Postgraduate Studentships - Search for funding opportunities.
Postgraduate Studentships - Search for funding opportunities.
Study Details: 1 year
We welcome students from all over the world who have diverse experiences and disciplinary backgrounds, who share different perspectives and ideas that enrich peer discussions and enhance the learning experience on the programme. We’re the number one university in the world for library and information management (QS World University Rankings by subject 2025), which is a reflection of the quality of content on the course, the research expertise you will benefit from, and the links to professional practice that will help you with your future career goals.
The course provides a professionally oriented curriculum to develop the core competencies of the library and information profession, as defined in the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) Professional Knowledge and Skills Base, including how information is managed, organised, governed and made available to users.
You will also gain key skills in leadership, management and strategic service design, and understand how to be a reflective practitioner and the ethical principles and values that underpin the library and information profession.
Through engagement with research-active academic staff and current practitioners, you will learn about cutting-edge developments in library research and practice, including scholarly communication, information behaviour, information and knowledge management, the role of artificial intelligence in library services and the provision of inclusive library services to diverse communities.
You will learn how to apply current practices in library and information services management, for example how to apply the principles of cataloguing, classification, metadata and controlled vocabularies, how to teach information literacy, and how to design inclusive and sustainable library spaces.
The MA and PG Diploma awards are accredited by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) which is recognised by professional associations in the USA, Canada, Ireland and Australia.
Minimum 2:1 undergraduate honours degree in any subject.
You should also have around 12 months' information-related practical work experience. This is flexible depending on the level and relevance of your experience. If you don’t have a degree but your professional experience is extensive, you might be able to take the postgraduate certificate or diploma and upgrade to the MA later.
Our library and information services management course has been designed for people preparing to take the next step in their careers or who wish to explore other opportunities within the profession.
Library and information services require professionals who can support people to navigate an information-rich world. This programme will enable you to develop the skills and competencies desired by employers, those defined by CILIP’s Professional Knowledge and Skills Base and the Sheffield Graduate Attributes.
There is a core employability and professional development strand woven throughout the course, aligned with current job descriptions in the sector and feedback from our professional networks. You will have opportunities to reflect on your professional experiences to date and set objectives for future career development.
Many of our library and information services management students have advanced their careers during their time on the programme.
Graduates are employed in roles such as:
You’ll need 180 credits to get a masters degree, with 90 credits from core modules, 30 credits from optional modules and a dissertation (including dissertation preparation) worth 60 credits.
Core modules:
Information Literacy (distance learning)
Libraries, Information and Society (distance learning)
Leadership, Strategy and Change (distance learning)
Information Organisation (distance learning)
Information and Knowledge Management (distance learning)
Personal and Professional Development Portfolio (distance learning)
Research Methods and Dissertation Preparation (distance learning)
Dissertation (distance learning)
Optional modules - two from:
Academic and Workplace Library, Information and Knowledge Services (distance learning)
Database Design and Data Management (distance learning)
Public, School, and Prison Library Services (distance learning)
Information Governance and Ethics (distance learning)
Other courses:
Postgraduate Certificate requires a total of 60 credits
Postgraduate Diploma requires a total of 120 credits
A QS world top-100 university Studying at the University of Sheffield means you’ll get the future that follows a degree from a Russell Group Universit...
Wed 29 Apr 2026