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Certificate of Graduate Study in Library & Information Science
 The Certificate of Graduate Study in Library and Information Science is tailored to complement the Master of Library and Information Science program by providing post-Master's degree instruction designed to enhance the student's career opportunities in his or her chosen area of specialization. Completion of the Certificate of Graduate Study in Library and Information Science will acknowledge to the prospective employer the student's additional preparation for specific job responsibilities.
Employers often seek students who have specialization-related course work in areas such as library administration, information science, technical services, information and records management, or information systems design. Students planning careers in school library media may choose to enroll in the certificate program to complete state certification requirements. In some areas of specialization, all course work will be taken within the School of Library and Information Science. In others, there will be an interdisciplinary educational approach in which the student may enroll in elective courses in other units of the University, such as computer science, business administration, or education.
Application Procedures for Certificate of Graduate Study program:
Students may apply to the Certificate of Graduate Study in Library and Information Science by one of two methods:
(1) Currently enrolled MLIS students who have completed 24 hours or less, may apply by completing the electronic form at the following URL: http://www.gradschool.sc.edu/doclibrary/documents/cos.pdf . This form should be used to request an update/change in an existing application or admission. It must be accompanied by a non-refundable $15 fee. Students who are admitted to the Certificate Program at any time prior to receiving the MLIS degree are allowed to use 6 hours of MLIS credit toward the Certificate of Graduate Study, provided the 6 hours are related to the proposed area of specialization.
(2) Graduates of the MLIS program, or of other ALA accredited Master's programs in library and information science, will be required to complete the full 18 hours of course work for the certificate. Application would be made through the electronic application at this URL: http://www.gradschool.sc.edu/futurestudents/OnlineApplication.html .
It must be accompanied by a $40 application fee.
Degree Requirements:
The certificate program consists of 18 credit hours of required and elective course work. The student will work with the academic advisor to plan a program of study to meet his or her needs for increased competency in a specific area of library and information science. University of South Carolina SLIS students who are admitted to the certificate program prior to receiving the MLIS are allowed to use six hours of MLIS credit toward the Certificate of Graduate Study in Library and Information Science provided the six hours are related to the proposed area of specialization for the certificate program of study. If there is a lapse of time between completion of the MLIS and enrollment in the Certificate program, or if the student is a graduate of another ALA accredited Master's program, 18 hours of course work will be required to earn the certificate.
To fulfill the certificate program requirements, the student must complete SLIS 794 (Internship in Library and Information Science) and an additional nine hours or fifteen credit hours, depending upon whether admission was prior to or following completion of the MLIS degree. It should be noted that SLIS 794, Internship in Library and Information Science, is a variable credit course in which students may earn three or six hours of graduate credit. The minimum requirement for the certificate is three hours, but in some instances a student may be advised to complete a six hour internship in order to meet his or her program goals.
The student may choose nine hours (or fifteen hours, depending on the circumstances of admission) of elective courses in library and information science or a related discipline after consultation with the academic advisor. It is expected that the student's program of study for the certificate program will be highly individualized according to the student's career objectives. Each student's program of study will be tailored according to prior course work and the student's professional objectives. Courses which will be more than four years old at the time the Certificate of Graduate Study is awarded may not be included in the student's program. Neither transfer credits nor independent studies may be part of the certificate program.
 A maximum of 6 hours below B may be included in the certificate program. Grades of less than B in 9 semester hours during the 4 year period render the student ineligible to receive a Certificate of Graduate Study. The certificate student must achieve an average of least B in all graduate course work taken within the 4 year period preceding the award of the Certificate of Graduate Study.
The student who is currently enrolled in the MLIS program will apply for and be awarded the MLIS degree upon completion of the 36 hours required for that degree. The student will be awarded the Certificate of Graduate Study in Library and Information Science upon completion of the additional requirements for the certificate.
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