Graduation Checklist

Commencement ceremony.

Before Degree Conferral

All master’s candidates must:

  1. Maintain continuous registration.
  2. Complete a minimum of 36 credits of graduate study.
  3. If chosen, finish a thesis based on independent research. Note: the master's thesis is optional and not a requirement
  4. Satisfactorily complete core coursework and the required assessment portfolio.
  5. School Librarianship Students must complete LIS 505, LIS 506, LIS 518, LIS 571, LIS 585 and all requirements outlined in the “Plan of Study School Librarianship,” including student teaching and the required School Librarianship portfolio.
  6. Have a current and approved LIS Plan of Study form on record with the LIS office.
  7. Complete and submit an Application for Degree through the HUB.
  8. Complete and submit an "Intent to Submit Portfolio" form to the LIS office. See the Portfolio Requirement for details.

Application for Degree Form: available through your student HUB only!

Download Graduation Checklist

If the Optional Master's Thesis (LIS 599) is pursued, the following apply

The thesis is a 6 credit elective, however, the student may elect to use variable credit enrollment. Prior to registering for the thesis, the student must follow the procedure outlined below:

Committee

The student will choose a committee of three faculty members who must agree to serve before the student registers for LIS 599. The committee will be constituted as follows

  1. chairperson - any voting member of the LIS faculty. The chairperson will be the student's major advisor for the thesis and will schedule all meetings.
  2. one additional voting member of the LIS faculty
  3. one additional member drawn from any of the UB voting faculty (this could be another member of the LIS faculty).

Duties of the Committee

The committee will

  1. approve a formal prospectus
  2. guide the student through all phases of the research
  3. conduct an oral defense
  4. read the thesis and sign the cover page of the final approved copy
  5. determine all committee matters through a majority vote

Thesis Distribution

The student must submit a signed copy of the thesis to the LIS Chair and another to the University Libraries’ Library Studies Collection, plus any additional copies requested by thesis committee members.

NYS Public Librarian Certification

Learn more about New York State Library's public library certification program
Learn more about the Application for NYS Public Librarian's Professional Certificate

Please note that the Department of Library and Information Studies sends the State Education Department a list of degree recipients, so it is not necessary for students to send in a transcript with their Application for Public Librarian's Professional Certificate.