USC Marshall School of Business
University of Southern California

Program Goals

MMLIS Program Goals

The MMLIS program provides a robust leadership and management focus for students, while also ensuring mastery of the ALA's Core Competencies of Librarianship. The curriculum covers essential facets of librarianship, such as core values, collection development, organization and management of information, and planning/evaluation of programs/services, while also presenting students with opportunities to advance management skills through coursework in leadership development, business essentials, and training/instruction. All foundation and elective MMLIS courses are mapped to the ALA Core Competencies and MMLIS Program Goals. This is available to view here.

Program Goals

Through community connections, strategic orientations and flexibility, the Master of Management in Library and Information Science program develops graduates with potential for success in organizations and in our changing enterprise.

Our Mission

Aligned with the mission of The University of Southern California and the Marshall School of Business, the Master of Management in Library and Information Science (MMLIS) educates professionals with enterprise-wide perspectives to lead work teams, units and organizations to benefit their communities and deliver value.

Intended Student Learning Outcomes

As a minimum, librarian/leaders require capability in the discipline/business and the organization in which it is practiced, together with a strategic orientation and social intelligence. These are undergirded by general intellect, with a strong inclination to continue to learn.

Within this context, graduates of the MMLIS program will be able to:

  • Understand the ecology of libraries and information networks, their unique environments and how they are governed
  • Articulate and employ professional values and ethics in a variety of situations and circumstances
  • Apply and assess management strategies, practices, and decisions
  • Develop and manage content, including negotiating with vendors and licensors, for targeted communities of users
  • Organize, retrieve and manage information for stakeholder benefit
  • Locate, synthesize and translate information to intelligence for various client groups
  • Develop, implement and assess programs and services for enhancing use of information and ideas
  • Understand the role of current and emerging technologies and infrastructure in organizational effectiveness and service delivery
  • Design, apply and interpret different research and evaluation methods to gain insight, assess impact and make appropriate decisions
  • Manage and lead diverse projects and teams, understanding communication and leadership behaviors that affect workplace performance and client satisfaction
  • Apply persuasion and influence through networking, collaboration, and relationship-building
  • Demonstrate a commitment to continued professional education and lifelong learning

Student Assessment

These program goals reflect the USC learning goals, the Marshall overarching goals for all Business school graduates and the required competencies of tomorrow's librarians and information professionals as articulated by the American Library Association. These program goals are then "translated" into objectives for each individual course. Assignments reflect the course objectives. In this way, we assure that each student has addressed elements of these goals in their course of study. To close the assessment loop, each student completes an electronic portfolio as the capstone project, indicating an ability to meet the program goals. Of course, students are provided with support and guidance throughout the process.