Advance or Pivot in Your Career
Mission Statement
The mission of Drexel’s Master of Science in Information–Library & Information Science (MSI-LIS) program is to integrate information technology, professional knowledge and experiential learning and prepare our graduates to lead and innovate in libraries and information organizations of all types. (Approved Sept. 21, 2018.)
LIS Data and Program Assessment
Drexel’s Library and Information Science master’s program, from the School of Computer and Information Sciences at Drexel’s Nick Howley College of Engineering and Computing, is designed for students of all backgrounds who are interested in studying the intersection of people, information and technology. It prepares graduates to work in libraries, archives, corporations, educational institutions, government agencies and other information-intensive environments.
Program Overview
Drexel’s master’s degree in Library and Information Science (LIS) has been accredited by the American Library Association since 1924, making it one of the oldest continuously operating LIS graduate programs in North America. LIS at Drexel has a long history of technology leadership in the library and information professions. Our graduates go on to become change-makers and leaders in the library, archives, and other information professions.
Drexel’s LIS program is consistently highly ranked by U.S. News & World Report (13th overall in 2025), including in several specialty areas: Information Systems (1st); Digital Librarianship (3rd); Services for Children and Youth (12th); and Archives and Preservation (16th).
This program offers a newly reduced tuition rate, and numerous scholarships are available, making now the perfect time to earn your master’s in LIS.
This versatile program offers both online and on-campus options, allowing you to create a course schedule that works for you. The flexible curriculum enables you to customize a program of study that aligns with your career goals and interests. As an LIS student, you will learn to create, protect, organize, manage, curate, analyze, retrieve and disseminate data and information in multiple media across the wide range of information domains. As a graduate, you will help advance knowledge, manifest social responsibility, promote community outreach, improve society as global citizens, and lead the library and information field as a practitioner and scholar.
Our program includes:
- Practical skills and knowledge in the foundational areas of information resources and services, managing and leading information projects and organizations, information ethics and policy, information technology, and the evolving landscape of information in the AI age. A suite of upper-level electives allow you to specialize in your areas of interest, such as public and academic librarianship, youth resources and services, archives, digital curation, information systems and retrieval, cataloging and metadata, information behavior, research methods, and more.
- Hands-on, experiential coursework throughout the program and a culminating capstone project ensure that you have practical experience by the time you graduate, allowing you to enter the workforce with the professional skills employers are looking for.
- World-class faculty who conduct cutting-edge research in digital archiving, computational archival science, metadata and linked data, information retrieval, information behavior and other areas of LIS, as well as faculty with decades of experience working in libraries and other information organizations.
Curriculum
Students gain knowledge in LIS service and operations, information ethics and information service management, while advancing their digital skills. The curriculum combines core and specialized knowledge and aligns theory and practice in a two-term capstone, preparing LIS majors for the professional workplace.
Our LIS curriculum is built for maximum flexibility and responsiveness to the evolution of library and information science while offering you a solid, comprehensive foundation in the discipline. Please visit the Drexel Course Catalog for a full description of each course and elective for this program. Depending on your professional background and future goals, your Academic Advisor and faculty will guide you in course options and selection.
Please note: Drexel will transition to a semester calendar for all undergraduate and graduate programs beginning in August 2027. The course catalog linked above is the semester preview catalog, outlining the academic programs and pathways that will launch with semesters in Fall 2027.
Career Preparation for Library & Information Science
Situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Drexel University’s LIS program offers you unparalleled access to one of the nation’s most vibrant library and archival communities. With hundreds of libraries, archives, museums, and cultural organizations nearby, students can apply classroom learning through meaningful hands-on experiences.
Opportunities are available both throughout the region and within Drexel’s libraries and special collections, including Drexel University’s W. W. Hagerty Library, Drexel University’s Legal Research Center, Drexel University Archives, The Legacy Center and Archives at Drexel University College of Medicine, The Academy of Natural Sciences Library and Archives at Drexel University, and the Drexel Founding Collection.
Student Capstone Experiences
The experiential capstone project ensures School of Computer and Information Sciences (SCIS)’s MSI-LIS graduates have practical work experience and are ready to enter the workforce at a professional level.
"Everything I have learned throughout my program has really come to a head in my Capstone project, from classification to digital library technologies and even metadata. All of these aspects come together like a puzzle piece, and while some libraries may have certain specifications or different skills, the basic foundation is still there."
– Christal Mayorga, MSI library and information science '25
"Probably the most important skill I gained from my Capstone project has been how to write documentation for people who aren’t in the Library Science world. [...] When we think about educating people on why libraries and archives are so important, we have to remember that most aren’t familiar with what’s happening behind the scenes. Advocacy is such a valuable skill, both externally and within the organizations you work for. The first step in doing that well is to distinguish what’s common knowledge and what information seems common to you as someone who’s 'in the know.'"
– Shane Moran, MSI library and information science '23
Check out Shane's alumni profile
"I was able to utilize some skills that I got from Drexel classes with making the LibGuide, doing the collection management, and actually getting to do it hands-on was really helpful. Working hands-on with the Capstone, it really made me reflect on accessibility, especially digital accessibility."
– Trisha Faust, MSI library and information science '25
"I've gotten a lot of experience doing things that I didn't necessarily know would be part of archival work. I didn't go in knowing anything about exhibit building or anything about, like, the physical process of digitizing materials and things, so I got a lot of experience firsthand putting those things into our system. And then, I got to use the skills that I was learning about metadata in order to build out the records."
– Rae Blanchard, MSI library and information science '25
Learn More About LIS Capstones & Careers
Fast Facts
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Hours
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Full-time (FT) or Part-time (PT)
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Time-to-Degree
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1.5 years (FT); 2.5 years (PT)
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Format
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On campus or online
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Term Starts
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Fall, Winter, Spring
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Hands-on Experience?
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- Coursework emphasizes hands-on skills that employers are seeking, including projects and teamwork
- Program culminates in a hands-on, collaborative capstone project
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Technical experience required?
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No
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GRE required?
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No
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Meets F1 Visa STEM Requirements?
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No
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Admissions
Requirements
Please visit our Graduate Admissions section for admissions requirements and application deadlines.
Finances
Please visit Drexel’s official Graduate Tuition & Fees page.
There are a variety of sources of financial aid and scholarships to help you fund your master’s degree — explore them here.
Get in Touch
Be in touch with us to get answers to all your questions! We can connect you with a Recruitment Specialist, one of our Graduate Dean’s Ambassadors, or a faculty member to help. Contact our graduate recruitment team at cciinfo@drexel.edu, or by filling out this form, and we’ll get back to you soon.
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