BA IS&ES/MLIS AMP Degree Requirements

Registration and Degree Requirements

AMP students may take a maximum of 12 units (four courses) of graduate classes while an undergraduate, and will register using the Undergraduate Registration in Graduate Classes form, with the assistance of their advisor and the college. Students are advised not to take more than two graduate classes per semester while an undergraduate.

Please use the sample five-and-a-half-year plan as a general guide:

Sample Five-and-a-Half-Year Plan


Graduate Courses

AMP students should begin with LIS 504, which is part of the MA core, but are advised not to take the additional core classes (LIS 506 and LIS 515) until full admission to the graduate program.

AMP students may take LIS 532: Information Intermediation if available and use it towards an undergraduate research methods requirement (instead of LIS 432), but this is not required if LIS 532 is not available or it otherwise does not work with a student’s plan of study.

Other than LIS 504, AMP students are encouraged to draw from 500-level LIS electives for their 12 units of graduate coursework. AMP students are advised not to take 600-level classes while an undergraduate.

Three LIS electives may be used toward the MLIS elective requirement, distributed elective requirement or free elective requirement, depending on the student's course selection. Students may be flexible with their three MLIS electives as AMP students. AMP students should not plan to take more than two graduate level courses per semester while also taking undergraduate courses.

Students may use the MLIS 3-year rotation as a guide to course availability.

Students should also consider if they also want to complete a graduate certificate along with their MLIS.

Course Use in Information Science & eSociety Undergraduate Major

Graduate classes may be used in an undergraduate Information Science and eSociety major as it most benefits the student, in consultation with their academic advisor. AMP students should still plan to take ESOC 480, the capstone eSociety course.

It may often most benefit a student to use their MLIS graduate coursework towards a thematic minor in consultation with their academic advisor as the best pathway to finish their undergraduate requirements in a timely manner. Please use the sample five-and-a-half-year plan as a starting point for discussion with your academic advisor. Understand that all students must typically plan to take five courses a semester as an undergraduate student.


Total Units for Undergraduate Graduation

Please note that all undergraduate students must earn 120 total units, including 42 upper division units (coursework 300 level or above), in order to graduate.

Even if you have completed your general education, major and minor, you must have earned 120/42 in order to graduate. Students may need to take elective courses in order to graduate.

Transfer students in particular must carefully confer with their undergraduate academic advisor regarding their progress towards 120/42, 56 units at a university (not community college). Current students may use their advisement report in UAccess to track their degree requirements and units.


Completing the MLIS

The MLIS program is 37 units, and students may only take a maximum of 12 units as an undergraduate AMP student. This leaves 25 units remaining for completion in the MA program.

Unlike undergraduate students, graduate students typically take 3 courses a semester (9 units), meaning 18 in a standard academic year. This leaves 7 additional units remaining for an AMP student, above and beyond a typical year for an MLIS student.

An AMP student wishing to finish the MA in a year following their undergraduate degree must plan to ask permission to take 4 classes a semester or must take two summer classes if they wish to finish in one year, rather than a year and a half..

Please consult the sample five-and-a-half-year plan and discuss with both your undergraduate advisor and your MLIS advisor regarding the best plan to finish your MLIS in an abbreviated period of time.

View MLIS Student Resources