The University of the West Indies, Mona

Important Notice: Termination of the B.A. in Librarianship Programme

Please be advised that the Bachelor of Arts in Librarianship degree has been officially terminated and will no longer be offered as of September 2024.

Students currently enrolled in the programme will be given the opportunity to complete their studies. Additionally, students who had previously started the programme but did not complete it have been invited to return in September 2025 to do so.

Please note that no returns to the programme will be permitted after Semester One of the 2025–2026 academic year. If you are unable to resume by that time, we encourage you to explore and apply for one of our other excellent degree offerings.

We thank you for your understanding and continued interest in our programmes.

Programme Overview 

The Master of Arts in Library and Information Studies (MALIS) is designed to provide graduates of the BA (Library and Information Studies) programme with the opportunity to upgrade their qualifications to meet the demands of the modern information environment.

Students will be required to read TEN (10) semester courses, and write a research paper of 10,000-15,000 words. They are required to do a minimum of 36 credits.

The MALIS programme is offered in a dual mode (face-to-face and online).

Admission

Admission to the programme will normally require:

• At least a Lower second class honours degree BA /B.Ed. (Library and Information Studies)
• Previous work experience in a library will be an asset but is not compulsory.

Duration

Full-time students will take TWO (2) academic years to complete the programme: ONE (1) year to complete all required courses and ONE (1) year part-time to complete the Research paper.

Part-time students will take THREE (3) academic years to complete the programme: TWO (2) years to complete all required courses, and ONE (1) year part-time to complete the Research paper.

Programme Layout

Year I Semester I

Core Courses: (3 credits each)

LIBS6501 – Information Technology I
LIBS6901 – Trends & Issues in the Library & Information Environment
LIBS6306 – Legal Information Resource Management (Resource Course)
ARCM6003 – Preservation of Archival Materials in Tropical Environments

Elective Course: (3 credits each)

One (1) other DLIS course or a course from another Department or Faculty with the approval of DLIS e.g. HIST6702 - Artifacts, Museums and Archives

Year I Semester II

Core Courses: (3 credits each)

LIBS6002 – Information, Communication & Society
LIBS6003 – Information Literacy Instruction
LIBS6401 – Research Methods in Library & Information Studies

Elective Course: (3 credits each)

LIBS6503 – Introduction to Digital Libraries
LIBS6801 – Copyright Issues Affecting Caribbean Libraries and Information Services

Year II Semesters I and II

LIBS6899 - Research Paper

LIBS6899 - Research Paper (under supervision) LIBS6899 - Research Paper (10,000-15,000words)

* All students must do a Resource-based course; only LIBS6801 and LIBS6306 are offered