MLIS Admissions Requirements

Applicants who meet the following requirements will be considered for admission in the Master of Library and Information Science program:

• A bachelor’s degree from any regionally accredited institution in any discipline with an overall  GPA of at least 3.0 in the bachelor’s degree or in the last 60 semester or 90 quarter units. Note that the institution must state that it is regionally accredited by one of the accrediting bodies listed below***
• If the institution did not issue grades / GPA, choose “I don’t have a GPA to add” in Cal State Apply. Narrative evaluations (minimum 5 – 6) need to be sent with your official transcripts.
• GPA can be raised by taking classes at any regionally accredited institution. The classes must be used in a degree program at that institution. They cannot be professional or personal development classes.
• A general understanding of computers and technology. See Technology Literacy Requirements.
• Access to a computer with Internet connection and appropriate software. See Home Computing Requirements.

International applicants must have a TOEFL score of 600 (paper version), 250 (computer version), or 100 (Internet-based); or an IELTS score of 8.

***Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Western Association of Schools and Colleges; Higher Learning Commission (HLC); Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE); New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE); Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU); Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).

Note: We do not require a GMAT or GRE test, letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, or a resume. Therefore, please do not include any of these in your application.

We expect that all applicants seeking admission understand and comply with the stated technology literacy and home computing environment requirements. However, to ensure this, our school requires that all students demonstrate this critical technical competency in the first four weeks of their first semester by successfully completing INFO 203, the required one-unit introductory course that covers our online learning technology.

In addition to the same requirements mentioned above, applicants from countries in which the native language is not English must achieve a minimum English-language proficiency test score on one of the tests, as indicated on the Graduate Program Test Requirement web page at GAPE. For further detailed information, please read Step 5 on the GAPE Steps to Admission website. Look for the School of Information scores, under University Required English Language Proficiency (ELP) Exams

Important Note for International Applicants: If you are taking the degree online from your own country – or any country outside the United States – there is no need to obtain a Visa. You apply as a Special Session student and complete the program online from outside the United States.

Due to the restrictions placed on online classes by US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the MLIS program cannot enroll international students who are in the United States and want to take classes while in the United States. The MLIS program is only available in an online format.