U.S. News ranked the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign's Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) as the best library science graduate program in the nation. The GSLIS doctorate, the country's oldest, aims to address the rapidly changing demands of the digital age. GSLIS developed an Information in Society doctoral specialization that focuses on new and emerging information technologies as they impact society. GSLIS accepts Ph.D. candidates with the appropriate education and work experience as well as scholarship capabilities and a focused interest on library science research.
The Graduate School of Library and Information Science
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
501 E. Daniel Street
MC-493
Champaign, IL 61820-6211
217-333-3280
lis.illinois.edu
Tied with GSLIS as a top graduate program in library science was the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill's School of Information and Library Science (SILS). SILS looks for candidates who have the attributes to be independent researchers and with established critical thinking and analytical attributes. The program focuses on research and scholarship as well as vision and leadership abilities that will prove invaluable in the new century. SILS's admissions are competitive and depend on the applicant's education and profession background, test scores as well as a personal interview and a written statement explaining her research objectives.
School of Information and Library Science
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
216 Lenoir Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3360
919-962-8366
ils.unc.edu
Syracuse University in New York offers a pair of doctorates in its School of Information Studies. The first is a Ph.D. in information science and technology which focuses on research and is tailored to each individual student's interests. The second is a doctorate in professional studies in information management that is a part-time executive degree designed for working professionals.
School of Information Studies
Syracuse University
343 Hinds Hall
Syracuse, New York 13244-4100
315-443-2911
ischool.syr.edu
The University of Washington in Seattle offers a top-ranked doctoral program in Information Science. It focuses on theoretical inquiry and research aimed at advancing the information and library sciences. Most of the program's graduates pursue careers in academia, government or the information industry and for that reason, the school seeks applicants who demonstrate research creativity, excellent communication skills and a passion for the application of technology to library science. With information storage and retrieval becoming increasingly complex, the school attempts to train its graduates to nurture these new and emerging information frontiers.
The Information School
University of Washington
Box 352840
Mary Gates Hall, Ste 370
Seattle, WA 98195-2840
206-685-9937
ischool.uw.edu
The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor was the fifth university on the U.S. News & World Report's list for the top library science/information schools. Michigan's School of Information offers a Ph.D. aimed at developing scholars in a broad range of information-based fields from economics to architecture, archival systems to digital publishing. Additionally, the program fosters original research and scholarship to advance the information field.
School of Information
University of Michigan
4322 North Quad
105 S. State St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285
734-763-2285
si.umich.edu