LIS Bachelor of Science Degree Program

Goals:

The Bachelor of Science in Information and Library Services provides students an opportunity to develop technological skills, attain a broad liberal arts education, and increase creative and critical thinking abilities for employment in libraries and information centers. It is the natural extension of the Associate of Science in ILS offered by UMA. Students with the Bachelor's degree will be prepared to enter the field of library and information technology as specialized paraprofessionals, able to work independently in many employment settings. Library support staff and technicians currently employed in school and public libraries can advance themselves professionally and fiscally by pursuing the B.S. in ILS. The B.S. degree also prepares students for further study in Information and Library Science at the Graduate level.

For further information, see From College to Career in Library and Information Services.

Entrance Requirements:

To be admitted to the Bachelor of Science degree, either Option 1 or Option 2 must be met. If neither is possible, all students will follow Option 3.

Option 1: successful completion of 30 credits from an accredited institution with a GPA of at least 2.50
Option 2: SATs of 1,000 combined points
Option 3: Students who do not meet either of the first two criteria will be required to enter into the A.S. degree program. After successfully completing 30 credits, students may transfer into the B.S. degree.

Degree:

Upon successful completion of the program (120 credit hours at a minimum GPA of 2.00 and a minimum grade of "C" in all library and information technology courses), the student will be awarded a Bachelor of Science in Library and Information Services degree.

Degree Requirements:

The Bachelor of Science is 120 hours of credit work to include the following program requirements.

Program Requirements:

Please see our checksheets for the different program requirements.

Bachelor of Science (PDF) or (HTML)
Associate of Science (PDF) or (HTML)
Certificate (PDF) or (HTML)

Course Delivery:

ILS courses are taught asynchronously via the Internet, some video instruction, and computer teleconferencing. Contact between faculty and students is maintained via e-mail and toll-free telephone service. Non-library courses can be completed at regionally accredited colleges and universities of the students' choice or through UMA. The B.S. degree requires 120 credit hours of coursework of which 44 hours are to be ILS courses taken through UMA.

This distance education option includes national and international delivery via asynchronous technologies & computer, e-mail account, and access to Internet required.

Costs:

See UMA's Tuition and Fees page for current tuition costs.

Application and Registration:

Students may apply and register by contacting the UMA Office of Admissions,
1-877-UMA-1234 (In Maine) or 1-800-958-9936 (Nationwide).