Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) in Library and Information Science

Program URL: http://www.lis.uiuc.edu/gslis/degrees/cas.html

Campus: Urbana-Champaign

Number of Required Campus Visits: 1

Program Type: Master's Degree

Award Conferred: Certificate

Description:
Program Overview

The Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) in Library and Information Science is open to those who hold a master's degree in library and information science or a related field. Librarians, information scientists, and others in information management enroll in the program to refresh and update their skills, gain greater specialization in their professional training, or redirect their careers from one area to another. Examples of areas of concentration include digital libraries, library and information center administration, information technology, and information management. An area of concentration might also be a specific library function such as children's services, government information, science information, or technical services. The CAS Program does not lead into the Ph.D. Program.

Courseload

This 40 semester hour course of study is structured to encourage students to design programs that meet specific educational and career goals. A sequence of 32 hours of courses is developed by students with their advisors. Up to 16 of the hours may be taken outside of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science. The final four hours are the CAS project, a substantive investigation of a problem in librarianship or information science, which is followed by a final oral examination. A maximum of 12 hours, with a grade B or better, may be transferred, subject to review by the GSLIS Admissions Committee and the Graduate College. Transferred hours must be graduate-level courses in library and information science earned at an ALA-accredited master's degree program, or a field other than LIS completed at any campus of the University of Illinois or any accredited institution. These hours cannot have been used to fulfill the requirements of a degree earned at another institution and must have been completed within the last five years.

Completion of the 40 hour Certificate of Advanced Study varies widely. Full-time students may finish in two semesters and one summer, but students have five years to complete the program.

Entry

Students may enter the on-campus CAS program in fall, spring, or summer. The CAS LEEP scheduling option begins in the summer session.

Grades

Students must complete 32 or more hours of course work with a 3.25 grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale). The pass-fail option applies only to courses taken outside the library and information science curriculum. Hours taken under the pass-fail option are not computed into the G.P.A. and may not be applied to a degree in library and information science.

Financial Aid and Enrollment Status

Students holding graduate assistantships awarded and/or administered by the School must be registered for a set number of classes determined by the percentage time of the assistanship; students will be advised of the amount upon appointment. Students with graduate assistantships in the library or elsewhere on campus must follow the enrollment requirements of the units employing them.

Please refer to the website listed above for detailed information.

Technical Requirement(s): Computer Literacy Requirements

In order for us to teach our courses at the graduate level, you are expected to know how to compose and print a research paper with appropriate figures and/or tables using a standard word processing program. If you own a computer, you should know how to set it up, load software, and use a modem. You may gain these skills at a local community college, through self-tutoring, or elsewhere. You are encouraged but not required to have your own computer. Several computer firms offer educational discounts through the University MicroOrder Center.

Other skills vital to GSLIS course work are outlined here; you can pick up these skills before you begin the program, or by taking special free workshops that are offered by GSLIS during the week prior to the fall semester. When classes start, you will be expected to have three basic competencies:


1. Elementary knowledge of a Microcomputer Operating System. This means that you can do such tasks as save to a floppy disk, find a file, create a directory or folder, and start a program. The on-campus GSLIS lab is Windows-based.

2. Information retrieval skills. You need the ability to use the UIUC on-line catalog and common bibliographic databases found in many libraries, such as those on CD-ROM. You should have the following Internet information skills: connecting to other computers via telnet, transferring files, and finding information on the Web.

3. E-mail and bulletin board skills. You should know how to use e-mail and electronic bulletin boards, with proper etiquette, and become familiar with the communication functions of the GSLIS computer system known as Alexia.

In addition, certain skills are expected to be acquired during your first semester:

1. Basic HTML coding. Workshops will teach basic HTML codes for putting information on the Web.

2. Basic UNIX. You will need some simple UNIX commands to use the Alexia system and to complete some of your homework assignments.

3. Databases. All students will design simple databases during the first semester. If you have the opportunity to acquire some of these additional skills before you arrive, please do. We will also provide workshops during the semester.

Program Cost(s):
In-StateTuition: $1,204
Out-StateTuition: $3,208

Tuition is per course (4 graduate hours)

Program Contact(s):
Dr. Linda Smith
Associate Dean
Graduate School of Library and Information Science
501 East Daniel Street
Champaign, IL 61820-6211
Phone: (800) 982-0914
E-mail: lis-apply@uiuc.edu