MLIS Alumni Survey Archive
MLIS Alumni Survey Archive
Survey of 2023 MLIS Graduates
This survey was sent in June 2024 to graduates who completed the MLIS program during calendar year 2023. We received a total of 152 responses to our survey. Not all of the questions were mandatory, and the responses may be rounded.
“Enrolling in the MLIS program was one of the best decisions I have ever made for my career. I learned so much, especially during my internships. I was able to secure a full-time job before I graduated, and I still use the skills I learned as an MLIS student today.”
We are pleased to share the following data regarding our alumni:
- Library and information science is not the first professional career for many of our recent graduates (59%). They are changing their career focus to LIS from a wide variety of fields, such as education, marketing, hospitality, broadcasting, and healthcare.
- Many students begin the MLIS program already having some library work experience and/or gain library work experience while completing their studies. Only 23% said they had not worked in a library.
- Of those who are currently employed, 74% hold jobs in a library or information science career environment, 11% are working in a LIS capacity but not in a LIS institution, and 15% are employed in a non-related position and field.
“Going through the MLIS program was worth it. It gave me skills that were helpful in my current library job and introduced me to professional organizations and networks of people I now rely on for information and support.”
The survey continued with questions asked of those who are working in a LIS career environment or related capacity.
- 75% have full-time positions and are working in diverse LIS career environments, including public libraries, academic libraries, K-12 schools, and special libraries. 93% of full-time workers are employed in permanent positions.
- Their job titles are just as varied as their employers and include Ethnic Studies Librarian, Teacher Librarian, Cataloging Technician, Reference Librarian, User Services Technician, Medical Librarian, Digital Asset Manager, Librarian I, and many more positions.
- Our alumni are putting their MLIS skills to work performing many different job duties, such as circulation, public services, reference/information services, patron programming, outreach, children’s services, and collection development.
- When asked to select their primary job assignment, the following job assignments received the most responses: reference/information services, children’s services, public services, circulation, and archival and preservation.
- Many students worked while earning their degree and opted to remain with an employer or position held prior to or while attending the MLIS program. Those who chose to stay with an existing employer after graduation said the master’s degree helped advance their career. 56% reported that they received a promotion, became eligible for tenure, got a raise, moved from support staff to professional staff, or another positive change in employment.
- For those who were not employed when they graduated, 87% were employed within 6 months of graduating.
“I found the coursework especially relevant and interesting, with some portions of it immediately applicable to my work. I applied for and received a promotion to library assistant in the middle of the program and then successfully applied for a librarian position after I graduated.”
Our alumni shared that they believe the following three experiences/activities were most helpful or important in obtaining their first job in the information profession:
- Previous Employment Experience
- Technological Skills
- Choosing Electives from Multiple Career Pathways
Our students not only live across North America while completing the fully online MLIS program, they are also working in different geographic areas after graduation. For example, our alumni reported their employers are located in the U.S., Canada, Ireland, and Qatar.
We invite you to learn more about our alumni by browsing our alumni career spotlights, reading alumni stories, and watching videos of them at work and their impact on our global communities.
Survey of 2022 MLIS Graduates
This survey was sent in June 2023 to graduates who completed the MLIS program during calendar year 2022. We received a total of 161 responses to our survey. Not all of the questions were mandatory, and the responses may be rounded.
“The MLIS program was integral to me finding a new librarian job and advancing my career.”
We are pleased to share the following data regarding our alumni:
- Library and information science is not the first professional career for many of our recent graduates (57%). They are changing their career focus to LIS from a wide variety of fields, such as education, finance, law, psychology, and healthcare.
- Many students begin the MLIS program already having some library work experience and/or gain library work experience while completing their studies. Only 26% said they had not worked in a library.
- Of those who are currently employed, 80% hold jobs in a library or information science career environment, 11% are working in a LIS capacity but not in a LIS institution, and 9% are employed in a non-related position and field.
The survey continued with questions asked of those who are working in a LIS career environment or related capacity.
- 73% have full-time positions and are working in diverse LIS career environments, including public libraries, academic libraries, K-12 schools, special libraries, and government libraries. 95% of full-time workers are employed in permanent positions.
- Their job titles are just as varied as their employers and include Library Media Specialist, Circulation Manager, Assistant Law Librarian, Adjunct Faculty, Archivists, Business Manager, Reference Librarian, Taxonomist, Business Analyst, Librarian, and many more positions.
- Our alumni are putting their MLIS skills to work performing many different job duties, such as circulation, access services, public services, and reference/information services.
- When asked to select their primary job assignment, the following job assignments received the most responses: reference/information services; circulation; children’s services; and metadata, cataloging and taxonomy.
- Many students worked while earning their degree and opted to remain with an employer or position held prior to or while attending the MLIS program. Those who chose to stay with an existing employer after graduation said the master’s degree helped advance their career. 57% reported that they received a promotion, became eligible for tenure, got a raise, moved from support staff to professional staff, or another positive change in employment.
- For those who were not employed when they graduated, 77% were employed within 6 months of graduating.
“This program prepared me well. I have secured three library jobs since getting my degree one year ago.”
Our alumni shared that they believe the following three experiences/activities were most helpful or important in obtaining their first job in the information profession:
- Previous Employment Experience
- Technological Skills
- Subject Specialization
Our students not only live across North America while completing the fully online MLIS program, they are also working in different geographic areas after graduation. For example, our alumni reported their employers are located in the U.S., China and Canada.
We invite you to learn more about our alumni by browsing our alumni career spotlights, reading alumni stories, and watching videos of them at work and their impact on our global communities.
Survey Of 2021 MLIS Graduates
This survey was sent in June 2022 to graduates who completed the MLIS program during calendar year 2021. We received a total of 190 responses to our survey. Not all of the questions were mandatory, and the responses may be rounded.
“The iSchool program was a completely transformative experience for me. I learned so much and felt supported by faculty. I highly encourage other students to get involved with student groups, attend events and engage with the iSchool community. I had no trouble with finding my first library employment while in the program, or my librarian position as I finished the degree, and I largely credit my experience at the iSchool (both coursework and career center support) for that.”
We are pleased to share the following data regarding our alumni:
- Library and information science is not the first professional career for many of our recent graduates (56%). They are changing their career focus to LIS from a wide variety of fields, such as education, retail, non profit, healthcare, film/video and social work.
- Many students begin the MLIS program already having some library work experience and/or gain library work experience while completing their studies. Only 40% said they had not worked in a library.
- Of those who are currently employed, 76% hold jobs in a library or information science career environment, 11% are working in a LIS capacity but not in a LIS institution, and 16% are employed in a non-related position and field.
The survey continued with questions asked of those who are working in a LIS career environment or related capacity.
- 80% have full-time positions and are working in diverse LIS career environments, including public libraries, academic libraries, K-12 schools, and special libraries. 91% of full-time workers are employed in permanent positions.
- Their job titles are just as varied as their employers and include Film Services Manager, Youth Services Librarian, Library Director, Professional Development Coordinator, Research Librarian, Exhibit Program Coordinator, Teacher Librarian, Institutional Data Analyst and many more positions.
- Our alumni are putting their MLIS skills to work performing many different job duties, such as circulation, collection development, outreach, and reference/information services.
- When asked to select their primary job assignment, the following job assignments received the most responses: children’s services, reference/information services, school librarian / school library media specialist, circulation, metadata, cataloging and taxonomy and public services.
- In anticipation of graduating, 33% of students who weren’t already employed began the job search more than 7 months in advance of their graduation date. Some respondents indicated that pandemic-related economic conditions had delayed or impacted their job search or current position.
- Many students worked while earning their degree and opted to remain with an employer or position held prior to or while attending the MLIS program. Those who chose to stay with an existing employer after graduation said the master’s degree helped advance their career. 56% reported that they received a promotion, became eligible for tenure, got a raise, and/or moved from support staff to professional staff.
“It was a fantastic program, very comprehensive, and after 40 years in publishing it got me ready for 21st century jobs.”
Our alumni shared that they believe the following five experiences/activities were most helpful or important in obtaining their first job in the information profession:
- Previous Employment Experience
- Technological Skills
- Choosing Electives from Multiple Career Pathways
- Subject Specialization
- Learning to Work Collaboratively with People in an Online Environment
Our students not only live across North America while completing the fully online MLIS program, they are also working in different geographic areas after graduation. For example, our alumni reported their employers are located in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada.
The survey concluded with the option for alumni to share their comments regarding the MLIS program. Here’s a sampling of what they had to say:
- Fantastic program and loved being involved with the courses, professors and teams I worked with throughout my program.
- My experience in the MLIS program was one I will never forget. I was intimidated at first but with my professors and classmates were beyond helpful, understanding and knowledgeable. As someone who had never thought about librarianship as a profession, I Iearned a lot and enjoyed my experience.
We invite you to learn more about our alumni by browsing our alumni career spotlights, reading alumni stories, and watching videos of them at work and their impact on our global communities.
Survey of 2020 MLIS Graduates
This survey was sent in June 2021 to graduates who completed the MLIS program during calendar year 2020. We received a total of 119 responses to our survey. Not all of the questions were mandatory, and the responses may be rounded.
“I was very happy with the quality of education that I received at SJSU. Especially since I was working while studying, I found the course work and information directly applicable to what I was doing. I also see SJSU as a leader in the library science field and am proud to have studied there.”
We are pleased to share the following data regarding our alumni:
- Library and information science is not the first professional career for many of our recent graduates (50%). They are changing their career focus to LIS from a wide variety of fields, such as education, retail, non profit, medical fields, and publishing.
- Many students begin the MLIS program already having some library work experience and/or gain library work experience while completing their studies. Only 23% said they had not worked in a library.
- Of those who are currently employed, 64% hold jobs in a library or information science career environment, 11% are working in a LIS capacity but not in a LIS institution, and 13% are employed in a non-related position and field.
The survey continued with questions asked of those who are working in a LIS career environment or related capacity.
- 66% have full-time positions and are working in diverse LIS career environments, including public libraries, academic libraries, K-12 schools, and special libraries. 94% of full-time workers are employed in permanent positions.
- Their job titles are just as varied as their employers and include Digital Asset Librarian, Tribal Library Specialist, Children’s Librarian, Branch Librarian, Teacher Technology Leader, Family Learning Coordinator, Reference and Instruction Librarian and many more positions.
- Our alumni are putting their MLIS skills to work performing many different job duties, such as circulation, collection development, outreach, and reference/information services.
- When asked to select their primary job assignment, the following job assignments received the most responses: reference/information services, circulation, public services, school librarian / school library media specialist, children’s services, and YA/teen services.
- In anticipation of graduating, 54% of students who weren’t already employed began the job search more than 7 months in advance of their graduation date. Some respondents indicated that pandemic-related economic conditions had delayed or impacted their job search.
- Many students worked while earning their degree and opted to remain with an employer or position held prior to or while attending the MLIS program. Those who chose to stay with an existing employer after graduation said the master’s degree helped advance their career. 49% reported that they received a promotion, became eligible for tenure, got a raise, and/or moved from support staff to professional staff.
“It was wonderful and prepared me for my current dream job as teacher-librarian in a public school, K-12. Thank you!”
Our alumni shared that they believe the following five experiences/activities were most helpful or important in obtaining their first job in the information profession:
- Previous Employment Experience
- Technological Skills
- Choosing Electives from Multiple Career Pathways
- Internship, Practicum or Fieldwork Experience
- Subject Specialization
Our students not only live across North America while completing the fully online MLIS program, they are also working in different geographic areas after graduation. For example, our alumni reported their employers are located in the U.S., Canada, India and Ecuador.
The survey concluded with the option for alumni to share their comments regarding the MLIS program. Here’s a sampling of what they had to say:
- “The staff was incredibly supportive and focused on student success. I received top notch instruction.”
- “Working as a Content Editor at the Student Research Journal was invaluable. The skills I learned and was able to put on my resume made my application competitive enough to rise above other applicants and get the job. Generally, people go to grad school to get professional experience in the field of their choice. The Student Research Journal gave me that in spades.”
We invite you to learn more about our alumni by browsing our alumni career spotlights, reading alumni stories, and watching videos of them at work and their impact on our global communities.
Survey of 2019 MLIS Graduates
This survey was sent in June 2020 to graduates who completed the MLIS program during calendar year 2019. We received a total of 111 responses to our survey. Not all of the questions were mandatory, and the responses may be rounded.
“The SJSU MLIS program was wonderful with great professors.”
We are pleased to share the following data regarding our alumni:
- Library and information science is not the first professional career for many of our recent graduates (57%). They are changing their career focus to LIS from a wide variety of fields, such as education, journalism, arts, medical fields, and publishing.
- Many students begin the MLIS program already having some library work experience and/or gain library work experience while completing their studies. Only 23% said they had not worked in a library.
- Of those who are currently employed, 71% hold jobs in a library or information science career environment, 7% are working in a LIS capacity but not in a LIS institution, and 9% are employed in a non-related position and field.
The survey continued with questions asked of those who are working in a LIS career environment or related capacity.
- 81% have full-time positions and are working in diverse LIS career environments, including public libraries, academic libraries, K-12 schools, and special libraries. 94% of full-time workers are employed in permanent positions.
- Their job titles are just as varied as their employers and include Archivist, Youth Services Outreach Specialist, Electronic Resources Librarian, Teacher Librarian, Document Management Systems Specialist, Library Director, Arts and Communication Librarian Systems and Digital Initiatives Librarian, and many more positions.
- Our alumni are putting their MLIS skills to work performing many different job duties, such as circulation, collection development, outreach, and reference/information services.
- When asked to select their primary job assignment, the following job assignments received the most responses: children’s services, administration, adult services, patron programming, reference/information services, circulation, and YA/teen services.
- In anticipation of graduating, most students who weren’t already employed began the job search while in their final semester of the MLIS program. 82% were hired in the information profession within six months after earning their MLIS degree. 40% of those who completed internships stated they were employed because of an internship.
- Many students worked while earning their degree and opted to remain with an employer or position held prior to or while attending the MLIS program. Those who chose to stay with an existing employer after graduation said the master’s degree helped advance their career. 55% reported that they received a promotion, got a raise, and/or moved from support staff to professional staff.
“Enrolling in the SJSU MLIS program was, hands down, the smartest choice of my professional life. When I received the MLIS, I found jobs right away and was able to establish a new career.”
Our alumni shared that they believe the following five experiences/activities were most helpful or important in obtaining their first job in the information profession:
- Previous Employment Experience
- Choosing Electives from Multiple Career Pathways
- Technological Skills
- Learning to Work Collaboratively with People in an Online Environment
- Subject Specialization
Our students not only live across North America while completing the fully online MLIS program, they are also working in different geographic areas after graduation. For example, our alumni reported their employers are located in the U.S., Canada, and the Netherlands.
The survey concluded with the option for alumni to share their comments regarding the MLIS program. Here’s a sampling of what they had to say:
- “Thank you SJSU School of Information! I love you all for helping me to obtain my MLIS which enabled me to become the Director of Library Services of an academic library immediately after my predecessor retired.”
- “I love my job and the skills I learned in the program.”
- “The comprehensive nature of the program worked well for me. I quickly realized that my heart was with UX (I was a reference specialist for 7 years prior) and UX needs knowledge in a lot of different areas. I really learned to see libraries differently in this program. I learned to see the ways in which libraries need to change to survive and thrive.”
- “The MLIS professors and classes that I took were all relevant and gave me a solid base on which to work. I was able to do an internship because of serving on a student chapter and also taking a cataloging class. I excelled at SJSU because of the online environment, with the collegiality not only of my peers but also with the professors. I have made some lifelong friends.”
We invite you to learn more about our alumni by browsing our alumni career spotlights, reading alumni stories, and watching videos of them at work and their impact on our global communities.
Survey of 2018 MLIS Graduates
This survey was sent in May 2019 to graduates who completed the MLIS program during calendar year 2018. We received a total of 169 responses to our survey.
We are pleased to share the following data regarding our alumni.
80% are employed in a library or information science career environment, and 6% are working in a LIS capacity but not in a LIS institution.
Library and information science is the first professional career for many of our recent graduates (49%). Others are changing their career focus, having previously worked in a wide variety of fields, such as education, communications, criminal justice, military and publishing.
Now that they have earned their MLIS degree, 76% have permanent, full-time positions and are working in diverse LIS career environments, including public libraries, academic libraries, K-12 schools, and special libraries.
“It was a great experience and has opened up a lot of opportunities for me.”
Their job titles are just as varied as their employers and include Field Archivist, Law Library Technician, Virtual Reference Librarian, Media Specialist, Teacher Librarian, Metadata Librarian, Digital Collections Specialist, and many more positions.
Our alumni are putting their MLIS skills to work performing many different job duties, such as circulation, collection development, outreach, and readers’ advisory. When asked to select their primary job assignment, the following top five job assignments received the most responses:
- Reference / Information Services
- Public Services
- Children’s Services
- School Librarian / School Library Media Specialist
- Adult Services
In anticipation of graduating, most students who weren’t currently employed began the job search while in their final semester of the MLIS program. 79% were hired in the information profession within six months after earning their MLIS degree.
Many students work while earning their degree and opt to remain with an employer or position held prior to or while attending the MLIS program. Those who chose to stay with an existing employer said the master’s degree helped advance their career. 65% reported that they received a promotion, got a raise, and/or moved from support staff to professional staff.
“I was hired for the Teen Services Librarian position. My title and pay changed after I received my degree, but my work stayed the same.”
Our alumni shared that they believe the following five experiences/activities were most helpful or important in obtaining their first job in the information profession:
- Previous Employment Experience
- Technological Skills
- Subject Specialization
- Choosing Electives from Multiple Career Pathways
- Networking with Professionals in the Field
Our students not only live across North America while completing the fully online MLIS program, they are also working in different geographic areas after graduation. For example, our alumni reported that their employers are located in the U.S., Canada, India, and Russia.
The survey concluded with the option for alumni to share their comments regarding the MLIS program. Here’s a sampling of what they had to say:
- “I really loved my MLIS program and experience. I think that it prepared me well for the job market and my current position.”
- “I loved San Jose’s MLIS program. It was a great way for me to continue working in the library field, and so many times I could see how my course work and my job overlapped. I had amazing support from my supervisors, which is essential for MLIS students. I loved being able to do it entirely online, as I moved from Colorado to Illinois during it and worked two jobs as well.”
- “It was a wonderful experience. I followed the advice from peers to take a variety of courses, and it was good for me. Get out of your comfort zone. Intercultural communication was very helpful combined with many other classes.”
- “I was very happy with the program. It afforded me the ability to learn skills, get experience in a variety of environments through internships and volunteering, and to make friends and expand my network.”
- “The online format allowed me to gain useful work experience while pursuing my degree, so by the time I finished, I possessed all the qualifications needed for a professional, benefited librarian role. I’m glad I pursued this degree, and I’m glad I did it through SJSU.”
We invite you to learn more about our alumni by browsing our alumni career spotlights, reading alumni stories, and watching videos of them at work and their impact on our global communities.
Survey of 2017 MLIS Graduates
This survey was sent in June 2018 to graduates who completed the MLIS program during calendar year 2017. We received a total of 132 responses to our survey.
We are pleased to share the following data regarding our alumni who are working in a library and information science career environment or in a library and information science capacity.
Library and information science is the first professional career for many of our recent graduates (55%). Others are changing their career focus, having previously worked in a wide variety of fields, such as education, communications, performing arts and non-profit sectors.
Now that they have earned their MLIS degree, 80% have permanent, full-time positions and are working in diverse LIS career environments, including public libraries, academic libraries, K-12 schools, and special libraries.
Their job titles are just as varied as their employers and include Media Archive Manager, Adjunct Librarian, Teacher Librarian, Data Analytics and Visualization Librarian, Youth Services Librarian, Web Services and Student Engagement Librarian, and many more positions.
Our alumni are putting their MLIS skills to work performing many different job duties. The following is a list of the top five job assignments they are responsible for in their current positions:
- Metadata, Cataloging and Taxonomy
- Children’s Services
- Reference / Information Services
- Other (included a range of responses, such as: facilities management, project management, etc.)
- Archives and Preservation
In anticipation of graduating, many began the job search while in the final semester of the MLIS program, and 91% were hired in the information profession within six months after earning their MLIS degree.
For those who remained with an existing employer or position held prior to or while attending the MLIS program, the master’s degree helped advance their career. More than 50% reported that they received a promotion, got a raise, became eligible for tenure, and/or moved from support staff to professional staff.
Our alumni shared that they believe the following five experiences/activities were most helpful or important in obtaining their first job in the information profession:
- Previous Employment Experience
- Technological Skills
- Subject Specialization
- Internship, Practicum, or Fieldwork Experiences
- Choosing Electives from Multiple Career Pathways
Our students not only live across North America while completing our fully online MLIS program, they are also working in different geographic areas after graduation. For example, our alumni reported that their employers are located in three Canadian provinces, 28 U.S. states (includes District of Columbia), Switzerland, and Japan.
The 2017 MLIS alumni shared these comments:
- “The best things about the program was its flexibility and technology. The flexibility was great because I worked full time during the program and I was able to complete my school work around my professional work schedule. It’s also great that the school allows you to go at your own pace and doesn’t force you to take a minimum number of units. Blackboard Collaborate sessions with professors and meetings with classmates made the experience much easier with voice and video interactions in real time. This made me feel more connected to students and faculty during the program than I would have felt without the sessions.”
- “I think this program really gave me the option to explore multiple areas of interest before settling on a focus. The selection of classes available was fabulous. The career path class suggestions were the most valuable resources for me to consult and helped me ensure I was gaining experience in areas I was unaware of.”
- “I enjoyed the flexibility of the MLIS. Great program with exceptional faculty and research opportunities for students! I recommend it to others.”
We invite you to learn more about our alumni by browsing our alumni career spotlights, reading alumni stories, and scanning a list of employers of our alumni.
Survey of 2016 MLIS Graduates
This survey was sent in May 2017 to graduates who completed the MLIS program during calendar year 2016. We received a total of 183 responses to our survey.
We are pleased to share the following data regarding our alumni who are working in a library and information science career environment or in a library and information science capacity.
Library and information science is the first professional career for many of our recent graduates (54%). Others are changing their career focus, having previously worked in a wide variety of fields, such as education, human resources, graphic design, law, and social work.
Now that they have earned their MLIS degree, 73% have permanent, full-time positions and are working in diverse LIS career environments, including public libraries, academic libraries, K-12 schools, and special libraries.
Their job titles are just as varied as their employers and include Librarian, Metadata Analyst, Collections and Digital Assets Manager, Archivist, Cataloging Specialist, Technology Trainer, and many more positions.
Our alumni are putting their MLIS skills to work performing many different job duties. The following is a list of the top four job assignments they are responsible for in their current positions:
- Reference / Information Services
- Circulation
- Children’s Services
- Adult Services
In anticipation of graduating, many began the job search while in the final semester of the MLIS program, and 83% were hired in the information profession within six months after earning their MLIS degree.
For those who remained with an existing employer or position held prior to or while attending the MLIS program, the master’s degree helped advance their career. 60% reported that they received a promotion, got a raise, and/or moved from support staff to professional staff.
Our alumni shared that they believe the following five experiences/activities were most helpful or important in obtaining their first job in the information profession:
- Previous Employment Experience
- Technological Skills
- Choosing Electives from Multiple Career Pathways
- Subject Specialization
- Learning to Work Collaboratively with People in an Online Environment
Our students not only live across North America while completing our fully online MLIS program, they are also working in different geographic areas after graduation. For example, our alumni reported that their employers are located in three Canadian provinces, 30 U.S. states, Spain and Hungary.
The 2016 MLIS alumni shared these comments:
- “The SJSU MLIS program was a truly amazing experience that I will always promote and of which I will always speak very highly. I am immensely proud to be a graduate of this world-class program at SJSU.”
- “The SJSU MLIS program is convenient, but also diverse in its students, instructors and electives. It was an excellent way for me to gain my Master’s degree while learning practical skills.”
- “I really enjoyed the MLIS program. I had great instructors and classmates that really challenged me and opened my eyes to other areas of librarianship. I appreciated the online ease of the program and the low cost of tuition. It made it possible for me to work full time and still attend school full time.”
We invite you to learn more about our alumni by browsing our alumni career spotlights and reading alumni stories.
Survey of 2015 MLIS Graduates
This survey was sent in May 2016 to graduates who completed the MLIS program during calendar year 2015. We received a total of 178 responses to our survey.
We are pleased to share the following data regarding our alumni who are working in a library and information science career environment or in a library and information science capacity.
Library and information science is the first professional career for many of our recent graduates (57%). Others are changing their career focus, having previously worked in a wide variety of fields, such as legal, education, communications, and non-profit development.
Now that they have earned their MLIS degree, 78% have permanent, full-time positions and are working in diverse LIS career environments, including public libraries, academic libraries, K-12 schools, and special libraries.
Their job titles are just as varied as their employers and include Records Analyst, Librarian, Metadata Operations Coordinator, Assistant Director, Serials and Preservation Manager, and many more positions.
Our alumni are putting their MLIS skills to work performing many different job duties. The following is a list of the top four job assignments they are responsible for in their current positions:
- Reference / Information Services
- Children’s Services
- Administration
- Metadata, Cataloging and Taxonomy
In anticipation of graduating, many began the job search while in the final semester of the MLIS program, and 89% were hired in the information profession within six months after earning their MLIS degree.
For those who remained with an existing employer or position held prior to or while attending the MLIS program, the master’s degree helped advance their career. More than 60% reported that they received a promotion, got a raise, became eligible for tenure, and/or moved from support staff to professional staff.
Our alumni shared that they believe the following five experiences/activities were most helpful or important in obtaining their first job in the information profession:
- Previous Employment Experience
- Coursework / Electives
- Technological Skills
- Internship, Practicum, or Fieldwork Experiences
- Subject Specialization
Our students not only live across North America while completing our fully online MLIS program, they are also working in different geographic areas after graduation. For example, our alumni reported that their employers are located in three Canadian provinces and 25 U.S. states.
We invite you to learn more about our alumni by browsing our alumni career spotlights and reading alumni stories.