At Western University in London, Canada, MA/MS in Library and Information Science is offered as a master's degree in Library Science programme. The programme runs for 1 year. Tuition for international students is CAD 13,759 per semester (CAD 3,698 per semester for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Master's Degree
Field:Library Science
Duration: 1 year
Local tuition: CAD 3,698 / semester
International tuition: CAD 13,759 / semester
Last checked September 2026 · Source: fims.uwo.ca ·
Program details
Overview
The Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) is a graduate program in Western University's Faculty of Information and Media Studies, accredited by the American Library Association since 1969. It combines foundational training in librarianship with exposure to information technologies used across library and information settings, alongside research skills applicable to the field's literature. Students can study full-time or part-time, with full-time completion possible in as little as twelve months, and admission is offered across three intakes each year (fall, winter, and summer). Delivery is hybrid or fully online depending on the course, giving students flexibility in how they attend. An optional paid co-op placement lets students complete one or two work terms in library or information roles, and an original research option is available for students who want an independent research component. Teaching is coordinated from Western's main campus in London, Ontario, though much of the program can be completed remotely. Graduates typically move into librarian and information roles across public, academic, and special libraries, archives, and government, as well as related non-library sectors. The program suits working professionals or new graduates who want a flexible, career-oriented credential with an optional practical placement rather than a fully research-based degree.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:70.00 / %
Admission Requirements: The MLIS requires a four-year university degree or equivalent with a minimum average of 70% over the last two years of full-time study; alternative pathways (a three-year degree plus a Bachelor of Education, a three-year degree plus five further undergraduate courses at 70%, or a four-year degree plus a graduate degree both at 70%) are also accepted, as is transfer from an ALA-accredited library school after two terms. Meeting the minimum does not guarantee admission. For applicants born outside Canada whose first language is not English, and who lack a three-year-or-longer degree from Canada, the US or the UK, the program requires TOEFL iBT at least 107 or IELTS overall 8.0, with scores no older than two years. The program runs three intakes: September (hybrid), January (online) and May (online); FIMS notes it has no currently open intake and that Fall 2027 applications open October 1, 2026.
Application Details
Start Date:September, January and May
Application Deadline:Western applies through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre, which opens for Fall 2027 entry in late September 2026; Western's own equal-consideration deadline for full-time undergraduate study is 15 January 2027, the same date used for domestic (OUAC 101/105) and international applicants alike, since Western publishes no separate international closing date. Several named programmes carry their own earlier deadlines within the cycle: Medicine (MD) closes 1 October 2026, Law (JD) and Dentistry (DDS) close 1 November 2026, Education (BEd) closes 2 November 2026, and Western Integrated Science closes in early April 2027. Students already enrolled in an Ontario high school cannot be required to respond to an offer before 1 June 2027. Admission is not rolling: applicants are assessed against these published deadlines. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
