What is ALA Accreditation?

Employers will generally require a master’s degree from an ALA-accredited school if your goal is to work in a professional library or information science position. The American Library Association goes through an external review of any candidate program and evaluates the curriculum, among other aspects. ALA Accreditation ensures an MLIS program meets professional standards.

Degrees under this umbrella might have different names. The most common title will be MLIS or Master’s Degree in Library and Information Studies, but some other ones can be:

• MIS, Master of Information Studies
• MLS, Master of Library Sciences, or
• MSIS, Masters of Science in Information Sciences, etc.