ALA Accreditation
The MLIS program at the University of Alberta is accredited by the American Library Association (ALA) Committee on Accreditation (COA), with the status of Continued accreditation. The next comprehensive review visit is scheduled for Spring 2028.
About Accreditation
ALA accreditation indicates that the program meets or exceeds the Standards for Accreditation of Master's Programs in Library and Information Studies, established by the COA and approved by ALA Council. The accreditation process involves rigorous, ongoing self-evaluation by the program and verification of evidence through an external review. The COA evaluates each program for compliance with the Standards, which currently address systematic planning; curriculum; faculty; students; administration, finances, and resources. Since the School's accreditation in 2013, the ALA adopted new standards in February 2015.
See the ALA's Accreditation FAQ for more information.
History of Accreditation at SLIS
The School's Bachelor of Library Science (BLS) program was first accredited by the American Library Association (ALA) Committee on Accreditation (COA) in 1970 and thus recognized by ALA and the Canadian Library Association (CLA) as meeting North American library education standards. In 1976, in keeping with the Canadian pattern of education for librarianship, the two-year Master of Library Science (MLS) program was established. SLIS was then reaccredited in multi-year cycles in 1979, 1986, 1992, 1999, 2006, 2013, and 2020. The Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA) has succeeded in the former CLA's role in supporting the accreditation process.
Accreditation 2020
In January 2020, the Self-Study (2013-2020) was submitted to the ALA Committee on Accreditation. In March 2020, the ALA COA External Review Panel conducted an on-site review. This took place shortly before the University shifted to remote instruction and work to combat the spread of COVID-19.
In June 2020, SLIS met virtually with the Committee on Accreditation for the last time as part of this review. On June 30th, SLIS received notice that accreditation has been awarded for eight years, comprised of the full seven year renewal plus an additional year in light of challenges resulting from COVID-19.
