Students may select one of the program specializations described below or develop other plans of study in consultation with their advisors. Students may choose to pursue the MLS with a specialization in Archives, Records, and Information Management, School Library, E-government, or Information and Diverse Populations.  Additionally, students can participate in the History/Library Science (HiLS) dual-degree program.  Students are advised to decide if they wish to pursue a specialization before they actually begin their MLS studies as some specializations require admittance prior to enrollment in coursework. Helpful checklists indicating program and specialization requirements can be found here.

MLS students may alternatively work with their advisors to define their own course plans, and are not required to pursue a specialization within the MLS degree. However, if students have particular career goals, they are encouraged to consult the Career Course Plans that have been developed to help students with their course planning and to find employment upon completion of the MLS degree.

Archives, Records, and Information Management

The specialization in Archives, Records, and Information Management requires the student, with an advisor’s input, to construct an individual course of study that combines scholarship and theory with practical field experience and that meets the student’s own interests. Additional information is available here.

The program meets all of the requirements recommended for archival education by the Society for American Archivists (SAA).

School Library

This specialization leads to the MLS degree and Maryland state certification as an Educational Media Generalist, Level II (the official certification terminology for the "School Librarian"). Students may enter this program with a background in education or any other academic discipline.

Complete details about the program, the courses and competencies required for certification, and the overall program plan can be found here.

E-government

The E-government specialization focuses on the nature, current impacts, and potential future impacts of e-government. This unique program is for students interested in careers in librarianship and other information sciences as specialists in digital government information and e-government services. Interested MLS students may enroll concurrently in the E-government specialization and the Archives, Records, and Information Management specialization or in the E-government specialization and the Information and Diverse Populations specialization.

More information about the E-government specialization is available here.

Information and Diverse Populations

The Information and Diverse Populations (IDP) specialization focuses on instruction about and research into the design, development, provision, and integration of information services, resources, technologies, and outreach that serve diverse populations. While all information professionals need to be prepared to work with diverse populations, students who enroll in the specialization should be interested in diversity and inclusion as a core focus of their professional path. Interested MLS students may enroll concurrently in this specialization and other programs, including the Archives, Records, and Information Management specialization, the E-government specialization, and the School Library specialization. 

More information about the Information and Diverse Populations specialization is available here.