Updated May 28, 2009
Index to the Document Below
Introduction to Degree Requirements for Students Entering 2006 and After
Students matriculating (i.e. admitted and enrolled) Spring 2006 and after must follow the requirements described in this document for their program of study leading to graduation. The letter of admission will also state these requirements.
The curriculum changes below represent a reorganization and re-balancing of the former curriculum requirements. Students who matriculated from Fall 2001 through Fall 2005 will be considered for graduation, de facto, under the requirements existing during that period unless they submit a Request to Graduate Under the 2006 Requirements and receive approval.
Starting the Program: 2006 and After
Starting the Program describes how to begin the program under the new degree requirements in effect 2006 and after.
Overview of Curriculum and Other Requirements
The MA degree requires a minimum of 36 semester hours of graduate credit. The curriculum is grouped into four broad groupings:
- Core courses
- SIRLS electives
- Other curricular options
- Additional requirements and Regulations
Core Courses (12 credits)
All students must complete the departmental core. The core is a set of four courses, prescribed by the faculty, which provides a common base of knowledge essential to the work of library and information professionals. Core courses are never waived.
- IRLS 504: Foundations of Library and Information Services
All students begin the program with IRLS 504, taught as a 7-day intensive course in Tucson. The course includes orientation topics essential to success in the program, such as introductions to graduate study, group work, and distance learning. Course content also covers basic concepts needed for the core courses and subsequent electives, such as introductions to bibliography concepts, online searching, types of libraries and library positions, organization of library services, roles of information professionals, information science, and information policy. The course also includes an introduction to the required ePortfolio, as well as a module entitled “Information Technology Readiness,” which ensures that students have the technical skills to succeed in the program. IRLS 504 is taught three times a year; for dates see Starting the Program. IRLS 504 satisfies the residency requirement for the MA degree.
- IRLS 506: Research Methods for Library and Information Professionals
A primary task for almost all information professionals is to evaluate information and research as well as to assist others in carrying out research. They can only perform these tasks effectively if they understand how good research is generated. In addition, students who plan to carry out research in the field of information and library science need to be familiar with the research methods of this discipline. IRLS 506 covers the basic research methods used in information and library science, including research methodology, research design, and elementary statistics.
- IRLS 515: Organization of Information (formerly 501)
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. IRLS 515 is an introduction to the theories, practices, and standards used in the organization of information.
- IRLS 520: Ethics for Library and Information Professionals
Information professionals tend to be faced with ethical questions involving freedom of speech, privacy, copyright, and access to information, intellectual property, etc. IRLS 520 covers the basics of ethical theory and its application to problems in information management and provides students with the intellectual tools for addressing ethical questions.
Distributed Electives (12 credits)
Students must take 12 credits of SIRLS electives, distributed over 4 categories. The curriculum committee approves the courses that fulfill the distribution requirement in each category. The most current list of approved courses is available at Distributed Electives. The categories of distribution for electives are described below.
- Management of Information Services
Library and information professionals are invariably called upon to act as managers of information services and frequently become managers of information-based institutions. As a result, they need to be familiar with the basic principles of management and how these principles apply in the context of an information service such as a library. It is strongly recommended that students fulfill the management requirement in the second half of their studies. One course is required from approved courses in this area to satisfy this requirement.
- Evaluation of Information Resources
A primary task for library and information professionals is to evaluate the quality of information resources. For example, whether they are working at the reference desk or making collection development decisions, librarians need to be able to select appropriate materials that will effectively meet the information needs of the patron. One course is required from approved courses in this area to satisfy this requirement.
- Information Technology and Networked Digital Information
Information technologies and digital networked information are an increasingly important part of the knowledge and information environment of the 21st Century. Library and information professionals need to understand these technologies and be able to use them to manage both print knowledge and information records and the increasingly ubiquitous digital information resources. One course is required from approved courses in this area to satisfy this requirement.
- Cultural Perspectives on Libraries and Information
We live in a multicultural, multi-ethnic, and increasing global world. SIRLS offers a range of courses that look at library and information issues from cultural perspectives. Learning to view knowledge and information issues through various cultural lenses makes it easier to understand that there are always multicultural perspectives to library and information issues, services, and technologies. One course is required from approved courses in this area to satisfy this requirement.
Free Choice SIRLS Electives (6 credits)
In the free-choice category, students may choose any SIRLS electives, including additional choices from the categories above.
Other Curricular Options (6 credits)
Students select 6 credits from the following list of other curricular options:
- Out-of-department courses
- Internship or practicum (limit 1)
- Independent study
- Thesis (6 credits)
- Other SIRLS electives
Additional Requirements
The following are additional requirements in the new structure:
- An electronic portfolio, "ePortfolio," is required as part of IRLS 504 and must be submitted as part of the SIRLS exit requirement. Visit the ePortfolio portion of the SIRLS website for additional information.
- A maximum of six SIRLS credits taken as a continuing education (non-degree-seeking) student count toward the thirty-six units for the degree.
- A proposed Plan of Study (POS), with advisory approval, must be filed with SIRLS in the semester the student completes eighteen credits (Graduate School requirement). Visit the Plan of Study portion of the SIRLS website for additional information.
- Coursework submitted to fulfill graduation requirements must be completed with no more than one grade of “C.”
Computer Access, Technology, and Electronic Communications
See Computer Access for a comprehensive description of SIRLS technology requirements.
"C" Grades and Minimum GPA
Graduate students who earn one grade of "C" or lower are placed on academic probation within the program. Any student who earns two grades of "C" or lower may be disqualified from the program by vote of the faculty. Only one grade of "C" or lower may be applied toward graduate degree requirements for the master's program in Information Resources and Library Science.
As dictated by the Graduate College, students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 in order to graduate.
Graded Units
In general, a maximum of six credit hours of individual studies (IRLS 693, IRLS 699) with grades of S or P may be applied. No more than three units of internship (IRLS 693) may be taken, and no more than six units of internship and independent study (IRLS 699) combined may be taken. 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 interested in writing a thesis should consult with their advisor.
Time Limitation
Course work more than six years old is not acceptable toward a degree. The "age" of a course is relative to the semester of graduation.
Transfer of Credit Hours
- Students can transfer up to six credits.
- As of December 22, 2008, SIRLS will not allow transfer credits from another institution to be applied to the master's degree, with one exception. SIRLS students can apply up to six transfer credits taken within six years of the completion of their SIRLS master's degree in which a letter grade of A or B was earned from another ALA-accredited library and information science program, with the approval of the student's advisor.
- Transfer credits cannot be used to take the place of any of the four core IRLS courses.
- Non-SIRLS courses taken at the University of Arizona are not considered transfer courses but instead out-of department courses. While permissible, these must be approved by students' academic advisors before they can be applied to the degree. (SIRLS courses taken as a non-degree or continuing education student are considered transfer courses.)
Under SIRLS new degree requirements (2006 and beyond), "transfer" credit refers to any non-SIRLS class used to fulfill the SIRLS degree requirements. Non-SIRLS classes, whether from another University of Arizona department or from another university, fall under the "Other Options" section of the degree requirements. Note that six credits of "other options" are allowed under the new degree structure. Students have the option to choose any combination of "other options" to fulfill this requirement, including additional SIRLS classes.
Although it is allowable for students to transfer in six credits from non-SIRLS departments or other universities, it is vital for students to recognize that this limits their ability to take advantage of other SIRLS curricular options. For example, if a student "transfers in" two courses from San José State University's School of Library and Information Science Library, he or she has used six credits from the "other options" list, and will not be able to present other options, such as an internship or independent study, toward the thirty-six credit degree requirement. Note that because thirty credits of SIRLS classes are required for the degree (twelve credits of core and eighteen credits of electives), there is no way to extend the number of "other option" credits within a thirty-six unit degree. For this reason, it is essential that students wanting to transfer in courses from other departments or universities talk to their advisors or SIRLS staff about the impact on their choices for other curricular options.
As you plan your SIRLS program, please note the distinction between "transfer" credits (those taken outside SIRLS) and SIRLS classes taken as a continuing education (non-degree-seeking) student (i.e. before being admitted to SIRLS). SIRLS classes taken as a continuing education student are described below.
Course Work Taken as a Continuing Education (Non-Degree-Seeking) Student
Subject to SIRLS approval and space availability, students may apply six credits of SIRLS classes taken as a non-degree-seeking student (now called a "continuing education" student). Students who have not yet been admitted to SIRLS must apply through SIRLS division of continuing education, using the continuing education application form, in order to take SIRLS classes. Effective in 2006, there will be a continuing education fee, in addition to SIRLS tuition, for taking continuing education classes. See the SIRLS Continuing Education page for details.
Students intending to matriculate as degree-seeking students are required to take IRLS 504 as their first class, the same as degree-seeking students. This policy protects non-matriculated students from starting coursework without the foundational work necessary for success in the program.
As a second course, continuing education students are urged to take IRLS 506. If IRLS 506 is not available, students should work with Academic Advising Coordinator Tom Wilding, to select an appropriate course.
In summary, students who are not admitted to SIRLS and wish to take SIRLS classes must apply through the SIRLS division of continuing education under the new degree requirements. Note that only six credits of SIRLS classes taken as a continuing education student may be applied toward the SIRLS degree.
As you plan your SIRLS program, please note the distinction between SIRLS classes taken as a non-degree-seeking student (i.e. before being admitted to SIRLS) and "transfer" credits (those taken outside SIRLS), described above.
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 faculty member.
