updated April 17, 2009

Admission to the SIRLS Master’s Program

Admission to the SIRLS master’s degree program is granted by the director of SIRLS, upon recommendation of the SIRLS Admissions Committee, and the Graduate College. To be admitted, students must meet the requirements of both the Graduate College and SIRLS. In addition, they must submit an online application to the Graduate College and submit other materials directly to SIRLS. (See the Application Process below.)

Requirements

Students admitted under regular status must meet the requirements of the Graduate School and of SIRLS.

Graduate School Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona or from an accredited college or university recognized by the University of Arizona (Graduate College and SIRLS requirement)
• A grade-point-average of 3.0 or higher (Graduate College and SIRLS requirement)

Students will not be allowed to register for classes until they have have met the University's immunization requirements. For more information, see the Campus Health Service's immunization requirements.

SIRLS Requirements

• SIRLS requires competitive scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Test scores must be no older than five years. Students with an advanced graduate degree, such as a master’s or doctoral degree, do not need to provide GRE scores.

GRE scores are one of numerous indicators that the admissions committee looks at in order to assess ability to succeed in graduate school.

Application Process

Applicants must apply to the Graduate College and to SIRLS, in two separate application processes.

A completed application to the Graduate College must include:

• An online completed application for admission to the Graduate College - SIRLS only admits students in Winter (part of SPRING) and Summer. Please mark the Graduate College application appropriately.
• A $75 application fee via a credit card online.
• No transcripts are to be sent to the Graduate College.
• Domestic applicants must also complete a domicile affidavit if they wish to have in-state (Arizona) status. Mail or FAX the form directly to the Residency Classification Office. All students are considered out-of-state residents until domicile affidavits are processed. For more information about the requirements to be considered an Arizona resident, please review the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) information.
  
• All students should review the information about Proposition 300. This is the student's responsibility.
• International applicants must complete a financial guarantee form (Graduate College website) and submit TOEFL scores.
• An immunization form (pdf) to be sent directly to Campus Health.

A completed application to SIRLS, sent directly to SIRLS, must include the following elements:

• If applicable, the SIRLS financial aid form with narrative Statement of Financial Need attached. Refer to the discussion of financial aid for complete information and the correct application to download.
• Graduate Record Examination scores. Scores submitted electronically to UA take a considerable to be posted. Please also send a copy of your paper report when received. GRE scores are waived for applicants who already have an advanced graduate degree, such as a master’s or doctoral degree.

• Two letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant’s academic abilities and/or professional potential. The authors should address the student's ability to complete a graduate program and their interest and commitment to the library and information profession. The letters should be on letterhead, dated (no more than one year old), and in sealed envelopes from the author. There is no form for these letters. A recommendation letter may be mailed directly to SIRLS from the author or may be submitted by the applicant in a sealed envelope.

  Letters of recommendation should focus on the applicant's interest in and commitment to the library and information science profession and on the applicant's ability to succeed in a graduate program. Letters written by an applicant's faculty members, work supervisors, and other colleagues who could speak to the issues mentioned above are suggested. We will not accept letters from family members, clergy, or friends who could not present an unbiased recommendation regarding the applicant's qualifications.

• A written statement of introduction and why interested in the program
• TWO official transcripts from EACH college or university attended in sealed envelopes.
• A resume or curriculum vitae

Send SIRLS admissions materials to:

School of Information Resources & Library Science
University of Arizona
1515 East First Street
Tucson, Arizona 85719

Applications are considered by SIRLS when all the above elements are received. An application will not be processed by SIRLS until all required information is received.

Refer to SIRLS application deadlines.

Knowledge River Admission

Admission to Knowledge River, a project for educating librarians who are culturally and linguistically sensitive to Latino and Native American populations, requires admission to the SIRLS program and the Graduate College, under the requirements stated above. For more information about Knowledge River admissions, see the Knowledge River website.

Readmission to SIRLS

Those who were once SIRLS students and are no longer considered current SIRLS students must follow both the Graduate School Policy for readmission and SIRLS policies. There are varying circumstances under which former students who did not complete the degree might seek readmission. For more information on readmission, see the SIRLS advising web page or contact SIRLS Academic Advising Coordinator, wilding@email.arizona.edu.

Additional Information

If you have questions about admissions that are not covered by the information above, please contact us.

• Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
• Admission questions : gfragoso@email.arizona.edu