Give us a call at 202-319-5085 or send an email to cua-lis@cua.edu, and we will be happy to answer any questions you have and/or arrange for a visit to campus! You can meet with faculty members and sit in on one of our classes. For directions and a map of the campus, please visit our Maps and Directions page. You may also take the virtual tour of campus.

Start your application process online. The minimum required documents include:

-A completed Catholic University online application (no fee is required)
-Official transcript from all post-secondary institutions (unofficial transcripts can be used for the admissions review)
-English Proficiency Test (international students only

Recommended documents include: 
-Resume or curriculum vitae
-A letter of recommendation
-A professional goal statement

Among your three references, we recommend including one academic and one workplace reference, if possible. We want to hear from people who can give a reasonably unbiased evaluation of your academic abilities and/or your workplace performance. References from those with whom you've worked in community organizations or volunteer efforts are fine. References from personal and family friends should be avoided.

You may apply as a non-degree student, if you wish to only take one class. The non-degree application does not require the personal statement, GRE scores or reference letters. However, note non-degree students may only take three classes for credit toward the master's degree. Should a nondegree student wish to complete the degree, he or she would have to then apply for the degree program. If accepted, the credits from classes taken as a nondegree student will apply toward the degree.

Deadlines for applications are normally November 15 for the spring semester, April 1 for summer and July 15 for fall.

The TOEFL/IELTS requirement can be waived on a case-by-case basis should the applicant have appropriate documentation of successful completion of one of the following:

-Catholic University's Intensive English Program
-Level 112 in the intensive English program offered by an ELS Language Center
-A complete Intensive English program at an accredited institution of higher education
-A college-level English Composition class determined to be the equivalent of or more advanced than Catholic University's English Composition 101 course, with a grade of B or above. (for applicants to undergraduate programs)
-A graduate degree, a bachelor's degree (B.A. or B.S.), or an associate's degree (A. A.) from an accredited U.S. institution of higher education or a high school diploma. (Graduates from a U.S. high school are required however to submit SAT/ACT scores.)

You need to take the GRE if your undergraduate GPA was below 3.0. Also, GRE scores should be submitted for consideration for certain university scholarships. You need to take the TOEFL only if you have not received an academic degrees from an institution in which classes are taught in English. You'll find information about the GRE online at www.gre.org. You'll find information about the TOEFL at www.toefl.org.

No. The Admissions Committee reads through each applicant's file carefully, reviewing what the statement, references and other content tells them about the applicant's background, talent and other attributes that are needed by the information professions - including readiness to engage in academic work, analytic and conceptual thinking ability, writing skills, and evidence of commitment to the application of new techniques and concepts in the information profession. If a file as a whole shows evidence of such qualities, applicants may be admitted despite unsatisfactory scores. If it gives reason to doubt this, an applicant may be rejected despite satisfactory scores.

All applicants, regardless of where they intend to take class, or whether they are full-, part-time or only intend to take online classes, receive the same consideration by the Admissions Committee.

A student who holds one or more accredited graduate degrees when admitted to the program will be automatically exempt from six semester credit hours, but all remaining credit must be earned within the Department of Library and Information Science. An official transcript of the graduate degree must be submitted at the time application is made to the school.

If you've completed a graduate degree by the time you are applying, 6 credits may be waived. We would need to have your official transcript on file. If you started an accredited M.S.L.I.S. program at another institution, you may apply to have up to 6 credits transferred.

We have rolling admissions, and new students join the program in any of the three terms. If you wish to begin the program in the fall, apply by July 15; for spring, apply by November 15; and for summer, apply by April 1.

Catholic University's Department of Library and Information Science offers several online courses every term, so it is possible to complete the degree completely online program. All of the required courses for students in the school library media track are offered online. Many library and information science electives are still offered face-to-face on campus or at the Library of Congress and do not have online sections.

You may request a one- or two-semester deferral by emailing us at cua-gradadmissions@cua.edu. We'll confirm decanal approval. If you simply do not register for the semester for which you have received acceptance and you have not requested deferral, you must reapply for admission. Note deferral of admission does not guarantee deferral of scholarship.