The American Library Association (ALA) Committee on Accreditation has continued
accreditation of the M.S. in Library and Information Science (MSLIS) program at the
Syracuse University School of Information Studies (iSchool) through 2015. The
committee found no deficiencies in the program and granted seven years of
accreditation, the longest allowable term offered by ALA.
"In addition to being pleased about the seven-year accreditation the iSchool received,
I am thrilled that there were absolutely no areas in which improvement was
recommended," says Elizabeth D. Liddy, dean of the iSchool. "This is really quite
unusual and a great testimony to the high quality of our MSLIS degree, of which we
are all so proud."
ALA accreditation indicates that the LIS program has conducted a self-evaluation,
has undergone a thorough review by peers and meets the standards established by
ALA, including clear description of a program's goals, objectives and learning
outcomes; a strong and well-planned curriculum; appropriate numbers, diversity,
qualifications and support of faculty, students and staff; a healthy financial status;
and suitable physical resources and facilities.
"We've been working in the LIS program to focus on preparing our future librarians
to be able to succeed as professionals through revised required courses such as
'Reference and Information Literacy Services' and 'Library Planning, Marketing, and
Assessment," says iSchool associate professor Scott Nicholson, director of the MSLIS
program, who spearheaded the effort. "Our courses balance the theory with the
practice of librarianship and help students become reflective practitioners. While we
have an eye on the future of the field, we respect the need to stay grounded by
providing students the core competencies needed to be librarians."
The library science program at SU has been accredited by ALA since 1928. Of the 62
programs accredited by the ALA, SU's LIS program is consistently ranked among
the top programs, attesting to the quality of the faculty, curriculum, resources and
students. Currently, the School of Information Studies is ranked third overall, first in
information systems, second in digital librarianship, and fourth in school library
media by U.S. News & World Report.
For more information about the American Library Association and its accreditation
process, visit http://www.ala.org.
For information on the iSchool's MSLIS program, visit http://ischool.syr.edu/lis.
