If you want to be a librarian, you will want to go here.
The University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science is the best program of its kind in the country. It is ranked #1 by U.S. News and World Report and is known for trailblazing in its field. The library at the University of Illinois is one of the largest in the country, which helps the GSLIS students at U of I in many ways.
Every librarian needs a Masters degree from a library and information science program. University of Illinois GSLIS has a distance option, called LEEP, which administers the school's excellent Masters program remotely except for one day per class on campus in addition to a 10 day difficult summer start-up widely known as "boot camp." This should not be confused with academically weak online graduate programs such as the University of Phoenix. LEEP is as good as the on-campus masters program, and indeed your degree will be identical to an on-campus student. The LEEP option allows you to study remotely, which in turn allows the comforts of one's home and maximum flexibility in searching for jobs and internships. The U of I campus can be difficult for some people, and LEEP allows those people to attend this excellent school without dealing with the party school that is U of I.
The professors and staff of GSLIS are excellent. I had issues with one professor, all others were superb. As one might expect from librarians, many of the professors are quirky, witty and funny. For example, one lady noted in her class that the main assigned paper is "like a skirt" and has to be "long enough to cover the material but short enough to be interesting." You won't just learn the material; you'll have fun doing it.
Because U of I is a state school, all those who can establish residency in Illinois can attend for 1/2 the normal price. The only other library school in Illinois is Dominican, which is much worse than U of I GSLIS in every way but charges nearly 40k, (as do most library science masters programs.) U of I will give you a far better education for the in-state tuition of roughly 20k. This, again, while giving you the option to study remotely.
If you decide to become a library professor or administrator, the PhD program at U of I's GSLIS is to my knowledge the oldest of its kind.
The GRE is not needed to apply unless your GPA is below 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. For those among us who hate standardized tests, that is a blessing in many ways.
Long story short, this school is the best of its kind and if you can get in it you'll learn the job and have the maximum chance to get the job after graduating. If you are planning on a career in librarianship, check this school out. read more