The Knowledge River Scholars Program supports the education, recruitment and retention of library and information professionals dedicated to serving the needs of their local communities.
Applications are Now Open
The application for the 2025-2026 academic year closes March 10 at 11:45 p.m. Arizona time:
Apply FOR KNOWLEDGE RIVER SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Eligibility
- You must be active (or accepted as a student) into the Master of Arts in the Library and Information Science program.
- You must take a minimum of 6 units (2 courses) per semester.
- You must demonstrate a strong combination of knowledge, cultural awareness and commitment relating to serving local communities.
- You must be willing and able to be actively involved as a member of the Knowledge River learning and alumni community, beginning with attendance and participation at the annual Knowledge River Orientation in Summer.
- You must indicate an aspiration to seek employment in a library or information environment upon graduation, and as a library and information science professional and Knowledge River alum, continue to consider the needs of local communities.
Admission Requirements
You must apply for admission to both the MA in Library and Information Science program and also apply to Knowledge River. Once accepted by the College of Information Science and the University of Arizona Graduate College, you will then be reviewed for admission into Knowledge River and considered for Knowledge River program benefits.
You should reference your intention to apply to Knowledge River in your statement of purpose when applying to the MLIS. See MLIS admissions information.
Knowledge River Application
We will begin accepting applications for the 2025-2026 academic year to begin Fall 2025 in March 2025. If you would like to be added to the contact list and receive updates about deadlines and opportunities, please email your contact information to kriver@arizona.edu.
Financial Assistance
Scholarship funding is available for a limited number of Knowledge River Scholars. Most of this aid is in the form of tuition remission through a graduate assistant (GA) position. Scholarships cover tuition, but do not cover any additional program fees.
Criteria for Knowledge River scholarships are as follows:
- Financial need (must complete the FAFSA form and the College of Information Science departmental funding application (see Graduate Cost & Funding page).
- Demonstrated academic excellence and writing proficiency.
- For Knowledge River graduate assistant (GA) positions, you must be available for and accept a 20 hour/week appointment in our partner libraries in the Tucson area and other information environments.
- For non-GA scholarships, you must indicate your reason for inability to participate in a GA position; this may be due to location, existing employment or other reasons.
- To remain eligible for a GA position, you must maintain a 3.0 GPA.
- You may indicate your preferences for your GA location based on the options listed in the application. The Knowledge River program will work to place accepted students in their preferred location, but the program cannot guarantee specific placements.
Graduate Assistantship Areas of Interest
Information science is an interdisciplinary field that invites a broad range of knowledge and interests. There are several types of graduate assistant positions available for Knowledge River Scholars who work with our community partners:
- Public librarianship
- Special collections / archives
- Academic libraries
- Law librarianship
- Health science librarianship
Applications for Current MLIS Students
If you are a current student in the MLIS program, you do not need to complete the entire application process above. Instead, submit your Knowledge River application including responses to essay questions via the online application. Admission to Knowledge River for current MLIS students is subject to approval by the Knowledge River admissions committee.
We recommend that you save the confirmation email received after submitting your application.
Additional Information
For additional information or assistance, please contact us at kriver@arizona.edu.