Fregnir - 01.03.2004, Blaðsíða 51

Fregnir. Fréttabréf Upplýsingar - Félags bókasafns- og upplýsingafrœða
students who meet the other entry requirements but have only two Aðferðafræði /
Methodology courses, may take a third Aðferðafræði/Methodology course at masters
level while registered in the MLIS programme, the additional Aðferðafræði / Methodo-
logy course to be incorporated into the 15 credits of practical/professional studies in
lieu of a reading course or courses or an elective course.
Applicants Movingfrom Starfsréttindi to an MLIS
A survey of our current students that I carried out by email in October 2003 (with a 70
per cent response rate) showed that 21 already had a first degree in another fíeld. The
majority of those with a flrst degree, had a first class degree, in other words, they
would qualify to enter the MLIS programme. Of the 21, some 12 were registered in
“Starfsréttindi” in Library and Information Science (60e), a programme that was
established in the 1980s to enable people with a first degree in another field and 60
credits of subsequent study in Library and Information Science to practise as
librarians or information specialists in Iceland. This programme is not recognised out-
side Iceland, and there is some evidence that acceptance of it within Iceland is mixed.
The MLIS should better meet the needs of those “Starfsréttindi” students who are
qualified to enter it.
With this in mind, an upgrade path has been specified for students who are current-
ly registered in “Starfsréttindi” at the University of Iceland and who wish to transfer
to the MLIS programme:
• Students should have a grade average of 7.25 in their fírst degree.
• Students should have a grade average of 7.25 for “Starfsréttindi” at the point at which
they apply for entry to the MLIS programme.
• Additional work needed to upgrade to the MLIS will depend on the courses already
completed in “Starfsréttindi”, the grades achieved, and the level of any elective courses
completed.
• Completion of a 15 credit MLIS thesis.
• Completion of one or more independent study courses (“Verkefni”) if necessary to
upgrade individual courses for which grades may be unsatisfactory at the masters level.
Another upgrade path has been developed for people who have already completed
“Starfsréttindi” and who wish to enter the MLIS programme:
• A grade average of 7.25 for the fírst degree.
• A grade average of 7.25 for “Starfsréttindi”.
• If “Starfsréttindi” was completed more than seven years prior to the application, then
relevant work experience in librarianship, information science, or records management
will be required.
• Completion of a 15 credit MLIS thesis.
• Completion of three Aðferðafræði / Methodology courses (to 12e) in total.
• Completion of one or more independent study courses (“Verkefni”) if necessary to
upgrade individual courses for which grades may be unsatisfactory at the masters level.
An individual study programme will be developed for each student or applicant
seeking to move from “Starfsréttindi” to an MLIS. Each individual programme will be
approved by the Library and Information Science Committee. As a minimum, the
following will be required of current students seeking to upgrade from “Starfsréttindi”
or new applicants seeking to upgrade from a completed “Starfsréttindi” programme:
• A grade average of 7.25 or above for the fírst degree or acceptable altemative.
• Completion of a 15 credit MLIS thesis (in addition to any BA or “Starfsréttindi”
thesis/project completed previously).
• Completion of three Aðferðafræði/Methodology courses (to 12e), one of which may
be a qualitative methods course.
29. árg. - 1. tbl. 2004 - bts. 51