LIS Program Data 2021-2022
- Retention rate: One year retention for LIS who entered in 2021–2022 AY is 88%
- Average time to degree completion: LIS students who graduated in the most recent 4 quarters – Fall 2021–Summer 2022 – is 2 years
- Percentage of graduates holding positions relevant to the degree within 12 months of degree completion (may include further graduate study): For students who completed a LIS degree in 2021, 45% responded to post graduation surveys and 97% report full-time employment one year after graduation
LIS Program Assessment
The College of Computing & Informatics is a member of the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE). In 2017, the American Library Association reaccredited the Drexel LIS graduate major program with "continuous accreditation" status until 2024. Our next scheduled site visit for regular accreditation review will be in fall of 2025. Systematic planning and program learning assessment are an integral part of our program’s ongoing efforts. As explained in our 2017 ALA Accreditation Program Self-Study, we conduct systematic data gathering from our constituencies including students, faculty, alumni, employers and administrators.
The MS in Information LIS Program Learning Objectives are fundamental to our ongoing assessment efforts.
MS in Information LIS program student learning achievement is assessed on a four-year evaluation cycle that ties the MSLIS program outcomes to the ALA competencies and to the core course assignments. This academic year began a new four-year evaluation cycle. The program assessment cycle is shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Data collection cycle for MSLIS program learning outcomes assessment.
Program learning outcomes #3 and #4 were evaluated during AY2019/2020, as per the assessment review cycle:
- Program learning outcome #1: Analyze and apply information policies and professional guidelines to deliver creative, ethical information services.
- Program learning outcome #2: Foster the core values of the profession (e.g., access, equity, intellectual freedom, privacy, social justice) in our students and in the communities they serve.
These two outcomes are addressed in three of the LIS core courses: INFO505: Information Professions and Professionals, INFO506: Users, Services, & Resources, and INFO591: Data and Digital Stewardship. For each course, we matched assignments to course-level learning objectives and collected anonymized students’ grade data for each assignment.
In the MSLIS grading scale, B or above is a satisfactory grade, and A or above is an excellent grade. For our collected data on INFO505, 3% of students received a grade lower than B and 97% received B or higher grades, with 88% receiving A or higher grades.
Figure 1: Learning objectives fulfilled by students in INFO505.
Thus, 96% of students met LO1, 97% met LO2, 99% met LO3, and 98% met LO4. These results indicate student achievement beyond the 80% benchmark success rate.
For our collected data on INFO506, all students received B or higher grades, with 89% receiving an A or higher. Figure 2 shows the learning objective (LO) level grade distribution for assignments from this course.
Figure 2: Learning objectives fulfilled by students in INFO506.
Thus, all students met the learning objectives for this course. These results exceed the desired 80% student achievement benchmark.
For our collected data on INFO591, 95% of students received B or higher grades, with 80% receiving A or higher grades. Figure 3 shows the learning objective (LO) level grade distribution for assignments from this course.
Figure 3: Learning objectives fulfilled by students in INFO591.
Thus, 86% of students met LO1, 89% of students met LO2, 98% of students met LO3, and 96% of students met LO4. These results indicate student achievement beyond the 80% benchmark success rate.
As such, our systematic program assessment to this point indicates that our learning objective benchmark of at least 80% of students receiving at least a B or higher was met across the board. Systematic assessment continues with the next year of the assessment cycle, AY2022/2023.
View the 2020-21 LIS Program Assessment
View the 2019-20 LIS Program Assessment
View the 2018-19 LIS Program Assessment
View the 2017-18 LIS Program Assessment