Program Overview
The joint MSIS/MA and MSLS/MA degree program draws on the shared interests of librarians and art historians, including the preservation and documentation of created works, and combines the Master of Science in either library science or information science and the Master of Art in art history. The program is designed to be completed in three academic years, and to prepare graduates for professional positions in art libraries in colleges, universities, and art museums. This degree also provides excellent preparation for those interested in careers as museum registrars or as curators of digital image, slide, and photograph collections. In addition to knowledge of art history, professionals in these fields must possess an understanding of content management systems, indexing and abstracting, classification schemes, and controlled vocabularies, all of which are addressed in the curriculum for the joint MSIS/MA, MSLS/MA program.
Information and Library Science at UNC-Chapel Hill
The UNC-Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science provides an outstanding combination of cutting-edge research and scholarship, combining both traditional and emerging areas of professional practice. SILS is home to more than 300 students pursuing programs of study at all levels, ranging from an undergraduate major in information science to a PhD in information and library science. Most SILS students are enrolled in one of the two Master’s degree programs in either information or library science.
Degree Requirements:
MSIS/MA, MSLS/MA students are advised by faculty members in the Department of Art and Art History and the School of Information and Library Science. Students take courses in both the Department of Art and Art History and SILS. Students complete 69 credit hours altogether. Degree requirements for the MA portion of the dual degree are the same as for the standalone MA program, except that 2 SILS courses may count as Art History electives (and 3 Art History courses may count as SILS electives), and the credit hours are spread out over 3 years rather than the typical 2 for each individual program.
To Apply:
Students must apply, be admitted, and accept admission to each graduate program at the same time and abide by all program requirements. It’s best that individuals identify their interest in a dual degree program prior to applying to UNC. Students who decide they want to pursue dual degrees after enrolling in their first semester at SILS should apply for admission to the other program, informing the registrar and the coordinators of both programs at the time of application. Application information for the MA in Art History can be found on our Graduate Admissions page. Application information for SILS can be found on their Graduate Admissions page.