School Librarian Certificate

The UMD College of Information (INFO) offers a special pathway to Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) students who would like to pursue a career in school librarianship.

Prospective students can apply to the MLIS Program and complete the School Library Focus Area. They will graduate with an ALA-accredited MLIS degree that qualifies them for jobs in the library and information science field as well as Maryland State Certification as a school librarian (library media specialist) in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, and/or other states with comparable requirements.

Would you like to learn more and connect with our program team? Email us at mlisprogram@umd.edu.

Curriculum

Learn more about the MLIS curriculum and School Library Focus Area.

Admissions

Students must apply for and be admitted as Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) students. Once they are an MLIS student, they can enroll in courses for the School Library Focus Area. Learn more about the MLIS admissions process.

More on Maryland State School Librarian Certification

Please see the Maryland State Department of Education’s website for information about requirements [External Link] for school librarian certification as certification standards[External Link].

Note, the Maryland State Department of Education’s certificate in school librarianship is called the “Library Media Specialist” certificate.

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