Library & Information Studies

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.

Stage 1 Core Modules

IS40520 Org of Info, Cat&Metadata Autumn 10

IS41780 Applied Research Methods Autumn 10

IS41800 Managing Information Services Spring 10



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

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

IS41720 Language Models and Methods Autumn 5

POL42540 Applied Data Wrangling and Visualisation Autumn 5

IS40560 Digital Libraries Spring 5

IS40630 Digital Preservation and Digital Curation Spring 10

IS40760 Research Data Management Spring 5

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. If students wish to select one of the Management modules offered by the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate School of Business - BMGT45100, BMGT45700, HRM40660 or HRM40900 - they must first contact the School of Information & Communication Studies at icsadmin@ucd.ie to arrange registration. Places for Smurfit modules are strictly on a first-come-first-served basis.



ARCV40040 Archives and their Users - Advocacy and the Archives Gateway Autumn 5

ARCV40070 Managing Records & Information in Public & Private Organisations Autumn 10

EDUC41520 Children's Rights & Participation Autumn 10

ARCV41510 Archives Preservation Spring 5

IS40390 Research Practice Spring 5

IS40760 Research Data Management Spring 5

IS41020 Information Ethics Spring 5

IS41050 Platform Governance Spring 5

IS41550 Digital Media Literacy Spring 5

IS41580 Prof topics in LIS Spring 5

IS41790 Communities Outreach Spring 5

IS41830 Info Professional as Teacher Spring 10

IS41840 Health Info Users and Services Spring 5

IS41850 AI & Digital Cultural Heritage Spring 5

IS40830 Service Learning Summer 5

IS40900 Scholarly Communication Summer 5

IS41280 Research Study Summer 5



Stage 1 Options - E)0 of:



Select one Management module. Students should contact the School of Information & Communication Studies at icsadmin@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 icsadmin@ucd.ie only.



BMGT45700 Global Leadership and Teams Autumn 7.5

HRM40660 Human Resource Management Autumn 7.5

HRM40900 Human Resource Management Spring 7.5

BMGT45100 Global Leadership and Teams Summer 7.5

-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. https://www.ucd.ie/registry/prospectivestudents/admissions/rpl/

Apply online.



Who Should Apply?

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

90

1/2 years, FT/PT, On Campus.

MLIS Library & Information Studies (W006) Full Time

EU fee per year - € 7920

nonEU fee per year - € 19900


MLIS Library & Information Studies (W099) Part Time

EU fee per year - € 5115

nonEU fee per year - € 9950


***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.

W006 Master of Library & Information Studies Master of Library and Information Studies Full-Time Commencing September 2026 Graduate Taught



W099 Library & Information Studies Master of Library and Information Studies Part-Time Commencing September 2026 Graduate Taught

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