We are currently accepting applications to our Master of Library and Information Science taught postgraduate program for A.Y. 2021-2022.
Interested applicants may visit bit.ly/MLIS2021 to download the prospectus and application requirements. The application is open to all individuals with an undergraduate degree who are interested in pursuing or furthering their career in the information professions.
The deadline for application is on 21 June 2021.
Inquiries about the application process, requirements, or the MLIS program may be directed to the Graduate Program Coordinator, Prof. Jonathan Isip, at gpc [AT] slis [DOT] upd [DOT] edu [DOT] ph.
Frequently Asked Questions
1) My undergraduate is not BLIS, can I apply to the MLIS program?
Yes! Anyone can apply to the MLIS program as long as they have attained an undergraduate degree. There are different programs of study to provide LIS expertise to applicants who have a different qualification or subject expertise (e.g. a teacher put in charge of the library, a historian managing an archival collection, a programmer or data scientist wanting to study information ethics). Conversely, applicants with a BLIS degree have programs of study that give subject familiarity within the specific context of their institutions or research area (e.g. a librarian working in a school and needs to understand educational technologies, an information manager working for a corporation, a records manager working with health records). Details on the program variants can be found in the postgraduate prospectus.
2) I am working full-time, when are classes usually held?
Course schedules change every term depending on the calendaring of all courses on offer for that term, as well as the availability of professors for a given timeslot. In general, classes for an MLIS course meet once a week for three hours, and may be timetabled at any time between 7.30am and 8.30pm from Monday to Saturday. MLIS courses offered on weekdays are generally spread out over the week, e.g. LIS 201 on Tuesday and LIS 222 on Friday. Course offerings for a term and their schedules are announced one or two months before the start of classes to give students ample time to apply for leave from their place of work, or to petition for the opening of additional classes.
3) I saw that the MLIS program has 4 different variants/programs of study. Are these different degree programs?
Students taking any of the variants will graduate with a degree of Master of Library and Information Science. The program of study is indicated in the graduate's Transcript of Records (TOR).
4) I already have a postgraduate degree and do not necessarily want to take MLIS but am interested in some of the courses you have on offer. Would it be possible to take just these courses?
Students who are interested in taking courses offered by UPSLIS may apply as a non-degree student for no more than one semester. As there is no specific program of study, these students will not be eligible for graduation. The courses they have taken will be reflected in their Transcript of Records (TOR). However, these courses may be credited towards MLIS should the student choose to apply and be accepted to the program within five years of earning the course credit.
Mature students (such as retired librarians, pensioners who love books, or grandparents doing genealogical research) who want to keep updated or engage with the latest theories and principles in LIS may be admitted as special students without credit and may enroll in such courses for which, in the opinion of the course instructor and the Dean, they have the necessary background knowledge and ability to pursue profitably.
5) I am currently taking or planning to pursue a postgraduate qualification in another field. Can I take the MLIS program alongside this other qualification?
The University of the Philippines does not allow enrollment in multiple programs within UP or in different universities. The student must select a single program and process an honorable dismissal from any other program they are taking.
6) Do you have a distance learning program?
We do not currently have a distance learning program, though one is in the process of being developed.
7) How are classes being administered during the pandemic?
Classes are currently conducted off-campus through a mix of symmetric (Zoom videoconference calls) and asymmetric strategies via UP's Moodle-based Learning Management System, UVLe.