A capstone internship of 3 units is required as part of the Master of Arts in Library and Information Science. All students may participate in an additional regular internship for credit as an elective.
The purpose of the capstone internship project is for the student to gain professional community-focused experience while placing the learning, skills and knowledge expected of a librarian or other information professional into a real-world professional context.
Students working in libraries or archives may intern at their place of employment, as long as the requested internship is a project or work separate and distinct from their normal duties.
Capstone Internship vs. Regular Internship
- MLIS students working in libraries can complete LIS 698: Capstone Internship, and LIS 693: Internship, at their current place of employment; however, the internship must occur in a different department or must be project or work distinct and clearly differentiated from regular duties.
- For graduate students, LIS 698 goes beyond a regular internship through explicit linking of student learning objectives and program outcomes with workplace experience in the information professions. Students must have completed 18 units, including all core courses and their mid-program reflection and Plan of Study, in order to be enrolled in LIS 698. LIS 698 is required for MLIS students (with the exception noted above). Students may also choose to take LIS 693 as a free elective in the program. Except as noted above, students working in libraries are not exempt from the LIS 698 requirement.
- The College of Information Science’s individual studies director and the graduate faculty advisor must approve all graduate internships.
Internship Eligibility
- LIS693: Internship: Completion of 12 units
- LIS698: Capstone Internship: Completion of 18 units; Completion of Core courses
Site Supervisor
The site supervisor must hold a master’s degree in library science from an American Library Association-accredited program; or, a master’s degree in School Library Media (“School Library Media Specialist”) from a program accredited by ALA or from an educational unit accredited by NCATE and NCATE-AASL reviewed, as listed and approved on the ALA-AASL (American Association of School Librarians) website; or, hold the Certified Archivist credential by the Academy of Certified Archivists.
Retroactive Credit for Internships
Internship credits cannot be awarded retroactively for internship duties performed at an earlier time. There are no exceptions to this policy.
Review Internship Opportunities
& Apply for Internship Credit
Received an internship offer? Apply for Internship credit:
Required Forms for Internship Credit
The following forms may be downloaded from the MLIS Advising Resources Box repository:
- College of Information Science Internship Evaluation by Site Supervisor
- College of Information Science Intern Site Supervisor Responsibilities
- College of Information Science Intern Self Evaluation Form
Additional Information
For additional information, please contact MLIS Coordinator and Advisor Jennifer Rochelle at jgrochelle@arizona.edu.