- Type
- Graduate, MS
- Start Term
- Fall or Spring
- Courses
- Plan of Study
- School
- School of Information
Library and Information Science, MS
The Master of Science in Library and Information Science (LIS) program at Pratt Institute is the oldest LIS program in the country, with its first class beginning in 1890. With strength in the area of archives and cultural heritage, as well as an extensive history with children and youth services, we provide an immersive, hands-on and experiential learning experience, preparing students for careers as librarians, archivists and other information professionals.
The Master of Science in Library and Information Science (LIS) program prepares individuals to be experts at collecting, managing, preserving and providing access to information. Graduates from Pratt’s LIS program work to support and improve lives and communities through information and knowledge collections and services.
The LIS program is designed for people from any background; no previous experience is required. For international students, please note that the LIS program is designated as a STEM program by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and thus qualifies for the STEM optional practical training (OPT) extension for F-1 students.
Pratt’s LIS graduates graduate on to have successful careers. Findings from our graduating student survey and alumni survey include:
-
100%
of graduates are employed when surveyed nine months after graduation.1
-
97%
of graduates would recommend Pratt School of Information to a friend, colleague, or family member interested in pursuing a Master’s degree.2
Who will you become?
Between 2014 and 2024, a selection of job titles obtained by MSLIS graduates include:
| Archivist | Art Digitization Project Manager |
| Digital Archivist | Digital Asset Specialist |
| Digital Initiatives Librarian | Emerging Technologies Librarian |
| Library Director | Metadata Specialist |
| Photo Archivist | Reference and Genealogy Librarian |
| Registrar | Head of Teen Services |
| UX/UI Designer | Young Adult Reference Librarian |
Where will you work?
A selection of institutions and organizations in which these jobs were obtained include:
Museums, Historical Societies, and Cultural Organizations
- American Museum of Natural History
- Carnegie Hall
- Chicago Film Archives
- Leo Baeck Institute
- The Frick Collection
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- The Morgan Library & Museum
- National September 11 Memorial and Museum
- New York Botanical Garden
- Rockefeller Archive Center
- Whitney Museum of American Art
Colleges and Universities
- Barnard College
- Bates College
- Columbia University
- Fordham University
- City University of New York
- The Juilliard School
- Long Island University
- New York University
- Rochester Institute of Technology
- University of Memphis
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Pittsburgh
- Wellesley College
- Yale University
Companies
- ABC-Disney Television Group
- Audible, Inc.
- Boston Consulting Group
- Cleary Gottlieb
- Gap, Inc.
- Hook & Loop
- Ogilvy & Mather
- Sotheby’s Institute of Art
- Winthrop Group
Public Libraries
- Baltimore County Public Library
- Brooklyn Public Library
- Madison Public Library
- New York Public Library
- Queens Library
Publishing
- Criterion Collection
- Library Journal
- ITHAKA
- New York Times
- Village Voice
- W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Non-Profits
- American Civil Liberties Union
- American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
- American Kennel Club
- Goethe-Institut
- The Grolier Club
- Metropolitan New York Library Council
- Sesame Workshop
- Wildlife Conservation Society
Artist Studios and Artist Foundations
- Byrd Hoffman Water Mill Foundation
- Keith Haring Foundation
- Rosler Studio
For additional job-related statistics, please visit our MSLIS Key Statistics webpage. Pratt offers lifelong services for students and alumni through its Center for Career and Professional Development and a job resources webpage.
1 2020/2021 SI Alumni Survey, N=14, 25.5% response rate
2 2022/2023 SI Graduating Student Survey, N=66, 94.4% response rate
Throughout the LIS program, students will create a digital portfolio to highlight the work they have completed and demonstrate they have met the program’s five student learning outcomes:
- Foundations of Library and Information studies – Apply core concepts and theories to information collection, organization and access in multiple environments.
- User-centered services – Students can meet information needs of diverse user communities across multiple communication formats (e.g. oral, written, visual, interactive).
- Technology – Students can select and apply tools and technologies used in the field to improve information functions.
- Research – Investigate information environments and users’ needs, behaviors, and experiences through appropriate research methods and analysis.
- Ethical/Creative/Critical practice – Apply core ethical principles to professional practice, including the values of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), and understand the broad impact of information on society. Students can raise critical questions about information, its production, dissemination, storage and preservation.
School of Information courses are small in size (average class size is 12 students) and are held at 11:30 AM, 3 PM, and 6:30 PM, with the evening session offering the most options to help accommodate students who are working during the day. 80-90% of courses are held in-person at Pratt Manhattan Center, and 10-20% are held online. Students in the LIS program take the four-course core curriculum, and then have eight-elective courses that can be taken.
To view curriculum requirements, please visit the LIS Plan of Study. For a full-list of courses, please visit the Courses page.
Our Faculty
Our faculty are comprised of full-time faculty, who are researchers and scholars holding doctoral degrees, and our part-time faculty who are accomplished professionals holding a range of roles in New York City institutions and companies. Full-time faculty act as advisors to students and help connect career goals with the program curriculum, and teach over half of the courses.
Select faculty teaching in the Library & Information Science program include:
To help organize the program of study, students can select a program concentration or advanced certificate, or chart their own course with the help of their advisor. Advanced Certificates act like minors, which have specific courses that must be taken in order to receive the certificate, and “live within” the 36-credit MS degree. Program concentrations are more informal and are meant to surface courses that are applicable for particular career goals.
Advanced Certificates
- Archives
- Children’s and Young Adult Library Services
- Conservation and Digital Curation
- Digital Humanities
- Spatial Analysis and Design
- User Experience
Program Concentrations
The Archives, Preservation, Rare Books, and Digital Curation concentration is for people who want to work with archives, special collections, rare books and born-digital and digitized materials. Coursework in this concentration emphasizes the development of competencies to acquire, organize, manage, preserve and conserve, curate, and make accessible archives, special collections, rare books, and digital materials.
This concentration prepares students for the following types of roles:
- Digital Archivist
- University Archivist
- Community Archivist
- Head of Archives/Special Collections
- Reference Services Librarian for Special Collections
- Digital Preservation Specialist
RECOMMENDED ELECTIVES
- INFO 625 Management of Archives & Special Collections
- INFO-632 Conservation and Preservation
- INFO-634 Conservation Lab
- INFO-635 Archives Appraisal, Acquisition, & Use
- INFO-647 Visual Resource Management
- INFO-655 Digital Preservation & Curation
- INFO-661 Art Documentation
- INFO-664 Programming for Cultural Heritage
- INFO-665 Projects in Digital Archives
- INFO-667 Art Librarianship
- INFO-689 Rare Books & Special Collections
RELATED ADVANCED CERTIFICATES
The concentration in Public Librarianship offers course recommendations for people who aspire to serve their communities in libraries and other information institutions. This concentration includes courses that develop skills that are considered foundational for all librarians as well as courses that target specialized areas of librarianship.
This concentration prepares students for the following types of roles:
- Adult Librarian
- Information Commons Senior Librarian
- Reference Librarian
- Information Resource Librarian
- Bookmobile librarian,
- Children’s Librarian
- Head of Teen Services
RECOMMENDED ELECTIVES
- INFO-607 Management and Leadership
- INFO-611 Information Policies & Politics
- INFO-628 Data Librarianship and Management
- INFO-647 Visual Resources Management
- INFO-660 Collection Development
- INFO-673 Literacy and Instruction
- INFO-674 Genealogy and Local History
- INFO-675 Museum and Library Outreach
- INFO-676 Early Childhood Programming, Resources and Services
- INFO-677 Literature & Literacy for Teens
- INFO-678 Growing Up Digital
- INFO-681 Community Building & Engagement
RELATED ADVANCED CERTIFICATES
The Academic Librarianship concentration is for people who see themselves working in an academic or a research environment. Courses suggested in this concentration emphasize the development of research skills as well as additional competencies relevant for academic librarians.
This concentration prepares students for the following types of roles:
- Research and Instruction Librarian
- Digital Scholarship Librarian
- Assessment and Collections Analysis Librarian
- Digital Humanities Librarian
- Reference Services Coordinator
- Research Data Analyst
- User Experience Librarian
RECOMMENDED ELECTIVES
- INFO-607 Management and Leadership
- INFO-619 Information & Human Rights
- INFO-630 Human-Centered Research Design & Methods
- INFO-631 Academic Libraries and Scholarly Communication
- INFO-640 Data Analysis
- INFO-642 Content & Information Strategy
- INFO-643 Information Architecture & Interaction Design
- INFO-644 Usability Theory & Practice
- INFO-657 Digital Humanities
- INFO-659 Advanced Projects in Digital Humanities
- INFO-660 Collection Development
- INFO-673 Literacy & Instruction
- INFO-681 Community Building & Engagement
RELATED ADVANCED CERTIFICATES
The Technology and Knowledge Management concentration is for people who see themselves as technologists within libraries and other information institutions. Courses in this concentration help students develop specific technical competencies and skills involved in advanced information management and use.
This concentration prepares students for the following types of roles:
- Data Management Librarian
- Systems Librarian
- Senior Cataloger
- Metadata Librarian
- Head of Collection Maintenance
- Data Librarian
RECOMMENDED ELECTIVES
- INFO-609 Digital Accessibility
- INFO-609 Introduction to Spatial Thinking & GIS
- INFO-612 Advanced GIS
- INFO-615 Spatial Statistics for GIS
- INFO-628 Data Librarianship
- INFO-638 Web Development
- INFO-639 Database Design and Development
- INFO-642 Content & Information Strategy
- INFO-656 Machine Learning
- INFO-658 Information Visualization
- INFO-662 Advanced Cataloging/Classification
- INFO-663 Metadata Design
- INFO-664 Programming for Cultural Heritage
- INFO-684 Museum Information Management: Collection Cataloging & Digital Technology
- INFO-685 Digital Analytics: Web, Mobile and Social Media
- INFO-696 Advanced Projects in Visualization
RELATED ADVANCED CERTIFICATES
If you intend to complete an advanced certificate, once enrolled in the program, please submit the Certificate Declaration form at your earliest convenience.
Scholarships
All applicants are considered for merit scholarships during review of applications; a separate scholarship application is not required. For students in good academic standing (i.e., if the student maintains a minimum 3.0 GPA), merit scholarships are automatically renewed for the second year of study. After their first semester, students may petition to change to part-time study and prorate their scholarship funds over the length of their study.
Fellowships
Second-year students in the program can apply for a 9-month fellowship with a leading NYC organization. LIS students have completed fellowships with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and several others.
Other Support
Support for research-based scholarly and/or creative projects that enhance students’ professional development—individually or through small student teams—are available through the Graduate Student Engagement Fund (GSEF).
In addition to support from the School of Information office, all students are assigned a faculty advisor upon entry.
The School of Information has five student groups that enrich the academic experience by organizing guest lectures, workshops, tours, site visits, and other events that will help deepen and expand your professional network. These include student chapters of national organizations, including the American Library Association and Society of American Archivists. Students can also form new organizations through Pratt’s Office of Student Involvement.
LIS students also participate in School of Information activities, such as the annual showcase of student work (Infoshow).
American Library Association Accreditation
The MSLIS program at Pratt Institute is accredited by the American Library Association (ALA) with the status of Continued accreditation. Pratt’s MSLIS program has been continuously accredited since 1924/25 when ALA first began accrediting LIS programs. For statistical information on our LIS program, please visit the LIS Key Statistics webpage.
Student Work
Selected Projects
Pratt’s School of Information
We reimagine information and technology to design more equitable, resilient and diverse futures. Motivated by our vision and mission, we are not only the oldest information school in North America, we are a forward-looking and data-driven school, committed to the success of our students and furthering diversity, equity and inclusion.
Location and Facilities
Located at the crossroads of the Greenwich Village and Chelsea neighborhoods, our home at Pratt Manhattan Center offers an excellent environment that provides easy access to all that New York City has to offer. Our specialized facilities facilitate our hands-on curriculum: from usability eye-tracking studies to archival reformatting projects and beyond. A facility designed specifically to support our LIS program includes:
This facility enables archival processing and digital reformatting of archival material such as rare books, legacy audio and video, photographs, manuscripts and other materials. Includes two AV transfer stations and a large table for processing archival materials.
Connect with Us
Connect with the School of Information on Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, sign-up for our newsletter, or contact us.
…School of Information News
Upcoming and Ongoing Events
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January 28, 2025 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Online and All sessions will be held in-person (144 W. 14th St., New York City) and on Zoom.
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February 25, 2025 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Online and All sessions will be held in-person (144 W. 14th St., New York City) and on Zoom.
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March 25, 2025 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Online and All sessions will be held in-person (144 W. 14th St., New York City) and on Zoom.
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April 29, 2025 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
144 W. 14th Street, 7th Floor – Pratt Manhattan
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May 2, 2025 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Student Union, Brooklyn campus
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May 3, 2025 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Student Union, Brooklyn campus
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May 20, 2025 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Radio City Music Hall
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December 11, 2024 All Day
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December 10, 2024 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Online and All sessions will be held in-person (144 W. 14th St., New York City) and on Zoom.
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December 2, 2024 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
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November 22, 2024 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Student Union
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November 20, 2024 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Alumni Reading Room, Library, 3rd Floor
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November 12, 2024 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Online and Online and All sessions will be held in-person (144 W. 14th St., New York City) and on Zoom.
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October 26, 2024 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Pratt Manhattan Center Room 201 and 214
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October 25, 2024 4:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Pratt Manhattan Center room 201
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October 24, 2024 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
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October 23, 2024 5:45 AM – 6:30 PM
Online and Pratt Manhattan Center room 610 or Zoom
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October 19 – October 20, 2024 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Brooklyn Campus
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October 8, 2024 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Online and All sessions will be held in-person (144 W. 14th St., New York City) and on Zoom.
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September 25, 2024 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Higgins Hall 61 St. James Place Brooklyn, NY 11238
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September 10, 2024 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Online and All sessions will be held in-person (144 W. 14th St., New York City) and on Zoom.
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August 21, 2024 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Memorial Hall
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June 5 – June 7, 2024 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Online and Pratt Manhattan Center
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May 15, 2024 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Radio City Music Hall
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May 14, 2024 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Emmanuel Baptist Church
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May 10, 2024 5:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Pratt Manhattan Building
144 West 14th Street
New York, NY 10011
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April 29, 2024 11:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Pratt Manhattan Campus, 7th Floor
