Degree Programs

The Core Curriculum provides students with the foundational knowledge and skills needed to pursue studies in LIS.

Degrees Programs & Requirements

M.S. in Library and Information Science

Students must complete 36 credit hours with an average of "B" or better and meet other prescribed requirements of the Institute. Degree requirements must be completed within four years from the date of registering for the first course.

Core/Required Courses                                              

A set of four 3-credit required courses, all students must take the core curriculum comprised of four 3-credit courses representing 12 credits of the 36 credits required for the MS in LIS. Importantly, the core provides students with the foundational knowledge and skills needed to pursue studies in LIS. Areas of focus within the core are reference, cataloging and metadata, information technology, and the role of information professions in society. In addition, general learning skills and qualities are supported across the core and curriculum. Through the core courses, the school seeks to instill the following skills and qualities in its graduates:

• Critical thinking
• Keeping pace with current trends
• Working creatively and with commitment
• Developing a personal vision and purpose
• Flexibility and adaptability;
• Effective oral and written communication skills;
• Understanding and application of professional ethics;
• A service orientation; and
• An understanding of a changing information environment.

Dual Degree - MSLIS and MS in History of Art & Design

This program is especially designed for students who wish to pursue careers in arts related fields - where art, information and technology converge. Students will be prepared to work in any number of settings from academic libraries and museums, to galleries and auction houses as well as other cultural settings. The program requires 30 credits in LIS and 30 credits in History of Art, for a total of 60 credits. Students must apply to and be accepted as matriculated in both programs. Application may be made initially to the dual-degree program, or to one of the two programs, with later application to the other, provided that the student has not yet graduated from the first program entered. SILS does not require the GRE although in some cases it might be requested if for example an one's GPA is below 3.0. History of Art requires the GRE (contact HA for their admission requirements). Visit the dual-degree Web site.

M.S.L.I.S. with Library Media Specialist Certification

Students in the Master's program may choose to become New York State certified School Library Media Specialists by fulfilling requirements in addition to those for the M.S. in Library and Information Science. Students who enter this track must apply to the dean's office to be formally accepted as Library Media Specialist students. An interview is required which will determine sufficiency of the required liberal arts background as per New York State Education Department (NYSED). Applicants will be asked to write a brief essay at the time of the interview. Applicants may be asked to take the GRE if for example one's GPA is low.

Once accepted into the track, students wishing to qualify for New York State certification in Library Media Specialist must complete the following:
A specified pedagogical core of course work (9 credits) to be taken at Pratt Institute; non-credit seminars: one on child abuse recognition and one on school violence prevention and intervention; a non-credit course in Health and Safety. The core/required courses for the M.S. degree and the following LMS courses:

o LIS 648 School Library Media Centers LIS 676 Literature and Literacy for Children LIS 677 Literature and Literacy for Young Adults LIS 680 Instructional Technologies LIS 690 Student Teaching-Grades 1-6 LIS 692 Student Teaching-Grades 7-12

The core/required courses and LMS track courses require a total of 100 clock hours of field observation. LIS 690 and 692 each require twenty full days (for a total of forty days) of student teaching in NYSED prescribed settings. In addition, candidates must pass three NYSED administered tests.

Advanced Certificate in Library Media Specialist
Pratt offers a post-Master's Certificate leading to NYS certification in Library Media Specialist. The requirements for this program are the same as those for the M.S. track in Library Media Specialist described above except that post-Master's students will not take the basic core courses in Library Science (LIS 651, 652, 653, 654). Applicants to this program must hold a Master's Degree in Library Science from an accredited institution of higher education.

Summary of SILS Certificate Programs

Advanced Certificate in Archives. This 12-credit program can be taken within Pratt's MSLIS or post MLS from an ALA accredited program.

LIS 624 - Management of Archives & Special Collections 3
LIS 698 - Practicum/ Seminar 3
2 Electives from recommended archives courses 6

Advanced Certificate in Museum Libraries. This 12-credit program can be taken within Pratt's MSLIS or post MLS from an ALA accredited program.

Students select one 3-credit course from several options for each of the 3 required areas plus a 3-credit practicum:

1. Research / Curatorial 3
2. Digital Technology 3
3. Education & Outreach 3

LIS 698 - Practicum/ Seminar 3
Advanced Certificate in Library Media Specialist leading to NYS Teacher Certification. To be eligible for this post master's, applicants must hold an MLS degree from an ALA accredited program.

Required Courses in Library Media Specialist

LIS 648 - Library Media Centers 3
LIS 676 - Literature & Literacy for Children 3
LIS 677 - Literature & Literacy for Young Adults 3
LIS 680 - Instructional Technology 3
LIS 690 - Student Teaching I 3
LIS 692 - Student Teaching II 3

Required Field Observations and Student Teaching - 100 hours of field observation in school library media centers plus 40 full days of student teaching are required (20 elementary and 20 secondary). Student teaching is conducted in the fall or spring terms in New York City under the supervision of certified school library media specialists. Field hours and student teaching must be completed, documented, and submitted to the Coordinator in order to graduate.

Liberal Arts and Sciences - NYS requires a firm background in Liberal Arts and Sciences for all certified teachers. Upon application to the program, students must provide proof via transcripts of at least one three credits course in each of the following: Artistic Expression, Communication, History, Social Sciences, Humanities, Science, Mathematics, and Writing. Students must also provide proof via transcript of at least six credits in a language other than English.

PEDAGOGICAL CORE - NYS requires a pedagogical core of education course. This requirement is satisfied at Pratt Institute by the following required courses:
ED 600 Advanced Studies in the History and Philosophy of 3
ED 606 Advanced Studies in American Education 3
ED610 Child and Adolescent Development 3

LMS Contact information: Professor Jessica Hochman - Coordinator of the Library Media Specialist Program email: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Advanced Certificate in Library & Information Studies (30 credit program)

Elective Credits (six 3-credit courses) 24

LIS 699 - Research oriented independent study 6

Curriculum

The curriculum provides students with in depth knowledge of library and information science and the skills necessary for careers in major types of libraries and information centers. In consultation with faculty advisors, students are encouraged to focus their elective course work and develop an individual course of study relevant to their career goals. The program structure, shown in the Program and Objectives Chart, is designed to meet the program objectives for students learning. Students may choose to concentrate in such areas as arts and humanities library services, business/corporate information services, health sciences or law librarianship, archives and records management, or other individualized courses of study. Sample elective course work for selected concentrations is described below. For a description of SILS seven areas of concentration consult our Concentrations Chart.

Arts & Humanities Library Services/Cultural Informatics

Career opportunities in this area include research and academic libraries, museums and library research, archives and special collections, art and performing arts librarianship, digital libraries and archives. Recommended electives for this concentration include:

* LIS 623 Online Databases in the Social Sciences and Humanities
* LIS 625 Management of Archives and Special Collections
* LIS 629 Museums and Library Research
* LIS 632 Conservation and Preservation
* LIS 696 - three Institutes at the New York Public Library (NYPL), Humanities and Social Sciences Library: Special Collections, Art Collections, Map Collections

LIS 697- Special Topics:

* Management of Electronic Records
* Archives and Manuscripts
* Performing Arts Librarianship at NYPL, Lincoln Center Library
* Science Museums and Libraries
* Projects in Digital Archive
* The Art World, Business & Information

SILS International Program: Summer Institute in Florence, Florentine Art & Culture, Resources & Documentation.
London Summer Institute in E-Publishing with University College London, School of Library, Archive and Information Studies.

Business/Corporate Information Services

Business information specialists work in corporate information centers, banks, firms that offer specialized information services to corporate clients, consulting firms, universities, foundations, and research libraries. Within corporations, they function as knowledge managers and provide reference service to corporate clients. They instruct and assist in research; perform competitive intelligence analyses; design, manage, and search data bases; design and maintain retrieval systems; and establish policies and procedures for the retention of records, data, and print and electronic information resources. Recommended electives for this concentration include:

* LIS 616 Business, Economics, and Statistical Sources
* LIS 620 Advanced Reference
* LIS 627 Online Databases in Business
* LIS 613 Government Information Sources

Health Sciences/Medical Library Services

Today's medical librarians work in hospitals, medical schools, pharmaceutical firms, veterinary programs, public libraries, universities, professional associations in health fields, research centers, public health agencies, medical societies, consumer health organizations, and as consultants in health science information.
Recommended electives for this concentration include:

* LIS 614 Reference Materials and Services in the Health Sciences
* LIS 624 Online Databases in the Health Sciences
* LIS 685 Medical Librarianship
* LIS 613 Government Information Services

Law Library Services

Law librarians work in law schools, law firms, court system libraries, and corporations. Other career opportunities include positions as law office administrators and consultants. Recommended electives for this concentration include:

* LIS 617 Legal Research Methods and Law Literature
* LIS 626 Online Databases in Law
* LIS 684 Contemporary Issues in Law Librarianship
* LIS 613 Government Information Sources

Archives & Records Management

Many organizations have records managers whose chief responsibilities are planning and controlling the records required to run a private business or public institution. These professionals are needed by Fortune 500 corporations, medium-sized businesses, small professional firm such as law, accounting, and engineering firms, and government agencies. Recommended electives for this concentration are:

* LIS 625 Management of Archives and Special Collections
* LIS 650 Principles of Records Management
* LIS 616 Business, Economics, and Statistical Sources
* LIS 627 Online Databases in Business
* LIS 634 Abstracting and Indexing
* LIS 641 Information Systems Analysis
* LIS 642 Thesaurus Design and Construction