Admission

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Applications for priority admission are currently being accepted through March 1 for Fall 2013/Summer2013.

WHAT KNOWLEDGE RIVER STUDENTS RECEIVE

Each year, Knowledge River selects a cohort of Tucson-based students to be Knowledge River Scholars. Knowledge River Scholars receive opportunities for academic support, specialized advising, cohort support, participation in a Tucson-based learning community, mentorship, access to the 130+ Knowledge River alumni, and professional development activities, as well as regular SIRLS services and activities.

Financial aid for Knowledge River Scholars is available for a limited number of KR Scholars. This financial aid comes mainly in the form of Graduate Assistantships, which allow students to gain practical experience in libraries and other information environments..

Knowledge River Scholars graduate with an ALA-accredited MA in Information Resources and Library Science.

Eligibility

Applicants must: 

Submit application and receive admission to the SIRLS Master of Arts degree program.  This is a prerequisite for Knowledge River admission. 

To be eligible for Knowledge River admissions:

• Applicant must demonstrate a strong combination of knowledge, cultural sensitivity, and commitment relating to Latino/Latina and/or Native American populations.
• Applicant must be able and willing to take a minimum of 6 credit hours (two courses) per semester.
• Applicant must be willing and able to be a part of the Tucson-based Knowledge River learning community.
• Applicant must indicate an aspiration to seek employment in a library or information environment upon graduation, and as an LIS professional and KR Alumnus, continue to consider the needs of diverse communities. 

REQUIREMENTS

Students must apply for admission to both the University of Arizona’s Graduate College and to SIRLS. Successful applicants must be approved by both the SIRLS Admission Committee and the Graduate College Admission Department. Successful applicants will then be reviewed for admission into Knowledge River and then reviewed for Knowledge River financial aid. The application processes are described below.

SIRLS and Graduate College Admission Application:

The SIRLS application process can be found here (Go >>). Include reference to your intention to apply to Knowledge River in your SIRLS admission application essay.

Knowledge River Application:

The Knowledge River Application for Fall 2013 is currently available.  Please see attachment at the bottom of this page. If you would like to be added to the contact list and recieve updates about deadlines and opportunitie, please email kriver@email.arizona.edu.

Knowledge River Financial Assistance Application:

Financial assistance is available for a limited number of KR Scholars. Most of this aid is in the form of Graduate Assistantships. Criteria for KR financial aid are as follows:

• Financial need (must complete the FAFSA form and the SIRLS financial aid form)
• Demonstrated excellence in the criteria for admission to KR, including academic excellence, writing proficiency, commitment to Latino/Latina and/or Native American populations.
• For KR Graduate Assistantships (GA): Applicant must be able and willing to accept a 20 hour/week GA appointment in our partner libraries in the Tucson area and other information environments. To remain eligible for Graduate Assistantships, KR students must maintain a 3.0 GPA. Applicants may indicate their preferences for their graduate assistantship locations in one of the streams described in the application. The Knowledge River program will work to place accepted students in their preferred location, but the program cannot guarantee specific placements.

To be considered for Knowledge River Financial aid: 

• Submit a Knowledge River application form and resume as described in the previous section.
• Submit a completed SIRLS Financial Aid form (Go >>)
• All Knowledge River applicants who want to be considered for Knowledge River financial aid must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA). Online applications can be submitted at this webiste: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. UA School Code for the FAFSA application: 00108.

KR Graduate Assistantship Area of Interest

There are three areas of interest, or stream choices, for KR Graduate Assistants:

• Public Librarianship
• Health Science Librarianship
• Special Collections

Fall 2013 KR Scholars who are awarded Graduate Assistantships will be placed in assistantships relating to one of the streams above. Applicants will be asked to rank their stream choices. Ideally, the choices will be areas of interest during your program.

KR Scholars who do not receive GA assistantships but wish to pursue study in one of these streams are encouraged to take relevant courses and to arrange for an internship at the appropriate time.

A scholar who selects the Public Librarianship stream will be considered for Graduate Assistantships in KR partner institutions that will employ scholars in public libraries. Selecting the Health Science Librarianship stream or the Special Collections stream will guide scholars to Graduate Assistantships in these work environments.

Applications by current SIRLS students:

If you are a current SIRLS M.A. student, you do not need to complete the entire application process above. Instead, submit your Knowledge River application form (including responses to essay questions) and current resume directly to the program as PDF attachments. Please note: Admission to Knowledge River for current SIRLS students is subject to approval by the Knowledge River admissions committee.

We recommend that applicants maintain a copy of everything sent to both SIRLS and the Graduate College.  

Contact Us

Knowledge River Program Questions
1515 E. First Street 
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85719
Phone: 1+ 520.621.3565
FAX: 1+ 520.621.3279
kriver@email.arizona.edu

SIRLS Admissions Questions
Geraldine Fragoso
gfragoso@email.arizona.edu

Important Links:

• Grad College Admit

• Grad College Admit (Int)

• Financial Guarantee Form

• SIRLS Admissions

• SIRLS Financial Aid

• Immunization Reqs

• Proposition 300

• UA Residency

• Domicile Affidavit Form

• UA Campus Health

• SIRLS Deadlines

• UA Academic Calendar