Double Your Skillset. Double Your Impact.

Our dual MLIS/Master of Arts in Youth Literature program prepares you to review, analyze, manage, organize and implement youth literature in a variety of professional settings, from schools and libraries to marketing and publishing.

This unique program is an ideal path for combining an interest in youth literature with a focus on library and information science. In less time than it would take to pursue each degree separately, you will get a comprehensive education in both fields.

Needed

30,000+
Connections through Dominican's Robust Alumni Network
90+ year
Tradition of Educating Generations of Leaders in Library and Information Science
#1
Best Value in Midwest (U.S. News & World Report)

Dominican’s MLIS/Master of Arts in Youth Literature Program Overview 

  • 54 credit hours, including 18 credits of required courses specific to each degree
  • Study 100% online, in person or in a hybrid format
  • Offered on our River Forest campus
  • Complete on your own timeline
  • American Library Association (ALA) accredited
  • Complete practicums and internships that build real-world skills
  • Connect to a strong alumni network of library leaders around the world

What You'll Learn

The MLIS/Master of Arts in Youth Literature offers you the opportunity to work with recognized experts in the field, supported by our own Butler Center for Children’s Literature. You will study a vast array of formats and genres of youth literature, from board books to graphic novels to Own Voices literature, as well as evaluating reading materials for a variety of ages while examining the dynamic relationship between young readers and their texts.

The mantra of “radical inclusivity” is a distillation of our commitment to equity and diversity and informs the core of our program. You’ll graduate prepared to make ethical, values-centered professional choices, facilitate user learning, organize knowledge systems, and make evidence-based decisions.

Our powerful, values-based curriculum emphasizes the practical application of leading-edge theory in professional practice. You’ll gain the fundamental knowledge and skills needed for a successful career at the intersection of library science and youth literature.

MLIS Concentrations and Certificates

Add a certificate to your MLIS degree in an area of study that suits your long-term career goals. We offer a wide range of concentrations in in-demand areas:

 

Advance in a Rapidly Growing Career Field

At Dominican University, you’ll be prepared to not only join the field, but to lead a life of purpose and impact. 

High-Demand Credential

About 13,500 openings for library professionals are projected each year, on average, over the next decade.

Continued Growth

Demand for library professionals is expected to grow 3% from 2023 to 2033.

The Dominican Difference

At Dominican, we pride ourselves on the hands-on experiences and personal attention our students receive. Whether you study online or on campus, you’ll get the benefit of a collaborative learning environment that will expand your knowledge, deepen your understanding and prepare you as a leader and advocate for youth and their literature.

As Chicago’s iSchool, we offer an American Library Association (ALA)-accredited Master of Library and Information Science program that upholds the core values of librarianship while developing the skills you need to succeed in a fast-changing field. In addition, our School of Information Studies has a long and distinguished history in the study of literature for children and young adults. 

As part of our School of Information Studies, our MLIS program sets the standard for excellence. We continually reevaluate our rigorous academics to make sure our students gain the skills needed to be successful in today’s ever-changing environment. See what sets us apart.

A unique asset of the School for Information Studies, the Butler Children’s Literature Center supports adults in schools, libraries, childcare centers and homes working to engage children and young adults with good books. The Butler Center serves the community as an examination center for books published annually for young readers. Teachers, librarians, parents and the general public visit the center to review the latest offerings from publishers in the field. 

The center offers events, conferences, discussion groups and other forms of professional development. Courses focused on youth services are open to working professionals as well as MAYL and MLIS students. The center is home to significant historical collections, including the Ellin Greene Storytelling Collection and the Effie Lee Morris Collection of African American-focused Books for Children.

Faculty in both the MLIS and MAYL programs bring a broad range of experience to face-to-face, virtual, or hybrid classrooms. Facilitated by small class sizes, faculty will get to know you—and become the foundation of your professional network. 

Areas of faculty expertise include:

  • Archives and cultural heritage
  • Cataloging and classification
  • Digital libraries and digital curation
  • Information policy
  • Informatics
  • Leadership and advocacy
  • Management
  • Media and services for youth
  • School library media

Our students continue to meet and exceed program standards and completion rates—and enter a wide variety of professional positions in the field.

Take Your Coursework International

Dominican MLIS students traveled to Bologna, Italy, where they attended a prestigious children’s book fair and researched world-class international youth literature

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

This high-impact program will prepare you for outstanding service in a range of dynamic fields. Jobs in elementary and secondary schools and public libraries are projected to grow steadily in coming years. What’s more, the prospects and salaries of teachers, librarians, reviewers and editors are enhanced for professionals with master’s degrees. Our program will provide you with a concentrated focus not only on youth literature as an aesthetic object but also on the intended audience for that literature as well as on the practitioners who use it. The program has a strong foundation in ethics and a commitment to social responsibility and radical inclusion in the field of children’s and young adult literature.

As the nature of information studies grows more and more complex, so does the discipline of library and information science. As such, the field is no longer restricted to the traditional librarian role. Although you will earn the necessary credential for librarianship, you can also pursue a career as an expert in information studies. 

You will find Dominican MLIS graduates working in an array of settings:

“Traditional” Libraries

  • Chicago Public Library
  • University of Minnesota Library
  • State Law Library of Montana
  • Western Michigan University
  • Oswego East High School
  • and many more 

Non-library Settings

  • Argonne National Laboratory
  • McDonald’s Digital Asset Department
  • WFMT’s Studs Terkel Radio Archive
  • BMO Harris Bank
  • DuPage County
  • BP
  • Law firms such as Sidley Austin
  • Consulting firms such as Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates 

Cultural Institutions and Museums

  • Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture
  • Chicago Symphony Orchestra
  • Oswego History Museum
  • Theater Historical Society of America
  • Polish Museum of America

Along with opportunities for financial aid through loans and grants, the School of Information Studies offers a variety of departmental scholarships depending upon your area of study. A 20% tuition discount is also available to Dominican University alumnae/i. Contact our Office of Financial Aid to learn more. 

We can be reached at (708) 524-6809 or finaid@dom.edu.

Accreditation

The Master of Library and Information Science program is accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of the American Library Association (ALA). On January 20, 2023, ALA's Committee on Accreditation voted to continue the Dominican MLIS's full accreditation status for another seven-year term. The next comprehensive review will take place in 2029. 


Chicago's Only iSchool

Dominican University is also a member of the iSchools consortium, dedicated to advancing the information field. As Chicago’s only iSchool, Dominican’s School of Information Studies has long been a presence on Chicago’s higher education landscape, first offering library science programs in the 1930s. See what sets us apart.

For more information,
please contact:

Office of Graduate Admission
Enrollment Management
gradinfo@dom.edu

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