Licensure in School Library Media Coordinator

The Licensure in School Library Media Coordinator (076) is designed for students who need to be licensed as a school librarian. To earn the licensure, students will need to earn an M.L.I.S. degree. Students who currently hold an M.L.I.S. or M.L.S. degree are able to add school library licensure by completing the LIS licensure-only program. School library licensure is not an add-on degree or a lateral-entry degree. Individuals cannot be licensed as school librarians without having a graduate Library and Information Science degree.

Individuals who already have a M.L.I.S. or M.L.S. degree may add school library licensure by completing the UNCG LIS licensure-only program which involves taking five school library courses or 15 semester hours and completing the School Librarian Praxis #5312. Additional education hours may be required for individuals who have never taught and are not previously licensed teachers. Interested individuals should apply through The Graduate School for the M.L.I.S. 076 licensure-only program. A GRE or MAT score is not required.

The federal government no longer offers financial aid to students in the licensure-only program so students applying to the school library licensure-only program will need to find other sources of funding. A variety of financial aid is available to our students, including scholarships based on academic merit and financial need. We invite you to explore the many scholarship and funding opportunities offered in the School of Education.

Program Distinctions

• Our Library and Information Science program has been nationally Accredited by the American Library Association
• Licensure program approved by the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction
• Our program has been ranked “Best Online Master’s” by College Choice and “Best Online Master’s in Library Science” by Affordable Colleges Online. 
• Our School Library Program has been ranked #1 in North Carolina and #8 in the nation by US News & World Report.

The Student Experience

• Students will experience a synchronous online learning environment where instruction is delivered using engaging collaborative opportunities for discussion.
• All courses are provided with small class sizes where students can engage and build their professional learning community in an online-learning environment. 
• Students will interact with a diverse, engaged, and supportive faculty that is dedicated to bringing real-world experience and ideas to the online classroom. 
• Faculty meet regularly with students to advise and prepare students for the capstone experience and licensure process.  
• Graduate students in the School of Education’s LIS licensure programs benefit from online synchronous instruction that enables engaging instruction in a discussion based format. Students interested in research work virtually with faculty members on cutting-edge studies and innovation projects, providing them first-hand experience with discovering solutions to pressing social and educational issues.
• The Library and Information Science licensure program works with school systems where their students reside to provide meaningful practicums and volunteer opportunities. Thus providing meaningful experiences for students to put into practice the skills they have learned throughout their program and build confidence to be successful in the school library.

After Graduation

• The 076 School Library Media Coordinator licensure program emphasizes the rapidly changing library and information field and prepares students for positions as a School Library Media Coordinator in schools in North Carolina and across the country. 
• The School Library Media Coordinator is a school-level professional who may be identified as School Librarian, Teacher Librarian, School Library Media Specialist, or School Library Media coordinator.
• Students completing this program will be eligible to apply for a K-12 teaching license as a Library Media Coordinator through the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and eligible to transfer licensure to other states.

The U.S. Department of Education requires that all higher education institutions advise students as to whether their curriculum provides them with the eligibility to apply for a professional license and/or certification in the state for which they plan to practice. As such, please review UNC Greensboro’s status by state for the initial teaching license. You should note whether the program either “meets”, “does not meet”, or if there “has not been a determination” of the program’s status in the state for which you plan to practice. Licensure Reciprocity Information

Check out our ILRS Jobs Board to see current job announcements.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Want more information? Sign up for our monthly information session here! 
• Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, meaning you may apply at any time, and begin your program during either the Fall, Spring, or Summer semester.

All LIS licensure candidates are required to:

• Have an M.L.I.S./M.L.S.
• Submit a Candidate Agreement form to the program coordinator.
• Maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Archive all course assignments required as evidence for accreditation and post them to your final portfolio by the last semester of the program.
• Score 2 or above on all supervisor evaluations.
• Receive a satisfactory evaluation on the practicum.
• Submit to a criminal background check before completing LIS 691, 692, & 693.
• To obtain final licensure, the School Librarian Praxis #5312 must be taken with a passing score of 154 through ETS.