ALA-Accredited Programs

ALA-accredited master's programs can be found at colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. These programs offer degrees with names such as Master of Library Science (MLS), Master of Arts, Master of Librarianship, Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS), and Master of Science. ALA accreditation indicates that the program has undergone an external review and meets the ALA Committee on Accreditation’s Standards for Accreditation of Master’s Programs in Library and Information Studies.

The Directory, available in two formats, provides information about library and information studies programs that are accredited by the American Library Association (ALA). The ALA Office for Accreditation publishes the Directory annually, and provides the opportunity for programs to update their entries when information changes. This Directory offers summary information only. Please consult the school directly for in-depth information regarding programs, course offerings, distance education programs, admissions, financial aid, and degrees.

• Directory of ALA-accredited programs in a searchable database format
• Directory of ALA-accredited programs in PDF format (clicking this link will download the entire directory, current as of date listed)
• Trended data by program, including student-to-faculty ratios, enrollment, graduation and more (Excel format)

For more information on how to read or interpret this report, contact the Office for Accreditation. For more information about a specific program, contact the school directly.

For a career as a school librarian in a pre-kindergarten through 12th grade setting, a master’s degree with a specialty in school librarianship from an educational unit accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) (formerly NCATE) and recognized by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) is also appropriate.

• Directory of AASL-recognized master’s programs in school librarianship

See the guidelines for choosing a master's program in library and information studies for help in selecting the master's program that is right for you.

The above directory contains listings for currently accredited programs only.

• Historical List of ALA-Accredited programs for all programs accredited since 1925

The following programs are in Candidacy status seeking ALA accreditation:

• University College London Master of Arts Library and Information Studies (Accreditation decision in June 2024)

Report problems with the directories to accred@ala.org.