MLIS Program & Performance
The School of Library & Information Science MLIS program has been continuously accredited
by the American Library Association since 1931 and remains the only ALA accredited
program in Louisiana. The MLIS program at LSU is accredited by the American Library
Association Committee on Accreditation, with the status of Conditional accreditation.
The next comprehensive review visit is scheduled for Spring 2022.
Recruitment & Retention
SLIS Enrollment
| Fall | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLIS | 120 | 149 | 187 | 193 | 175 | 241 | 316 |
| CARST | 21 | 19 | 31 | 15 | |||
| CRIM | 13 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 10 | ||
| CSLIB | 1 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 6 |
| Total | 121 | 152 | 209 | 226 | 212 | 297 | 347 |
MLIS Retention
The calculation of retention rate is based on students beginning the program in the fall semester and graduating within the five-year limit allowed for completion of all requirements.
| Fall | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLIS | 94% | 75% | 69% | 74% | 80% | 83% | 83% | 83% | 76% |
Source: LSU Office of Budget & Planning
MLIS Average Time to Degree
| Fall | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Years | 71% | 49% | 65% | 60% | 42% | 34% | 44% | 33% |
| 3 Years | 18% | 40% | 17% | 22% | 50% | 36% | 14% | - |
| 4 Years | 7% | 5% | 11% | 13% | 8% | 5% | - | - |
| 5 Years | 4% | 6% | 4% | 5% | 0% | - | - | - |
Source: LSU Office of Budget & Planning
Graduation & Placement
Degrees Granted
| Year | MLIS | CARST | CRIM | CSLIB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 46 | - | - | - |
| 2016-17 | 37 | - | - | - |
| 2017-18 | 89 | - | 2 | 3 |
| 2018-2019 | 75 | 19 | 3 | 9 |
| 2019-20 | 43 | 16 | 2 | 5 |
| 2020-21 | 73 | 17 | 4 | 8 |
Source: LSU Office of Budget & Planning
MLIS Placement Data
In 2019, SLIS began administering an exit survey for all graduating students. The following data indicates student employment status at the time of graduation.
| 2019-2020 (n=6) |
2020-2021 (n=32) |
2021-2022 (n=22) |
Total (n=60) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I am not currently employed and am seeking a position | 0% | 13% | 23% | 15% |
| I am currently employed in a non-LIS capacity and am seeking a position | 50% | 13% | 32% | 23% |
| I am currently employed in an LIS capacity, but am/will be seeking a new position | 33% | 38% | 14% | 28% |
| I am currently employed in an LIS capacity and will continue to work in this position |
0% | 31% | 27% | 27% |
| Other | 17% | 6% | 5% | 7% |
Other responses
-
I am currently 1/2 employed in a LIS position and 1/2 in a substitute teaching capacity and am seeking a full-time position.
-
I am not currently employed and have secured an LIS position for next school year.
-
Paraprofessional library role, wanting salary role.
-
I am not seeking any new position.
Source: SLIS Exit Survey
In 2019, SLIS began administering surveys of alumni 3 years after graduating. The following data indicates alumni employment information based on graduating year.
| 2015-2016 (n=5) |
2016-2017 (n=9) |
2017-2018 (n=18) |
Total (n=32) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Currently Employed | 100% | 89% | 94% | 94% |
| Not Employed | 0% | 11% | 6% | 6% |
| 2015-2016 (n=5) |
2016-2017 (n=8) |
2017-2018 (n=17) |
Total (n=30) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Library | 40% | 50% | 18% | 30% |
| Archive | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Museum | 0% | 0% | 6% | 3% |
| Public Library | 0% | 50% | 41% | 37% |
| School Library | 20% | 0% | 24% | 17% |
| Special Library | 40% | 0% | 0% | 7% |
| Other | 0% | 0% | 12% | 7% |
Source: SLIS Alumni Survey