English/Information and Library Science, BA/MS
Immerse yourself in language and literature, perfect your writing skills and boost your critical thinking, and enhance your undergraduate studies with specialized graduate coursework in information and library science.
Create Spaces for Students to Imagine
Our combined degree program allows English students to merge their love of literature with a career in education. Complement your undergraduate English studies with graduate coursework in information library science, earning New York State teacher-librarian credentials.
Students enrolled in this program will:
- Earn a bachelor's and master's degree in five years, saving time and money.
- Earn a BA in English and an MS in ILS, creating a highly marketable and innovative partnership for careers in education or libraries.
- Enhance the value of their degree through our program’s accreditation by the American Library Association.
Program Overview
| Academic credential granted | Bachelor of Science (BS) and a Master of Science (MS) |
|---|---|
| Credits required for completion | 135 |
| Time to completion | 5 years or 10 full-time semesters |
| Course delivery | On campus, online |
| Application deadline | Early action deadline: Nov. 15 Scholarship consideration: Dec. 8 Regular decision: Feb. 1 Students can continue to submit an application for fall consideration until capacity is reached. |
Important Fall Dates
See dates for open house, orientation, test submissions, tuition deposit deadlines and more.
An example of how a student may progress through the program
Fall — Semester One (17 credits)
- UB Seminar
- ENG 105 Writing and Rhetoric
- 200‐level ENG elective
- Math & Quantitative Reasoning
- Thematic Pathway course 1
Spring — Semester Two (15 credits)
- 200‐level ENG elective
- Global Pathway course 1
- Thematic Pathway course
- LAS elective
- LAS elective
Fall — Semester Three (15 credits)
- 300/400-level ENG Criticism/Theory
- 200‐level ENG elective
- Global Pathway course 2
- Global Pathway course 3
- Scientific Literacy
Spring — Semester Four (16 credits)
- 300/400-level Breadth of Literary Study
- 300/400-level Early Lit course
- Diversity in th US
- Scientific Literacy w/lab
- Thematic Pathway course 3
Fall — Semester Five (15 credits)
- Communication Literacy 2
- 300/400‐level ENG elective
- 300/400‐level Early Lit course
- 300/400‐level ENG elective
- LAS elective
Spring — Semester Six (15 credits)
- 300/400‐level Early Lit course
- 300/400‐level ENG elective
- Free elective
- Free elective
- Free elective
- UBC 399 UBC Capstone
Fall — Semester Seven (12 credits)
- 300/400‐level ENG elective
- LIS 507 Information Life Cycle
- LIS 508 Information Users and Use
- LIS 575 Introduction to Research
Spring — Semester Eight (12 credits)
- 400‐level ENG elective
- LIS Graduate‐level Information Technology elective
- LIS Graduate‐level Information Management elective
- LIS Graduate‐level Information Users and Uses elective
Fall — Semester Nine (9 credits)
- LIS Graduate‐level Professional Skills elective
- LIS Graduate‐level Open elective
- LIS Graduate‐level Open elective
Spring — Semester Ten (9 credits)
- LIS Graduate‐level Open elective
- LIS Graduate‐level Open elective
- LIS Graduate‐level Open elective
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.
You must apply using the common application to, meet all requirements for, and be accepted to the University at Buffalo' undergraduate program in English offered through the College of Arts and Sciences Department of English.
Students can progress to the graduate portion of the program offered through the Graduate School of Education so long as they maintained good academic standing and carried a minimum GPA of 3.0 (B average). No graduate application is required.
Students also must indicate their desire to matriculate into the MS in Information and Library Science portion of the program by March 1 of their junior year. This intention will trigger a review by the Department of Information Science (GSE) program faculty to ensure the student has maintained a sufficient GPA and has completed appropriate coursework. At this time, students in this program are also expected to take the GRE (Graduate Record Examination), and complete an interview with the department.
- Academic librarian
- Public librarian
- Archives librarian
- Digital humanities specialist
- Digital communications specialist
- Private industries/businesses