The Catholic University of America

Letter to Prospective Students

Dear Prospective Student,

Welcome to our Web site and thank you for your interest in Catholic University! While our Web site is constantly updated and has all the information and resources you will normally need to apply to the program, we would like to hear from you personally as well. Give us a call at 202-319-5085, send an e-mail to cua-slis[at]cua.edu, or see our contact page. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have or arrange for a visit to campus. You can meet with faculty members and even sit in on one of our classes.

Why Library Science?

Librarianship and information science is a fast-growing field where past, present and future collide. It preserves the past, serves the present and paves the way for the future. It includes cutting-edge computer technology and ancient, hand-written manuscripts. Graduates run the libraries on which major universities depend, design the computer technology of tomorrow and teach young children a love of books and reading. They may preserve historic documents on which our freedoms rest and create Web sites where they are accessible to all, or help an unemployed worker find a new job, or do the research behind the lead story on the evening news.

In a world that is increasingly driven by access to information, today's librarians are specialists in finding, organizing, preserving and presenting information. If any of this sounds interesting, a library science career could be for you!

Why Catholic University?

With the profession of librarianship so full of possibilities, there is no place better than Catholic University to explore your options.

As the only library science program in Washington D.C., CUA is uniquely positioned to offer our students access to some of the best libraries and librarians in the world. In addition to an outstanding full-time faculty, CUA students regularly receive instruction from librarians working for institutions such as the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, the Supreme Court, Fairfax County Public Libraries, National Public Radio and the World Bank.

Our rigorous academic program emphasizing the confluence of theory and practice will give you the foundation you need for a rewarding career. The practicum and internship possibilities in Washington, D.C. can give you unparalleled work experience before you ever enter the job market. Our students have recently completed internships or practicum experiences in the Carnegie Institution of Washington, Old Dominion University, the USDA, the Supreme Court, National Public Radio and local public libraries and schools throughout the region.

We invite you to join our community of students, scholars and professionals in a city of extraordinary libraries.

Curriculum

Degree Requirements. Our curriculum unites an understanding of broad issues affecting society and librarianship today with the specific skills and knowledge you need to succeed in the profession.

The program normally requires 36 credits of course work (12 classes). Students with previous graduate degrees are required to complete only 30. All students must pass a comprehensive exam.

All students take four core courses covering information organization, technology use, user needs and services, and the economic, social and political contexts in which professionals work.

Your remaining eight courses are chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor from a variety of electives to meet your individual interests and career goals. We offer classes in everything from organizing Internet resources or library use and users to archives management, digital libraries, or information resources in areas such as music, business, or law. No matter what your career goals, we can help you achieve them.

Please see our course catalog for a brief overview of some of the courses we offer.

Schedules for Working Adults. We pride ourselves on our flexibility and the personal attention we offer our students. Class sizes are small, and class schedules planned to be flexible enough to accommodate the working student. Most classes are in the afternoons or evenings, or on Saturdays. Each semester we offer one or two "weekend intensives," which combine intense weekend meetings with online coursework, as well as some courses almost entirely online.

Our popular week-long intensive summer institutes are also open to students. Topics include Federal Library Resources, Art and Museum Librarianship and the Religious Archives Institute. We literally use Washington, D.C. as our classroom, visiting libraries and other information agencies in and around the city. Participants see first-hand how these agencies and their resources are used and managed.

Practicum Experience. Real-world experience in the workplace is the best way to integrate the theories, skills and knowledge taught in the classroom. Institutions offering practicum experiences to our students this year are too numerous to list, but include the Library of the Supreme Court of the U.S., the Carnegie Institute, National Geographic Society, the Defense Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Library.

Click here for more information on our practicum opportunities.

School Librarianship. If you are interested in working in a public school, there are a variety of state and federal requirements you must meet. Our program is fully accredited by National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. Your advisor will help you fulfill these requirements.

Click here for more information on the School Library and Media Services program.

Joint Degrees. The school offers joint degree programs with various other schools at Catholic University. These include combining the M.S.L.S. with any of the following degrees:

  • J.D. in Law (Columbus School of Law)
  • M.S. in Biology (School of Arts and Sciences)
  • M.A. in English (School of Arts and Sciences)
  • M.A. in History (School of Arts and Sciences)
  • M.A. in Musicology (Benjamin T. Rome School of Music)
  • M.A. in Religious Studies (School of Theology and Religious Studies)

Click here for more information on our Joint Degree programs.

Off-Campus Instruction. We offer courses not only on the D.C. campus of Catholic University, but also at several off-campus locations. These include the Library of Congress in D.C., various locations in Northern Virginia (Fairfax and Arlington; Loudoun County), and Richmond, VA. Our students are welcome to take classes at any location. Normally students should expect to take some coursework on the main campus in Washington D.C., since not all courses can be offered off-site.

Click here for more information on our Library of Congress and Virginia classes.

Faculty.

Our outstanding faculty includes full-time professors who have been consistently ranked by their students and their peers as outstanding. Each year, we also seek out visiting faculty to bring different perspectives to our curriculum.

We also are privileged to be able to draw on the expertise and experience of the outstanding librarians and information specialists in the Washington, D.C. area. Our students are taught by professionals working for some of the finest libraries in the country, including the Library of Congress, the library of the U.S. Supreme Court, the libraries at National Public Radio and USA Today, and many others. In 2005, we began our Information Professional in Residence program, which brings an outstanding information professional to campus to teach courses in his or her area of expertise each year.

Click here for a complete directory of our faculty, with biographies.

Students.

Our students are a diverse group of people, as you can see from these statistics gathered in a spring 2004 student survey:

  • 50% have young children
  • 75% attend SLIS part-time
  • 89% are working; of those who work:
    • 79% work full-time while studying
    • 38% work in an field unrelated to libraries
  • The median age of our students is 39

As you can see, our degree is not just for people who already have library experience, nor is it just for people coming straight out of an undergraduate program, nor will you encounter just people anxious to change careers.

As diverse as our students are, they all share this important trait: they have a passion for learning. They see their graduation not as the end of their education, but as the beginning of a new and exciting learning experience. They are committed, in short, to life-long learning.

Life After Graduation.

According to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of library and information science is growing and expanding. Job opportunities are plentiful. With a Master's degree in library science from Catholic University, you will be well placed to take advantage of those opportunities in a wide variety of organizations.

Our alumni work in the Smithsonian Museums, the Kennedy Institute of Ethics, various universities from Boston to San Antonio to San Francisco, the National Library of Medicine, the Congressional Research Service, and innumerable other schools, universities, public libraries and other organizations throughout the country. They are webmasters, managers, directors, researchers, teachers, archivists, catalogers, systems analysts and collection development specialists, to list but a few of their titles.

The alumni association welcomes you when you graduate and offers you opportunities to network with other professionals. They are also active in the life of the school, sponsoring the annual Elizabeth W. Stone lecture. Since 1990, this lecture has been bringing prominent information professionals to campus for presentations and receptions.

The School

The library science program, originally founded as a department in the School of Arts and Sciences in 1939, has been continuously accredited by the American Library Association since 1948. It became a school within the university in 1981.

We are committed to providing our students an exceptional education as well as contributing to the profession through original research. But as part of The Catholic University of America, we also are committed to the principles of social justice. We therefore not only strive for excellence in research and teaching, but we also actively seek opportunities to use our talents in the service of others.

One of our faculty is active in a local Rotary Club, a volunteer organization which encourages international understanding abroad and youth activities at home. Another works with the South African History Archive in its efforts to promote the freedom of information necessary in a just and democratic society.

The school also plays a key role in the Family Literacy Program, a local effort at a low-income housing complex to promote literacy. Several of our students teach parents and grandparents how to read by showing them how to read to their children and grandchildren. In this way, the family learns to read together.

Financial Aid

We recognize that the financial commitment necessary to attend graduate school is significant. We therefore offer a variety of financial aid opportunities to our students. For more information on the following opportunities and others please visit our Financial Aid site.

The Graduate Library Preprofessional program (GLP). This competitive program offers new students the opportunity to work in one of CUA's libraries while working toward the Master's degree in library science. It pays full tuition costs for part-time study (two classes per semester) and provides a stipend. Students in the program typically graduate in two years.

The Dr. Mathilde Rovelstad Scholarship. This endowed scholarship provides a merit-based award of $14,000 to a continuing library science student.

Provost Scholarships. These renewable scholarships go to especially promising incoming students. They pay for one-quarter to one-half of tuition costs.

Special Tuition Rates. Through negotiations with area organizations, we are able to offer a special reduced tuition rate to employees of the following institutions: the Library of Congress, Loudoun County Public Schools, George Washington University Library, and public libraries in the District of Columbia and in surrounding counties belonging to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. For more information please see our Special Tuition Rates section.

Catholic School Teacher's Tuition Waiver. This waiver covers one-half of the student's tuition costs. Full-time teachers, administrators, librarians and guidance counselors who are employed by a Catholic elementary or secondary school are eligible.

There are additional financial aid opportunities from the school and from external organizations such as the American Library Association. Please see financial aid for further information. As we become aware of new opportunities, we publicize them on the student listserv.

 

 

 

Letter to Prospective Students: