School Librarianship, MS
Engage in student-centered learning, gain practical experience and develop expertise in information organization, access and preservation. With real-world skills and a global perspective, you'll be prepared to excel in diverse information-focused careers, from libraries to corporate and nonprofit sectors.
Library Leadership Redefined
Online classes, in-person experiences and numerous opportunities for feedback from faculty and peers highlight the school librarianship program, fostering a collaborative culture that prepares you for the professional world. By the time you graduate, you will have completed the 100 field experience hours required for New York State initial certification.
Fellowship Honors Late Wife
Tim Laraway and his wife, Nell, were keenly aware of how much a graduate degree in librarianship could accomplish; after all, it led to her 20-year career as a law librarian. So, when she passed away in 2021, Tim sought to honor her in a way that would preserve her legacy: By establishing a fellowship to help information science students afford a UB education.
Points of Distinction
As a graduate of GSE’s master’s program in school librarianship, you’ll leave with a recommendation for initial certification as a library media specialist, Pre-K–12, in New York State.
First-hand experience in clinical settings such as elementary and secondary school media centers allow you to collect your own data—and observations—allowing you to shape your own teaching style.
Before you graduate, you’ll create a digital portfolio you can share with potential employers, as well as a video that demonstrates your instructional experience.
Program Summary
Find details about application deadlines and requirements, courses and more.
Have questions? Contact our admissions office.
| Academic credential granted | Master of Science (MS) |
|---|---|
| Credits required for completion | 39 |
| Time to completion | 4 full-time semesters |
| Location | Online |
| Experiential Contact Hours | 40 |
| Application deadline | Fall: May 1 Spring: Nov. 1 |
Required Courses (39 credits)
- LIS 507 Information Life Cycle
- LIS 508 Information Users and Use
- LIS 518 Reference Sources and Services
- LIS 524 School Media Center Field Experience
- LIS 525 School Media Center Practicum¹
- LIS 532 Curriculum Role of the Media Specialist²
- LIS 534 Resources and Services for Children
- LIS 535 Resources and Services for Young Adults
- LIS 538 Pedagogy for School Librarians
- LIS 568 Computer Applications in the School Library Media Center
- LAI 574 Teaching the Exceptional Learner in the Regular Education Classroom
- LIS 575 Introduction to Research Methods
- LIS 585 Management of School Library Media Centers
¹ Must have completed the General Pedagogical Core Requirements, LIS 524, LIS 532, LIS 585, and have permission of instructor to enroll. If you want to teach in New York, you must also complete the required seminars (CAW, SAVE, DASA) prior to enrolling.
² Must have completed the General Pedagogical Core Requirements to enroll.
Guide to LIS 524 Field Experience and LIS 525 (E, S, P) Practicum and Portfolio
Field Experience (LIS 524): 3 credits
In this course students acquire the New York State mandated field experience hours (100 hours) through the completion of activity modules in a variety of elementary and secondary school media centers. This course is to be taken by library media students during their first 12 credit hours of enrollment.
LMS Practicum (LIS 525): 3 credits
With the approval of the instructor, students are placed in school media centers where the certified media specialist has been employed for at least three years. Two 20-day practicum experiences, one at the elementary level and one at the secondary, are supervised by a cooperating library media specialist and a member of the LIS faculty. Participation in virtual seminars and the completion of a professional portfolio are required. Students may take this course for 1, 2 or 3 credits per semester, but all three credits must be completed: LIS 525E (elementary practicum); LIS 525S (secondary practicum); and LIS 525P (portfolio).
Prerequisite(s): LIS 524, LIS 532, LIS 585 and the General Pedagogical Core Requirements. Permission of the instructor is required. To student teach in New York, students must also complete the required seminars (CAW, SAVE, DASA) prior to enrolling.
General Pedagogical Core Requirements: 9 credits (transcripts required)
- 6 education credits in reading, writing or language arts at the elementary or secondary level
- 3 credits in the psychology of learning and instruction
Non-academic Requirements for Certification
Fingerprinting of Applicant
All applicants for teacher certification must be fingerprinted.
Child Abuse Workshop (CAW)
All applicants are required to complete two clock hours of coursework or training regarding the identification and reporting of suspected child abuse or maltreatment – available through local community colleges, BOCES, hospitals, and the New York State Office of Teaching Child Abuse Workshop Information.
Schools Against Violence Seminar
All applicants for a certificate are required to complete at least two clock hours of coursework or training in school violence prevention and intervention available through local community colleges, BOCES, and hospitals.
Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)
All students must complete at least six clock hours of coursework or training in harassment, bullying, and discrimination prevention and intervention. Training must be delivered by a New York State Education Department approved provider. UB's Alberti Center is an authorized DASA training provider.
New York State Teacher Certification Examinations
Candidates seeking an initial New York State teaching certificate as a library media specialist (school) must take the following tests:
- Educating All Students (EAS)
- CST (Content Specialty Test) – Library Media Specialist (all grades) FIELD 074
Apply for Certification Through TEACH
In order to be recommended by UB IS for Library Media Specialist (school) certification in New York State, applicants must self-register in TEACH Online Services.
- TEACH tutorial — The certification program code is 25719.
Standardized Testing No Longer Required
Beginning with the spring 2022 semester, the GRE/MAT is no longer required for application to this program. If you still plan to take the GRE/MAT exam, you can send your scores through the testing agency, and they will automatically be added to your application; however, they are not required for admission consideration to this program.
You must have received an undergraduate bachelor degree with a GPA of 3.0 or better by the intended beginning semester. Applications with lower GPA’s may still be considered and granted a “conditional admission” (see below for more information).
Submit your completed online application, which includes:
- Application fee: A $50 non-refundable application fee, submitted electronically through UB's ePayment system.
- Contact information for at least three individuals who will each be asked to provide an electronic recommendation letter.
- Unofficial transcripts from all colleges attended. (UB transcripts are automatically submitted for current UB students and alumni.)
- Statement of education and career goals: A detailed statement describing your reasons for pursuing a graduate degree in the information and library studies field. Include your professional goals and objectives and indicate any area of special interest within the field.
Conditional Admission Status: You may be admitted conditionally to this MS program when you do not meet all admission requirements (most often because of an undergraduate GPA below 3.0) but your personal statements, transcripts, entrance examination scores, employment history and letters of reference demonstrate potential for success. At the end of the semester in which you have attempted 9 credit hours in the program — including two core courses (e.g., LIS 507, LIS 508, LIS 575) (courses with a grade of R/resigned do not count as attempted, but I and U do) — your academic standing will be reviewed by IS staff. At the time of the review, if you meet all the conditions of good academic standing and have no incomplete or unsatisfactory grades, conditional status is automatically lifted and you are considered to be in good academic standing.
Former/Maiden Name: Please provide us with your former/maiden name if you have one. When requesting transcripts, please ask the sending institution to indicate your current name and former/maiden name.
Admission Decision: The admission decision will be communicated to you as soon as review is complete. The decision is based on a number of factors and is the result of a thorough and deliberate process. All decisions are final and cannot be appealed.
In-State Residency Tuition
In order to qualify for the in-state residency tuition rate, you must provide residency documentation indicating you have lived in New York State (NYS) 12 months before your semester start date.
If accepted, you will need to upload three documents to qualify for the in-state tuition rate. See Required Documents for Residency Application for more information.
International Applicant Additional Requirements
- Official original proof of your degree
- A copy of your passport biographical page
- Official test scores—dated within two years of submitting your application—for either the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Academic Test, the PTE (Pearson Test of English) Academic, or DET (Duolingo English Test).
- TOEFL minimum score is 250 for computer-based test, 600 for paper-based test and 79 for internet-based test
- IELTS Academic Test minimum score is 6.5 overall
- PTE minimum score is 55 overall
- DET minimum score is 120 overall
- Financial documentation: International graduate applicants must document their ability to pay for all costs incurred while studying in the U.S.
- An official bank statement
All financial forms and supporting documentation with required signatures must be uploaded with your application and dated within one year of your intended enrollment date.
Career settings include:
- Pre-K through 12 Library Media Centers
New York State prides itself in the high quality of its licensed and certified professionals. For the protection of its citizens, each license and certificate has requirements that individuals must meet in order to be licensed or certified in New York State. SUNY’s academic programs leading to licensure or certification are carefully designed to meet and exceed these State requirements. This is a role SUNY plays in protecting the public. Other states frequently have their own requirements, so if your goal is to practice in another state, this disclosure will help you check to see what that state requires.
Enrolled students and prospective students are strongly encouraged to contact their State’s licensure entity using the links provided in the full disclosure document to review all licensure and certification requirements imposed by their state(s) of choice.
