The minimum requirement for the thesis-based MLIS degree is ★30 in graduate courses and a thesis. This requires 10 courses of ★3 each, including ★15 in core courses and ★6 in IT. Students may, with approval, include up to ★9 offered by a department other than the School of Library and Information Studies.

The previous course requirement for this program was ★39 in graduate courses and a thesis. The credit reduction has been approved by the Government of Alberta and takes effect as of the 2020-2021 Academic Year. 

General Procedure for Thesis-Based MLIS

Students should explore these matters with their Program Supervisor during the first year of their MLIS program. They should also read carefully all current University Calendar regulations governing thesis-based programs. The following is a general procedure. Further details are contained in the University Calendar and the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR) Graduate Program Manual. Information regarding Supervision and Examinations can be found in Section 8 of the manual.

1. The decision to pursue the thesis-based MLIS program should be made in consultation with the Graduate Coordinator and the student’s prospective Thesis Supervisor. This decision shall normally be made when the student completes half of the program or somewhat earlier (i.e. 2^nd semester of 1^st year). Selection of the thesis-based program is possible only when faculty with relevant expertise are available for supervision. 

2. The student will draft a thesis proposal of approximately 14 pages, which will normally include a statement of the research problem, a literature review (typically accomplished through a spring/summer LIS 599 directed study), and a description of the methodology. The proposal will be developed with guidance from the prospective Thesis Supervisor and other appropriate faculty members, preferably including someone from another department who is likely to be the external member of the supervisory committee (see No.6 below).

3. The proposal will be discussed at a meeting of the student, the Thesis Supervisor, and at least two other members of the School’s full-time faculty. The thesis proposal must be signed by all three faculty members before the student is allowed to proceed in the thesis-based program.

4. If an ethics review is required it shall be undertaken immediately after approval of the proposal. Please consult the Research Ethics Office's website for the current Research Ethics Documents.

5. Students must be registered in the thesis-based option by the start of the semester in which they do their thesis research at the latest. The Thesis Supervisor, who will also become the student’s Program Supervisor, will initiate a change of status/supervisor through the Graduate Student Services Administrator (if required).

6. The supervisory and examining committee(s) consists of at least three full-time faculty including the Thesis Supervisor, another faculty member from the School, and one faculty member from outside of the School. Co-supervision is an option. The student and Thesis Supervisor will normally select the other committee members together. The Director shall ensure that the proposed faculty meet FGSR requirements for committee membership.

7. The supervisory committee shall hold a minimum of one meeting with the student annually.

8. The Thesis Supervisor shall ensure that the student has been advised of the regulations governing their program. However, the student is also expected to be familiar with this procedure and relevant sections of the University Calendar.

9. The thesis-based MLIS includes a residence requirement of two terms of full-time study. Full-time study is defined as at least three courses per semester for both residence and scholarship purposes. Students need not be registered in the thesis-based program in order to fulfill this requirement.  

10. The time limit for the thesis-based MLIS is four years. Those students interested in doing a thesis should be aware that the amount of time a student can devote to the thesis and the research design may lengthen the time to completion beyond the no

11. rmal two years (see Sample Timeline below).

12. The final examining committee will normally be the same as the supervisory committee.

13. The final examination will be oral and will follow procedures outlined in the FGSR Graduate Program Manual. For information about formatting and submitting one's thesis, information can be found on the FGSR website.

14. The revised thesis will be deposited within six months of the successful oral examination. SLIS requires one print copy of the thesis, which is paid for by the School.

Sample Timeline

Following is one possible, optimal timeline for a student planning to pursue the thesis-based MLIS full-time. Variations are likely to occur for a variety of reasons and will typically lengthen the timeline. A shorter timeline is unlikely to be realistic.