Curriculum Requirements for Graduation
for Students Admitted before Fall 2001
General Requirements
This website is a constantly changing document, and the requirements may change with incoming terms as the faculty develop the curriculum. However; each student is mailed a welcome letter upon admission, which should be used as the guide for the requirements of the program of studies. Please note that each student is bound by the specific requirements listed in the letter of welcome, which is received upon admission to the School. The requirements for the program of study for each admitted student are listed in this letter.
Overall Program Description and Requirements:
A master's degree in Information Resources & Library Science can prepare a student for a wide variety of professional opportunities. The degree is comprised of a total of 36 semester hours. Different goals will dictate course selection. This is an interdisciplinary major and students are required to work with their faculty advisor for approval of their overall plan of study. However, the faculty of SIRLS has determined that there are three core areas that every information professional should be familiar with: Organization of Information, Research Methods, and Information Ethics.
ORGANIZATION OF INFORMATION
Information professionals perform a wide variety of tasks. They may be involved in the storage, transmission, retrieval, evaluation, or archiving of information. The common thread that allows all of these tasks to be effectively carried out is the coherent organization of the information in question.
Students at SIRLS are required to take IRLS 501 - Organization of Information - or IRLS 601 - Theory of Classification - or any other course approved by the student's SIRLS advisor. These courses cover the basic principles of the organization of information.
RESEARCH METHODS
Students that plan to carry out research in the field of information and library science need to be familiar with the research methods of this discipline. A primary task for information professionals is to evaluate information and research as well as to assist others in carrying out research.
Students at SIRLS are required to take two graduate-level research methods courses. The first course must be IRLS 506 - Research Methods for Library and Information Professionals. This course covers the basic research methods used in information and library science. Consult with Academic Advising Coordinator, Leslie Kent Kunkel, to select a second research methods course, either from within SIRLS or alternatively, a graduate-level course that covers research methods in some other academic discipline.
INFORMATION ETHICS
Information professionals tend to be faced with questions involving ethics, such as freedom of speech, privacy, copyright, access to information, intellectual property, etc. Students need the intellectual tools for addressing those issues. Students at SIRLS are required to take one course on information ethics.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
SIRLS students are required to include at least two courses taken outside of the School of Information Resources & Library Science. It is recommended that these be taken in a field or discipline that is relevant to the specific professional goals of the individual student. These courses must be approved by the student's faculty advisor.
Students may elect the thesis option, completing a minimum of 6 semester hours of thesis in addition to a minimum of 30 semester hours of course work.
Other requirements of the program include:
- a written course justification
- the "master's specialist / completion of degree requirements" form that must be submitted before the student's last semester (see graduation requirements for more details)
- completion of a minimum of 6 graduate units of residency on campus as an admitted student
"C" Grades and Minimum GPA
Graduate students who earn one grade of "C" or lower are placed on academic
probation within the program. By vote of the faculty, any student who
earns two grades of "C" or lower will be disqualified from the School
of Information Resources & Library Science. Grades of "C" or lower
may not be applied toward graduate degree requirements for the master's
program in Information Resources & Library Science. Students must
replace a grade of "C" or lower with an equivalent number of graduate
credits at the "B" level or higher.
Graded Units
In general, a maximum of 9 credit hours of individual studies (693,
699) with grades of S or P may be applied. The remaining credit hours
for the degree must be graded (i.e., grades of A or B), with the exception
of thesis credits. Those students taking thesis, please check with your
advisor.
Time Limitation
Course work more than 6 years old is not acceptable toward a degree.
The "age" of a course is relative to the semester of graduation.
Residency Requirement
All master's degree programs must include a minimum of six credit hours
of course work done on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson. Individual
studies or thesis credits do not fulfill this requirement.
NOTE: Courses taken as a non-degree seeking student do not fulfill
the residency requirement.
Virtual Course work
Students may present up to 30 credit hours of virtual course work from
SIRLS for the master's degree, including individual studies courses.
Transfer of credit hours
Transfer work must be approved by the School of Information Resources
& Library Science and the Graduate College. The University allows
up to 20% of the total degree requirements (7 units) of transfer work
to be included in a student's program. A maximum of 7 units of graduate
credit may be transferred in from another institution. Course work must
be a grade of A or B, 500-level or higher, and clearly marked on the
transcript for graduate credit. Correspondence or extension courses
cannot be applied. Transfer courses not clearly denoted on official
transcripts as graduate level will be routinely disallowed by Graduate
Degree Certification. Course work used in a previous master's degree
from The University of Arizona or another institution is not acceptable
for transfer.
Course Work taken as a Non-Degree Seeking Student
The School of Information Resources & Library Science accepts up
to 12 credit hours earned as a non-degree student from The University
of Arizona. Transfer course work is included in this catagory.
CAUTION: If a student takes 12 credit hours as a non-degree seeking student from the University of Arizona, NO course work may be transferred into the degree program from another institution. Likewise, if a student transfers in 6 credit hours from another institution, he/she is limited to 6 units of course work as a non-degree student from the University of Arizona.
Thesis Credit
Students may elect to submit a minimum of 6 credit hours of thesis
for their program. With the prior approval of the director, thesis work,
where applicable, may be done in absentia under the direct supervision
and guidance of a member of the faculty.
