The Certificate in Digital Libraries is designed to help working professionals update their knowledge and develop specialty relating to the acquisition, organization and maintenance of digital content, virtual collections and services. It will enable students to either alter the direction of a career path or to enrich, update, and strengthen their skills and their knowledge of their field.

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Admission Requirements

Application Deadlines

Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.

Application

  • Students wishing to obtain this certificate must declare their intention by applying to the program office or director.
  • All graduate certificate applicants—even those already enrolled in a UWM graduate program—must apply to the Graduate School.
  • Graduate degree and previously admitted graduate non-degree students who decide to pursue a certificate program must submit the application before completing 6 credits in the certificate sequence.
  • Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree and have a minimum 2.75 cumulative undergraduate grade point average to be admitted into a certificate program.

Admission

Admission to the Master of Library and Information Science program or a master's program in a closely related field such as computer science or educational technology is required to apply for the certificate. Students already possessing an MLIS or master's degree in a closely related field may also apply for the program as a standalone certificate.

In addition to the Graduate School application materials, applicants must submit a one to two page reason statement outlining their background and their educational and professional goals.

Credits and Courses

The candidate will complete 15 credits of coursework, planned in conjunction with their advisor, and approved by the Associate Dean of the School of Information Studies as an individually designed program suited for the needs and professional objectives of the student.

A minimum of 12 credits must be taken in the School of Information Studies.

No thesis is required, but students may obtain up to 3 credits in independent research which is included as a part of the total approved program.

Additional Requirements

Transfer Credit

No more than 20% of the required credits may be taken at an institution other than UWM. These courses are subject to Graduate School transfer policy and must be approved by the director of the certificate program.

Grade Point Average Requirement

A minimum cumulative 3.00 grade point average in certificate courses taken at UWM is required.

Articulation with Degree Programs

  1. Credits and courses required for a certificate may double count toward meeting UWM graduate degree requirements subject to the following restrictions:
    • Degree programs must approve the courses from certificates that can double count toward the degree.
    • All credits taken in completion of certificate requirements may count towards a UWM graduate degree as long as they do not contribute more than 90% of the total credits needed to obtain the degree. (Note: Students in PhD programs must still complete the minimum residency requirements)
    • Certificate courses used toward meeting degree requirements must be completed within the time limit for transfer credit.
  2. Courses completed for a degree may be counted toward a subsequent certificate, subject to all certificate policy requirements.
  3. A course may count toward no more than one certificate and one degree.
  4. Students may not earn a certificate subsequent to a concentration in the same area.

Time Limit

Certificate program time limits shall be established as follows:

  • 18 or fewer credits/Three years from initial enrollment in the certificate sequence.
  • 19 or more credits/Four years from initial enrollment in the certificate sequence.

For certificates that are designed as add-ons to degree programs and are awarded concurrent with the degree, the time limit shall be the same as that of the degree program.