Program Overview

Introduction to the Librarianship MA Program

The Librarianship MA program at the University of Sheffield is designed to prepare students for professional roles in library and information services. This course engages students with the latest research and practice, making it an ideal choice for those looking to advance in the library and information profession.

Program Overview

• The program is offered by the School of Information, Journalism and Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences.
• It is a one-year full-time or two to three years part-time course.
• The program is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), recognized by professional associations in the USA, Canada, Ireland, and Australia.

Course Description

The Librarianship MA course is aimed at graduates from any discipline who are curious about libraries and information. It builds practical knowledge and skills to work in academic, public, school, health, prison, and workplace libraries. Students develop core competencies defined in the CILIP Professional Knowledge and Skills Base, including leadership, management, and strategic service design.

Modules

The program includes a range of modules, such as:

• Information Organisation: Explores the organisational principles to facilitate the effective storage, search, and retrieval of information and knowledge.
• Libraries, Information and Society: Provides an overview of the role of library and information services in contemporary society.
• Information Literacy: Enables students to understand the concepts of information literacy and information behavior from both theoretical and practical perspectives.
• Public, School, and Prison Library Services: Enables students to understand and critically evaluate key elements of the principles, functions, practice, value, and impact of school, public, and prison library services.
• Academic and Workplace Library, Information and Knowledge Services: Introduces students to the purposes, functions, and practices of a range of academic research and other specialist library, information, and knowledge services.
• Management for Library and Information Services: Prepares students to manage people and resources effectively in their future place of work.
• Research Methods and Dissertation Preparation: Assists students in the identification of, and preparation of a dissertation proposal.
• Dissertation: Enables students to carry out an extended piece of work on an Information School approved topic.

Optional Modules

• Information Governance and Ethics
• Business Intelligence
• Database Design
• User-Centred Design and Human-Computer Interaction
• Archives and Records Management

Teaching and Assessment

• Teaching consists of two 15-week taught semesters followed by a research-oriented dissertation.
• Assessments vary depending on the modules chosen but the majority are coursework only.
• Traditional assessments such as essays are complemented by real-world tasks required by librarians and information professionals.

Career Prospects

The Librarianship MA program is designed for people who want to enter the profession or prepare to take the next step up in their careers. A postgraduate qualification in library and information management is essential for many roles, particularly management roles, in the library and information profession.

Entry Requirements

• Minimum 2:1 undergraduate honors degree in any subject.
• International qualifications are also considered.
• English language requirements: IELTS 6.5 (with 6 in each component) or University equivalent.

Fees and Funding

• Home (2026 annual fee): £11,380
• Overseas (2026 annual fee): £27,755
• Scholarships and funding opportunities are available, including a £3,000 tuition fee discount for overseas fee-paying students and up to £2,500 savings for Sheffield graduates.