The joint M.A./M.S.L.I.S. program allows students to develop professional competence in library and information science and in a subject area of history, which leads to a wide range of career possibilities.  It is designed to allow students to complete two separate master’s degrees in less time (with fewer courses and credit hours) than if they did the two degree programs separately.

Students in the program benefit from foundational instruction and specialized courses of study in emerging fields from Catholic University’s highly-ranked Department of Information Sciences and the professional networks that department has developed, in combination with all the advantages of the Department of History’s rigorous instruction in one of the fields offered at the M.A. level.  The combination is ideal for anyone interested in academic librarianship or cultural heritage.

The joint degree requires 30 credit hours in Library and Information Science, and 21 credit hours in History of which one course (3 credit hours) must be History 601.  The joint program thus requires a total of 51 credit hours, as opposed to 66 for the two degrees taken separately. Insofar as History is concerned, most other requirements apply as for the basic MA: students in the joint program must meet the same language requirement and take the same comprehensive exams, although the joint program requires one research seminar instead of the two required for the basic MA.

The M.A./M.S.L.I.S. program usually requires three years of full-time study.

Prospective students interested in applying for the joint degree program are invited to communicate directly with the Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Stephen West,  to discuss the program and its requirements further.  Applicants complete one application to the university, but must submit all parts of the application required by both departments.  Each department makes admissions decisions separately, so admission to one does not necessarily guarantee admission to the other.

All applicants for graduate study in History are automatically considered for funding, provided the application is received by the February 1 deadline. No separate application is necessary. The Department will ordinarily admit a Ph.D. applicant only when it is able to offer that applicant a funding package, usually a combination of scholarships for tuition, teaching assistantships and stipends. The Department admits M.A. applicants with or without funding, and is able to offer tuition scholarships only to some M.A. applicants. Students in the joint M.A./M.S.L.I.S. program are eligible for additional funding from the Department of Information Sciences and are encouraged to consult them directly. Do note some of the University-wide awards require high GRE scores. CUA is an equal opportunity educational institution.

For full details of all aspects of the joint degree program and its requirements, consult the History Department Graduate Handbook.