Graduate School of Library and Information Science

This program prepares students for more than a career as an information architect. Graduates from the School of Library and Information Science at Simmons College will be qualified for a wide range of in-demand career options. Some jobs currently held by LIS graduates include librarians, database editors, business development specialists, digital curators, requirements analysts, media specialists, market insights analysts, university archivists, web content coordinators, and so on.

Simmons College's Graduate school encourages custom graduate degrees. Let's take a closer look at the MS in LIS that allows the student to design his or her own concentration. This 36-credit degree offers students the chance to really hone in on the type of information architecture education he or she needs to jump-start a career in the field. Students may concentrate on the topic of their choice from a list of provided concentrations, or else they may design their own track.

The courses for the MS degree in LIS give students the foundation they need for library and information science as well as a start to their information architecture education. There aren't many courses, leaving students plenty of room to design their best program. There are a total of three required courses (or 9 credits) total. These core courses are Information Organization, Reference/Information Services, and Technology for Information Professionals.

The remaining course requirements are to be selected by the student according to his or her interests or career needs. For example, students wanting to focus on IA may take mostly Information Architecture classes to fulfill the remaining hours. Besides fully customizing the concentration, the following concentrations already have a set curricular track: Information Organization, Management and Leadership, Preservation Management, Reference and Information Services, and Youth Services.

Students have a maximum of six years to finish this IA program. Between 3 and 6 credits per semester constitutes a part-time schedule, and a full-time schedule includes 9 credits per semester. There is a maximum credit limit per semester. Students must maintain a 3.0 average GPA (which is a B average).

The MS in LIS program also offers an online IA program, allowing students to take classes on their schedule. Online courses are identical to in-person courses in terms of what is being taught; the primary difference is timing - online courses can be completed at any time or place. Assignments must still be completed by a certain time, of course.

The MS in LIS program at Simmons College is an ALA-accredited degree program. Students studying at the School of Library and Information Science currently pay $1,230 per each credit, plus a $55-per-semester activity fee. The application deadline for the fall is March 1st, and for the spring is October 1st.

Simmons College is a private college located in Boston, Massachusetts. The undergraduate programs are for women, while the graduate programs are coeducational. It has 1,700 enrolled undergraduate students and 4,000 graduate students. Students from 36 states and 53 countries currently attend Simmons. Class sizes average around 18 students. Simmons has been given a number of awards for its excellence through the years.