Library and Information Science
Master’s Degree
School Media Concentration

Earn Your Master’s Degree in School Library Media

The Library and Information Science: School Media master’s degree at Syracuse University prepares you to teach literacy, support educators, and create inclusive learning spaces for K-12 students. Through a tech-driven, human-centered approach, you’ll develop the skills to navigate misinformation, promote digital citizenship, and provide students with the resources they need to think critically and learn effectively in an evolving digital world. As the #3 top-ranked program for school library media, this program prepares you to become a leader in school librarianship, inspiring the next generation of lifelong learners.

Program Benefits

  • Complete 100 hours of hands-on training in K-12 school settings.
  • Earn a degree from a nationally ranked, ALA-accredited program.
  • Enjoy flexible, convenient online study from anywhere.
  • Meet New York State requirements to become a certified school library media specialist.
Program Info
Clock

Next term starts: 

Spring 2025

36

Total Credit Hours

Graduate

Program Duration:

2 years

Laptop

Program Delivery: 

Online

12

Courses

 
Admissions Requirements

Below is a summary of what applicants need to prepare:

Submit your application through the Graduate Program Application portal.

After submission, you’ll receive an email confirmation from Syracuse University.

A non-refundable fee of $75 is required. 

If you’re applying to multiple programs, each requires a separate application and fee. 

Post-9/11 veterans may qualify for a fee waiver; contact the Veterans Resource Center at veterans@syr.edu for details.

Provide one copy of transcripts from all postsecondary institutions you’ve attended. While unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial review, official transcripts confirming a U.S. bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are necessary upon admission. Failure to provide official transcripts may result in revocation of admission.

 In approximately 500 words, discuss your academic and personal interests, relevant experiences, reasons for choosing this degree and Syracuse University, and your future plans post-graduation. Upload this document through the online application.

Request two letters from individuals who can assess your qualifications. Recommendations can be submitted electronically via the OnBase application system. If electronic submission isn’t possible, mail sealed letters, signed across the seal by the recommender, to the Graduate Enrollment Management Center.

Submitting GRE scores is optional. If you’ve taken the GRE, GMAT, or LSAT, you’re encouraged to include your scores

 Include an up-to-date resume or CV with your application.

Please visit the M.S. in Library and Information Science Application Checklist for more detailed information.

 
Tuition & Fees

Cost per
credit
$1,945

X

Number
of credits
34

=

Total
Tuition
$70,020

The information above is specifically for 2024-25 and is for students entering the on-campus Library & Information Science program (1 year at 18 credits).

 

What Can You Do With a LIS Master’s Degree in School Media

Designed to meet New York State Department of Education requirements, our program combines rigorous coursework with 100 hours of field experience, ensuring graduates are fully prepared for certification exams. With a strong foundation in information literacy, educational technology, and library management, you’ll be qualified to support students, collaborate with educators, and enhance learning environments in K-12 schools.

Career opportunities
  • School Librarian
  • Library Media Specialist
  • Teacher Librarian
  • Youth Services Librarian
  • Children’s Librarian
  • Youth Services Coordinator
  • Teen Services Librarian
  • Young and Emerging Adult Librarian
  • Children’s Reference Librarian
#0
Fastest-Growing
Field in the US
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Median pay for
data scientists
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Expected Growth of
data science jobs
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Gain Experience.

Combine 100 hours of fieldwork with opportunities to join a research lab or collaborate with faculty on their academic work, exploring the role of school librarians in fostering lifelong learning and furthering information literacy and social justice.

Explore Research

Get Certified.

For those who have already earned an ALA-accredited LIS degree, our Certificate of Advanced Study in School Media is also available as a standalone program.  Through 21 credits of graduate coursework, you’ll be prepared to take the New York State certification exams.

School Media Certificate

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librarian with students at computer

Pursue your future.

The iSchool’s tight-knit community means that you’ll become part of a vibrant and active professional network when you graduate. That’s how we’re able to place nearly all of our graduates into a variety of roles in schools and school districts.

Explore Career Resources

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All of our students get access
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iSchool alumni give
you access to
mentoring and jobs
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child
A student works on his laptop

Our LIS program has been accredited by the American Library Association (ALA) since 1928, we currently hold continued accreditation status through 2030.

Courses & Curriculum

Our LIS: School Media degree program is 36 credits, and is typically completed within 2 years. The program prepares you for a career as a school librarian and incorporates preparation for New York Department of Education certification into the curriculum.

View Full Course Catalog

Introductory Course – 3 Credits

IST 511 | 3 CREDITS
Survey of the professional, social, ethical, and legal issues affecting information service professionals and organizations and prepares students to deal with these issues and work with a diverse community.

Information Resource and Service Courses – 9 credits

IST 605 | 3 CREDITS
The discovery and use of print and electronic resources and delivery of services in libraries to meet information needs of varied patron communities in a broad range of contexts.

IST 613 | 3 CREDITS
User-focused planning, marketing, and assessment of activities that support core functions of libraries, such as collection development, systems, and public services.

IST 616 | 3 CREDITS
Introduction to theories, tools, and standards for information organization and access, including cataloging rules and formats, content analysis, indexing, classification, and fundamentals of information retrieval systems.

Management Course – 3 credits

IST 717 | 3 CREDITS
Management of academic, public, and special libraries. Relationship between library and its parent institution; internal organization and operation; library information policies; library financing; legislation affecting libraries.

School Media Specific Coursework – 15 Credits

IST 564 | 3 CREDITS
Includes strategies for planning library programs and services that are inclusive of the information needs of PK-12th grade students with disabilities.

IST 611 | 3 CREDITS
Information and communications technologies, ethical issues, knowledge management tools, collaborative learning technologies, education databases, etc. On-site project field work constitutes a major portion of course requirements.

IST 612 | 3 CREDITS
Theories, practices, media, literature and emerging trends of youth services from preschool to high school are explored. A broad range of competencies necessary to work with youth in a variety of library settings are presented.

IST 662 | 3 CREDITS
Introduction to information literacy models for application to instruction in information organizations. Focus on strategies and techniques for designing, presenting, and evaluating information technology training and training materials for real clients.
*Not required for certified teachers, who may take extra elective

IST 668 | 3 CREDITS
Introduction to methods that support and reinforce classroom instruction in developmental reading and language acquisition processes and skills. Development of programs and services that foster self-expression, promote literature appreciation, and encourage information-seeking behaviors.

Electives – 3 credits

Exit requirement

IST 972| 1-6 CREDITS
Must be completed after Fieldwork and consist of 240 hours of fully supervised school-based library experiences at both the elementary and secondary levels (240 hours in each). Certified teachers are only required to complete 50 hours of school-based library experiences.

OR

IST 773| 3 CREDITS
Cannot count towards electives if used as exit requirement.

Fieldwork

School media students must complete a total of 100 (non-credit) hours of fieldwork in elementary and secondary school libraries before their first practicum experience. A minimum of 15 hours must be with students with disabilities.

Additional Requirements

(1) completion of the New York State child abuse, substance abuse, and violence prevention workshops; (2) the Child Health and Life Safety Prevention workshop (fire and arson prevention; highway safety and traffic regulations and school safety patrols; child abduction prevention; and prevention of alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse)*; (3) fingerprinting; (4) Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) workshop*; and (5) successful completion of the appropriate New York State certification exams, students will have fulfilled all the necessary requirements for certification as a school library media specialist in an elementary or secondary school in New York State. The School of Education, with approval from the School of Information Studies, will recommend a student for a New York State School Media Specialist initial certificate, preK-12, necessary for employment for New York State public schools and accepted for employment by most other states. Students from other states must verify the certification requirements of their own state.

Professional Pathways

The MSLIS program strides to cultivate leaders in the library and information profession who will become implementers and advocates for information justice and equity, community engagement, and technology use in their communities of practice. It is designed to prepare library and information professionals with a broad range of knowledge and skills needed for exemplary practice and leadership in the library and information profession.

Whether working in a college or university library or a cultural institution such as a public library or museum, user services and community engagement is one of the core functions of libraries and cultural institutions of all types. User services librarians are responsible for information literacy instruction, reference, collection management, and outreach to diverse communities to assure equal access to library and information resources.

Institutions handling historical materials offer job opportunities for a graduate holding an MSLIS degree, including special collections within large academic institutions, small historical societies, museums, and even zoos. Courses in this pathway are suitable for careers in cultural heritage, archives, and special collections.

Digital curation has become an increasingly important part of library operations. Digital library work includes the management, curation, and preservation of digitized and born-digital resources, including data, in libraries, archives, and museums. These librarians develop policies and workflows, help users locate digital information and data for business or academic use, and organize digital resources for retrieval. Students interested in the digital curation pathway will gain knowledge of digital data systems, metadata theory and practices, programming and markup languages, and data services to the communities they serve.

Libraries, archives, and museums are central places for the acquisition, organization, management, and dissemination of information and knowledge. Organizing and managing information and knowledge of all types, formats, and forms is the core function that supports information organizations to achieve their goals and enact their values. This career pathway has a wide range of employment potentials, ranging from libraries, archives, museums, government agencies, businesses, and almost any organizations that need professionals to perform functions of organizing, managing, retrieving, and use/reuse information resources.

Libraries strive to facilitate lifelong learning. When is a better time to provoke a permanent passion for curiosity than childhood and adolescence? Children and youth services librarians focus on early literacy, information literacy, readers’ advisory, and the use of emerging technologies by young people. Librarians focusing on children and youth services build relationships that support the learning of young people as well developing sustaining relationships with parents, caregivers, and teachers in the local community.

Modern libraries run on digital data and information systems to provide services anywhere and anytime that require technically savvy librarians to innovate, support, and maintain. Digital information systems in libraries and other types of organizations play a key role in making data and metadata findable, accessible, interoperable, and usable/reusable. Knowledge and skills in this pathway can lead to jobs not only in non-traditional positions in libraries but also in non-library settings such as corporate and government.

Whether you are conducting research on community profiles for building a new library branch, gathering data and information on emerging trends for market research, or collecting information about products or companies for competitive intelligence, the skills and knowledge in research methods and data science can go a long way in developing a career as a research librarian.

Student Success Stories
Meet Our Alumni

Our alumni from the Library and Information Science master’s program have excelled in various educational roles, such as school librarians, library media specialists, and youth services coordinators. Their success stories highlight the program’s effectiveness in preparing graduates to foster literacy and manage information resources in K-12 educational settings.

Visit our Alumni & Friends page to discover more about their inspiring stories and connect with fellow alumni.

Heather Crane
Librarian Shares How Aptitude Test Changed Her Career Path

Heather Crane G’23 is an open education librarian at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. She graduated from Syracuse’s iSchool in December with a master’s degree in Library and Information Science.

Read More

 

Meet Our Experts

Our faculty are leaders in library science, education, and technology, bringing real-world experience and cutting-edge research into the classroom. Learn from dedicated professionals who are shaping the future of school librarianship and information literacy.

Meet some of them:

Megan Oakleaf

Beth Patin

Beth Patin 

Laverne Gray

LaVerne Gray

 
How to Apply

If you’re interested in pursuing your graduate studies on campus, follow the steps below to ensure a smooth and successful application.

  1. Gather Required Documents
  2. Complete the Graduate Program Application:
    • Visit the Graduate Program Application portal on the Syracuse University website.
    • Create an account and fill out your personal information, educational background, and program-specific details.
  3. Submit Supporting Documents
  4. Pay the Application Fee
  5. Track Your Application

If you have any questions or need assistance throughout the process, feel free to reach out to our Enrollment Management team at iGrad@syr.edu. A member of our team will be happy to assist you.

We look forward to receiving your application!

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a media specialist the same as a librarian?

While both roles involve managing library resources and supporting literacy, a school media specialist focuses on integrating technology, digital resources, and media literacy into the curriculum.

Are there certification options for school media specialists?

Yes, many states require certification for school media specialists, and our program prepares students to meet these requirements. Be sure to check your state’s specific guidelines.

Is the GRE required for application?

The GRE is optional, but you may submit your scores if you have them.

Meet us in Syracuse, or virtually.

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Get access to upcoming events, meet with faculty and current students, connect with alumni, and see what a master’s degree can do for your career and future. Submit your contact info below and we’ll be in touch!

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American Library Association Accreditation Logo

The American Library Association’s Office of Accreditation regularly reviews library and information programs that wish to be accredited by ALA. Accredited MSLIS programs meet or exceed the Standards for Accreditation of Master’s Programs in Library and Information Studies, which were established by the Committee on Accreditation (COA) and adopted by ALA Council. The standards address systematic planning; curriculum; faculty; students; administration, finances and resources.

The American Library Association’s Committee on Accreditation has been evaluating LIS programs since 1924. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) recognizes the ALA COA as the authority for assessing the quality of education offered by graduate programs in the field of library and information studies.

In order to maintain accreditation, an MSLIS program must submit to a regular process that involves rigorous, ongoing self-evaluation. The results of that evaluation are verified through an external review conducted by the Committee on Accreditation. In addition, every program submits data to ALA on an annual basis and submits regular biennial reports.

ALA 2023 Self-Study Final

The MSLIS program at Syracuse University is accredited by the American Library Association Committee on Accreditation, with the status of Continued accreditation. The next comprehensive review visit is scheduled for Fall 2030.

Our guiding council carefully reviews competencies and course offerings to ensure that the iSchool is a leader in library and information science education, and you can find more information on the guiding council in its bylaws.

Learn More About Our Guiding Council

View detailed information about graduation rates and testing success rates, showing what graduates of our program go on to achieve.

View student achievement data.