Skip to main content

Beyond the Master's Degree

The Certificate of Special Study (CSS) is designed for MLIS, MSIM and MPS graduates who are interested in retooling and refreshing their skill base while connecting with other professionals in a graduate-level learning environment. This program features:

  • a five-course plan of study shaped with a faculty advisor
  • a specialization in the candidate’s field of concentration
  • three years to complete five three-credit-hour courses (15 total graduate credit hours)
  • an exit interview with a faculty advisor after the completion of the fifth course
  • a notation of the Certificate of Special Study and the area of concentration on the participant's Dominican University transcript

Librarians or information specialists may pursue the Certificate of Special Study to:

  • Broaden their opportunities in another department or type of library
  • Explore technology, digital records and the human-computer interface
  • Prepare for management, administration and leadership positions
  • Become updated and involved in community engagement, advocacy and activism
  • Learn specialized areas of knowledge management, cataloging, archival studies, rare books and special collections

Students design the program to meet their individual interests and needs and may combine this certificate with other coursework toward the completion of the Master of Professional Studies.

Certificate Requirements and Curriculum

The certificate is offered to graduates of MLIS, MSIM and MPS programs who want to add the specialization to a completed post-graduate degree. Certificate completion requires 15 graduate credit hours.

Students work in collaboration with a faculty advisor who specializes in the student's desired field of concentration to shape a plan of study. Visit the Dominican University Bulletin for additional information.

Learn more about SOIS Certificate programs, including how to apply

Accreditation

The Certificate of Special Study 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. View the 2022 MLIS program presentation (pdf opens in a new window).


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

Request Information

Loading...