The American Library Association notes that the mean salary for librarians in the United States as of 2008 was $58,960. Earning a Master of Library Science degree from an accredited library science program opens dozens of career paths as a professional librarian. Workers holding the MLS degree work in public, school, college, law, medical, corporate, government and other libraries, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the outlook for library job growth is about average compared to other fields. Florida colleges and universities offering programs in library science give Floridians and out-of-state students access to this career.
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida offers a graduate degree in library science that requires 39 semester hours of study. Eighteen credit hours of required core courses, 21 credit hours of electives and a 120-hour supervised fieldwork practicum in a library setting round out the program, culminating in the award of the Master of Library Science degree. Graduates go on to positions in academic libraries, corporate settings and public and school locations as well. USF's library science program offers students a variety of scholarships from private and government sources.
University of South Florida School of Library and Information Science 4202 E. Fowler Ave. CIS 1040 Tampa, FL 33620 813-974-3520 slis.usf.edu
Florida State University
The Master of Science in Library and Information Studies degree at Florida State University requires 36 credit hours of study. Twelve credit hours involve required core courses, while the remaining 24 credit hours are electives. The FSU library science program provides a 100 percent online program for students, making this degree accessible to those living outside the Tallahassee area and for out-of-state or even international students. The American Library Association has accredited this master's degree program, which prepares students for work in a variety of professional library settings upon graduation.
Florida State University School of Library and Information Studies Shores Building, 142 Collegiate Loop Tallahassee, FL 32306 850-644-5775 slis.fsu.edu
Nova Southeastern University
The Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale offers a master's degree in information technology in education geared toward educators working in school libraries. Students may complete the 36-credit hour program online or on campus at the Fort Lauderdale location, and students may apply for early admission to Ph.D. programs in the school of Computer and Information Sciences to complete the doctorate at a faster rate if desired.
Nova Southeastern University Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences 3301 College Ave. Fort Lauderdale-Davie, FL 33314 800-541-6682 scis.nova.edu
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Writer Bio
Melanie Zoltan's clips stretch back to 1986, with articles in "Boston Globe Magazine," "Family Fun" and a cover story for "Hiatus Travel Magazine." Her work has been published in medical, science and history reference books by Thomson Gale. She earned her Master of Science in applied history at Carnegie Mellon University.