Graduate Program Admissions

The School of Information and Library Science seeks exceptional students who have the potential to excel in graduate studies and to become future leaders in the field. We try each year to assemble a student body that is diverse on many levels (i.e., race, ethnicity, age, physical ability, cultural perspective, intellectual background, and work experience) to foster the most dynamic learning and research environment possible so that faculty and students challenge each other to explore and envision the possible.

Requirements

We use many facets of the student’s application to arrive at an admissions decision:

We look for strong academic records, judged by the applicant’s past Grade Point Average (GPA), and we examine the coursework on the student’s transcript(s) to determine personal strengths and areas of mastery. Recently accepted graduate students had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.

Graduate Record Exam (GRE) test scores are no longer required nor are they recommended for applicants to SILS. Applicants may voluntarily submit GRE scores if you feel that these scores would help the admissions committee understand your academic capabilities more completely. NOTE: The standardized test score field will still show up in the application as the basic application is used across multiple graduate programs here at UNC and international applicants are still required to submit TOEFL scores.

The TOEFL or IELTS test (no more than 2 years old) is still required for international applicants, with the following three exceptions:

1. You are from countries where English is the SOLE OFFICIAL language of instruction.
2. You have received or will receive a degree from an accredited university in the United States.
3. You have received or will receive a degree from an accredited university where English is the SOLE language of instruction.

The UNC graduate school’s minimum requirement for admission on the TOEFL is a total score of 90. For the IELTS the minimum overall band score is 7. Most international students admitted to SILS have TOEFL scores above 100.

We emphasize the applicant’s written statement of interest in the field, and we look for questions the applicant wants to answer, areas of specialization the applicant wishes to pursue, and a beginning knowledge of the field and its issues and challenges combined with the ways in which our School (faculty, staff, and resources) might help the student delve into those issues. We want students who are excited, open-minded, and full of questions they wish to explore.

We examine the applicant’s resume for evidence of qualifications and skills based on practical work experience or exposure to different cultures and perspectives, and we look for evidence of distinction in the awards and honors applicants have received.

We read carefully the three letters of recommendation that applicants include in their application to see how professors, professional peers, or supervisors assess them and their potential. We look for distinguishing characteristics and experiences in these letters that might mark the applicants as superior and unique. We are immensely proud of our students. They challenge us – and each other – to expand our ideas, grow our imaginations, and move the field forward in its constant regeneration.

Application Process

1. Complete and submit the online Graduate School application and pay the nonrefundable $95 application fee. If you are seeking a fee waiver, please reference eligibility requirements here and contact the Graduate School directly. Applicants who are U.S. citizens or resident aliens should follow the domestic application process; international students should follow the international application process. Be sure to complete or upload all of the following items in the online application.

• •  Complete the basic application.
  • Upload unofficial copies of transcripts for each school attended (max 300 kB).
  • Upload a résumé including work experience, special abilities and skills (max 300 kB).
  • Upload a Statement of Purpose. General guidelines for the statement of purpose:
    Your application requires a written statement to uploaded into your application and is a critical component of your application for admission. This is your opportunity to tell us what excites you about the field of library and information science, and what problems you want to help solve in this field. Please also tell us how your prior experiences have prepared you for this next step toward your career goals and how UNC-SILS will help you achieve them. 
  • Arrange for three letters of recommendation. These letters are solicited by entering recommenders’ email addresses into the online application. Recommenders can upload their letters directly into your application. At least two letters should be from persons having first-hand knowledge of the applicant’s academic capabilities.
  • International applicants: The TOEFL or IELTS test (no more than 2 years old) is still required for international applicants, with the following three exceptions:

• You are from countries where English is the sole official language of instruction.
• You have received or will receive a degree from an accredited university in the United States.
• You have received or will receive a degree from an accredited university where English is the SOLE language of instruction.

NOTE: The graduate school’s TOEFL minimum requirement for admission is 90. For the IELTS the minimum is 7. Most international students admitted to SILS have TOEFL scores above 100. The University of North Carolina’s Institution code is #5816. UNC does not require a department code, you may leave that blank.

Have your official test scores sent to the Graduate School: 

Graduate Admissions
The Graduate School
CB #4010, 200 Bynum Hall
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-4010

2. Wait for your admissions decision. You will receive an email from the Graduate School accepting or denying your application.

3. If admitted, please send final official copies of your transcripts to the Graduate School: 
Graduate Admissions
The Graduate School
CB #4010, 200 Bynum Hall
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-4010

Electronic copies of official transcripts are also accepted and should be emailed to gradadmissions@unc.edu 

More information for recently admitted students including detailed information on how to send your transcripts electronically can be found on the UNC Graduate School’s recently admitted student website.

4. International applicants: You are not required to provide the financial certificate at the time of application. If you are admitted, instructions on how to submit your financial certificate and supporting documents will be provided in your admissions letter. Please refer to your letter for how to upload your materials for your I-20.

Applications are not considered complete until all material has been uploaded into the application.  Applications are not reviewed until all materials (forms, transcripts, test scores, essay, and letters of recommendation) have been received. Financial assistance is not considered until the applicant has been approved for admission. It is imperative that your application, including all supplementary materials, is submitted before the deadline.

Deadlines for the 2024 Admissions Cycle

Frequently Asked Questions