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Master of Library & Information Studies

MLIS (NFQ Level 9)

This course is available through the following application route(s)

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The Master of Library and Information Studies is designed to prepare university graduates for careers in the library and information profession.

 

The Master of Library and Information Studies prepares graduates for work in a range of professional settings, including academic, public, and special libraries, as well as information-based roles in commercial, civic, health, and legal organisations. Our programmes instil professional ethics and social responsibility, foster lifelong continuing professional education, and provide opportunities for active engagement with diverse communities. The MLIS is an in person programme, structured to develop core professional competencies, as well as specialised knowledge and skills for librarians and information professionals. While the programme offers a generalist approach to suit multiple interests and aspirations, it is also possible to tailor learning to more specialised areas for particular career paths.  

The MLIS provides an opportunity for advanced graduate study and an introduction to research in Information and Library Science. The MLIS also gives students the chance to complete a research project. The programmes require a high level of commitment by students to the inter-disciplinary content, which spans theory and practice, drawing on knowledge gained in their primary degree.

The MLIS at UCD's School of Information and Communication Studies is a highly regarded internationally recognised qualification, giving you access to a wide range of careers in libraries and the rest of the Information Industry.

About This Course

  • Articulate knowledge of the key concepts, theories, issues, and trends in Library and Information Studies.
  • Assess users’ diverse needs inclusively in information environments, and meet diverse community and societal needs, using skills formed around information behaviour, user studies, needs analysis, and other forms of active engagement.
  • Demonstrate management competencies, including organisational and project management and leadership.
  • Develop and evaluate the information lifecycle, including information seeking, acquisition, evaluation, use, organisation, and management.
  • Understand, support, develop, manage, and apply research competencies in a professional context.
  • Discuss the evolving role of the information professional in cultural, corporate, governmental, and non-governmental institutions.
  • Engage in discussion on ethical, technical, and technological issues associated with information acquisition, management, presentation, and use.
  • Develop generic competences, including teamwork and communication skills, for effective workplace participation.
  • Use traditional and digital media effectively, including oral presentations, poster presentations, and social media.

The Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) programme is designed to prepare university graduates for professional careers in Library and Information Studies.  The MLIS degree is highly regarded internationally; the school's accreditation by the Library Association of Ireland (LAI) is recognised by library associations elsewhere, including Europe/UK, Australia, Canada, and the United States.  Recent graduates have dynamic careers as Digital Learning Librarians, Literacy Specialists, Chief Information Officers, and Data Stewards.


Some MLIS students go on to do a PhD  degrees in ICS. Some of the research areas that can be supervised by ICS academic staff include:

  • The uses of social media by individuals, groups and communities
  • Artificial intelligence in libraries and other institutions
  • Scholarly communication, research evaluation, and research policy
  • Digital and information literacies
  • Digital cultural heritage
  • Ethical issues in information work

Below is a list of all modules offered for this degree in the current academic year. Click on the module to discover what you will learn in the module, how you will learn and assessment feedback profile amongst other information.

Incoming Stage 1 undergraduates can usually select an Elective in the Spring Trimester. Most continuing undergraduate students can select up to two Elective modules (10 Credits) per stage. There is also the possibility to take up to 10 extra Elective credits.

Module Type Module   Trimester Credits
Stage 1 Core Modules
 IS40520 Org of Info, Cat&Metadata Autumn  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
 IS40530 Information & Reference Services Autumn  10
Stage 1 Core Modules
 IS41060 Research and Practice in LIS Autumn  5
Stage 1 Core Modules
 IS40940 Applied Research Methods Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - A)1 of:
All students should select Capstone Project unless they have identified BOTH a thesis topic AND a member of the School staff willing to supervise it.
 IS41160 Capstone Project (30 Credits) Summer  30
Stage 1 Options - A)1 of:
All students should select Capstone Project unless they have identified BOTH a thesis topic AND a member of the School staff willing to supervise it.
 IS41310 MLIS Thesis Summer  30
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 1 of:
Select at least one Technology module. Students who have already taken IS30020 Web Publishing in a previous degree must choose one or more different technology modules instead.
IS30020 Web Publishing Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 1 of:
Select at least one Technology module. Students who have already taken IS30020 Web Publishing in a previous degree must choose one or more different technology modules instead.
IS41090 Informatics Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 1 of:
Select at least one Technology module. Students who have already taken IS30020 Web Publishing in a previous degree must choose one or more different technology modules instead.
POL42540 Applied Data Wrangling and Visualisation Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 1 of:
Select at least one Technology module. Students who have already taken IS30020 Web Publishing in a previous degree must choose one or more different technology modules instead.
IS40560 Digital Libraries Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 1 of:
Select at least one Technology module. Students who have already taken IS30020 Web Publishing in a previous degree must choose one or more different technology modules instead.
IS40630 Digital Curation:Core Concepts Spring  10
Stage 1 Options - B) Min 1 of:
Select at least one Technology module. Students who have already taken IS30020 Web Publishing in a previous degree must choose one or more different technology modules instead.
IS40970 AI & Ethics Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of:
Students should select their remaining modules from the list of Option Modules below.Students wishing to select IS40390 Research Practice must confirm a project and supervisor in advance of registering; their supervisor will register them for this module.
 ARCV40040 Archives and their Users - Advocacy and the Archives Gateway Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of:
Students should select their remaining modules from the list of Option Modules below.Students wishing to select IS40390 Research Practice must confirm a project and supervisor in advance of registering; their supervisor will register them for this module.
 ARCV40070 Managing Records & Information in Public & Private Organisations Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of:
Students should select their remaining modules from the list of Option Modules below.Students wishing to select IS40390 Research Practice must confirm a project and supervisor in advance of registering; their supervisor will register them for this module.
 EDUC41520 Children's Rights & Participation Autumn  10
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of:
Students should select their remaining modules from the list of Option Modules below.Students wishing to select IS40390 Research Practice must confirm a project and supervisor in advance of registering; their supervisor will register them for this module.
 IS40730 Quantitative Data Analysis Autumn  5
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of:
Students should select their remaining modules from the list of Option Modules below.Students wishing to select IS40390 Research Practice must confirm a project and supervisor in advance of registering; their supervisor will register them for this module.
 ARCV41510 Archives Preservation Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of:
Students should select their remaining modules from the list of Option Modules below.Students wishing to select IS40390 Research Practice must confirm a project and supervisor in advance of registering; their supervisor will register them for this module.
 IS40390 Research Practice Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of:
Students should select their remaining modules from the list of Option Modules below.Students wishing to select IS40390 Research Practice must confirm a project and supervisor in advance of registering; their supervisor will register them for this module.
 IS40480 The Information Professional as Teacher Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of:
Students should select their remaining modules from the list of Option Modules below.Students wishing to select IS40390 Research Practice must confirm a project and supervisor in advance of registering; their supervisor will register them for this module.
 IS40760 Research Data Management Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of:
Students should select their remaining modules from the list of Option Modules below.Students wishing to select IS40390 Research Practice must confirm a project and supervisor in advance of registering; their supervisor will register them for this module.
 IS40900 Scholarly Communication Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of:
Students should select their remaining modules from the list of Option Modules below.Students wishing to select IS40390 Research Practice must confirm a project and supervisor in advance of registering; their supervisor will register them for this module.
 IS41020 Information Ethics Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of:
Students should select their remaining modules from the list of Option Modules below.Students wishing to select IS40390 Research Practice must confirm a project and supervisor in advance of registering; their supervisor will register them for this module.
 IS41050 Platform Governance Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of:
Students should select their remaining modules from the list of Option Modules below.Students wishing to select IS40390 Research Practice must confirm a project and supervisor in advance of registering; their supervisor will register them for this module.
 IS41550 Digital Media Literacy Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of:
Students should select their remaining modules from the list of Option Modules below.Students wishing to select IS40390 Research Practice must confirm a project and supervisor in advance of registering; their supervisor will register them for this module.
 IS41580 Prof topics in LIS Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of:
Students should select their remaining modules from the list of Option Modules below.Students wishing to select IS40390 Research Practice must confirm a project and supervisor in advance of registering; their supervisor will register them for this module.
 IS41720 Language Models and Methods Spring  5
Stage 1 Options - D) Min 0 of:
Students should select their remaining modules from the list of Option Modules below.Students wishing to select IS40390 Research Practice must confirm a project and supervisor in advance of registering; their supervisor will register them for this module.
 IS40830 Service Learning Summer  5
Stage 1 Options - E) Min 1 of:
Select one Management module. Students may select IS40980 below, or contact the School of Information & Communication Studies at lis@ucd.ie to arrange registration to one of the following Management modules offered by the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business: BMGT45100, BMGT45700, HRM40660 or HRM40900.
Places for Smurfit modules are strictly on a first-come-first-served basis via email to lis@ucd.ie only.
IS40890 Project Management Spring  5

Laura Ryan,
MLIS Part-Time

The MLIS at UCD gave me the opportunity to build on my experience with theory and practice. It allowed me to explore different areas of librarianship to help decide what kind of librarian I wanted to be. Most importantly, it connected me to peers and colleagues from whom I have learned so much!

Niamh Murphy,
MLIS Full-Time

Truly, my experience on the Master of Library and Information Studies programme was life changing. With all that I learned, I was able to secure a position with a notable cultural heritage institution in Ireland. I am now in a job that I love, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m so grateful for all of the knowledge and the opportunities that this programme provided. To anyone considering it, I wholeheartedly recommend this programme of study.

Master of Library & Information Studies (W006) Full Time
EU          fee per year - € 9330
nonEU    fee per year - € 22600

MLIS Library & Information Studies (W099) Part Time
EU          fee per year - € 6020
nonEU    fee per year - € 11300

***Fees are subject to change

Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.

-A minimum 2.1 award in a bachelor's degree in any subject (NFQ Level 8 or International equivalent )

-Names and contact details of two referees who can assess your intellectual ability, maturity, and motivation

-If you do not meet the academic requirements above you must provide additional information to be considered for admission as listed below

  • A letter of reference from an academic who has taught the applicant.
  • A statement describing their previous library experience, which must be a minimum of 5 years.
  • A letter from their work supervisor to confirm the length of experience, the nature of the experience as meeting professional library tasks.

​We recommend a minimum of 6 weeks’ experience working in a library or information environment before applying for the MLIS. 

Applicants whose first language is not English must also demonstrate English language proficiency of IELTS 6.5 (no band less than 6.0 in each element), or equivalent.

While applications are accepted up to August of the year of entry, offers are made to suitably qualified candidates on a first-come-first-served basis so early application is recommended. Entry to the programmes is very competitive and the number of places is limited.

Please note that requests to progress along the pathway from the Graduate Diploma to the MLIS must take place within 5 years of completion of the Graduate Diploma. All requests should be sent to the School of Information and Communication Studies, and will be approved by Graduate School, College of Social Sciences & Law.

These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes 

You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme. Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage.

Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EU) applicants: Yes

Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants: No


The MLIS programme welcomes and includes students from a variety of academic, work, and cultural backgrounds. The programme is ideal for both recent graduates and those seeking a career change. It is also ideal for individuals with advanced academic degrees seeking a professional qualification.


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General application route(s) for Irish/UK/EU applicants* for International (non-EU) applicants* to Master of Library & Information Studies:

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W006
Master of Library & Information Studies
Master of Library and Information Studies

Full-Time
Commencing September 2025
Graduate Taught
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W099
Library & Information Studies
Master of Library and Information Studies

Part-Time
Commencing September 2025
Graduate Taught
Not available to International applicantsApply
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