The University of Alabama
Master of Library and Information Studies
Compare the practical details, then confirm your questions with the university.
At a glance
- University
- The University of Alabama
- Credential
- Master of Library and Information Studies
- Required units
- 36 semester credits
- Typical duration
- Needs confirmation
- Completion calendar and assumptions
- Needs confirmation
- Enrollment pace
- Needs confirmation
- Live online sessions
- Required
- Local clinical / field placement
- Needs confirmation
- Other in-person attendance
- Needs confirmation
- Entrance test policy
- Needs confirmation
The cohort uses live virtual meetings, usually in evening scheduling described by the university. Convert the actual meeting time to your location and confirm required participation. Plan a quiet place and suitable audio access. Online delivery is compatible with scheduled attendance; it should not be presented as unrestricted self-paced study.
Cost and assumptions
- Estimated tuition
- $17,280
- Mandatory fees
- Needs confirmation
- Tuition + mandatory fees
- Needs confirmation
Academic year needs confirmation · Residency basis needs confirmation
- The program advertises $480 tuition per hour. This is tuition, not a complete reconciled degree price. The applicable academic year, required fees and any other expenses remain unconfirmed.
- Tuition-only arithmetic uses the published hourly rate and the listed credit scenario; fees and total degree expenses remain unresolved.
Travel, living costs, supplies, financing, and future rate changes may affect your budget. Loans finance a price; they do not reduce it.
Admissions and preparation
The online MLIS page describes a GPA of at least 3.0 over the final 60 semester hours and a cohort application process. Review all Graduate School materials and any additional pathway requirements.
Alabama’s online Master of Library and Information Studies is a 36-semester-credit cohort program with live virtual sessions. Treat the scheduled interaction as a central part of its format.
Academic focus and alternatives
Read the core in terms of the information work you want to undertake: organizing resources, understanding users, managing services and making responsible access decisions. Then assess the electives and completion requirements for the setting you have in mind. A broad information-service degree can support several investigations without making every role or credential interchangeable.
The general MLIS and its named concentrations belong to one credential in this catalog. If school-library work is your goal, investigate the concentration’s educational and certification conditions separately. Do not extend a statement about an Alabama pathway to another jurisdiction or to every student in the general MLIS.
A practical way to test curriculum fit
For a hypothetical comparison, design a small information-service improvement for a defined user group. Identify the information need, collection or system choices, access barriers and evidence of usefulness. Ask which required work and electives help you make and assess those decisions rather than assume a concentration title answers them.
Structured facts and scope
| Item | Research finding |
|---|---|
| Credential | Master of Library and Information Studies |
| Credits | 36 semester |
| Online format | Scheduled online participation described |
| Campus visits | Requirement not yet confirmed |
| Complete tuition and mandatory fees | Unknown; see price basis and unresolved conditions below |
Preparation and admission
Check the current academic and document conditions, the cohort cycle and the program’s advice for your background. A priority deadline, final deadline and available cohort space are distinct facts. Ask which cycle is still accepting applications rather than rely on a recurring month-and-day without a year.
The online MLIS page describes a GPA of at least 3.0 over the final 60 semester hours and a cohort application process. Review all Graduate School materials and any additional pathway requirements.
Online study in practice
The cohort uses live virtual meetings, usually in evening scheduling described by the university. Convert the actual meeting time to your location and confirm required participation. Plan a quiet place and suitable audio access. Online delivery is compatible with scheduled attendance; it should not be presented as unrestricted self-paced study.
Price basis and remaining cost questions
The program advertises $480 tuition per hour. This is tuition, not a complete reconciled degree price. The applicable academic year, required fees and any other expenses remain unconfirmed.
Questions that could change the decision
- Can I attend the live cohort sessions in the university’s time zone?
- Which elective route supports my intended library or information setting, and does that setting have separate credentials?
Official next step
Read the university’s current program page and confirm the route, remaining requirements and entry-term price. Keep written answers to unresolved questions with your comparison. Admission, funding, transfer credit, employment and professional eligibility are separate decisions; this profile does not guarantee any of them.
Accreditation and professional practice
Institutional: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges — University reports institutional accreditation; current status/scope review pending Source (checked 2026-11-02).
State enrollment availability and eligibility for a professional license are different questions. Confirm both for your residence and intended practice state.
Official sources and check dates
Use these university and accreditor pages to check the facts and resolve details marked as needing confirmation. A source-check date is separate from the page’s editorial update date.
- Program overview; Study format and participation; Degree units and curriculum — checked 2026-11-02
- Program overview — checked 2026-11-02
- Accreditation — checked 2026-11-02