applied Science; Law; Management; Medicine; Music; Nursing; Public Affairs; Public Health; and Theater, Film, and Television.

Concurrent Degree Programs

UCLA also offers concurrent degree programs that allow students to combine the MLIS degree with another graduate degree. These programs enable students to complete two degrees in a shorter amount of time than it would take to complete them separately. Concurrent degree programs are available with the following departments:

Law (J.D.)
Urban and Regional Planning (M.U.R.P.)

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