[Siged-l] University of Pittsburgh's Online MLIS Program

[FastTrack MLIS at UPitt]

DATE:	 October 2002

SUBJ:	 University of Pittsburgh's Online MLIS Program


We are pleased to announce openings in the third cohort of the University of
Pittsburgh's Online MLIS Program that is outlined below.  Currently, 13
states are represented by the 75 students who are enrolled in this distance
education program.

We would appreciate your assistance in recommending prospective applicants
to this program through your personal or professional networks.  You may
refer students directly to our Web site: http://fasttrack.sis.pitt.edu or
they may contact us at our toll-free number: 800-672-9435.  Thank you for
your help in promoting this educational opportunity for students who could
benefit from the MLIS degree, but who are unable to attend a residential
program.

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The University of Pittsburgh's FastTrack MLIS Program (FT/MLIS) is designed
for adult students who cannot attend the on-campus program in Pittsburgh.
The ALA-accredited degree program is Web-based, and the courses are taught
by faculty from the on-campus program.  The 1999 U.S. News and World Report
ranked the University of Pittsburgh's MLIS program third in the country.

FastTrack students are admitted once a year (starting their classes in the
summer term) as part of a cohort of peers that move through the program
together.  The advantage of organizing student cohorts is that students can
draw upon their peers as well as their instructors for support throughout
the program. Peer interactions play an important part of the on-campus
learning experience, and this interaction plays an important instructional
role in the FT/MLIS Program as well.

The FT/MLIS Program is delivered to students using at least four methods of
instruction:  Web-based asynchronous course delivery, CD-ROM delivery of
course-and program-related materials, synchronized, real-time conferencing
for interactive sessions between instructor and students and among students,
and an on-campus learning experience each term the student is registered for
classes. Asynchronous course delivery via the World Wide Web using
Blackboard's CourseWeb is the primary method of delivering instruction in
the FastTrack MLIS Program.

FT/MLIS students complete two courses each term for six consecutive terms,
completing their degree in two years. During the first summer term,
FastTrack students are required to come to Pittsburgh for five days in July
to complete course requirements, receive hands-on computer training and
become acquainted with each other, the School's faculty and staff and
FastTrack students from another cohort.  In each of the subsequent five
terms, FastTrack students are required to come to campus for a weekend.

The FT/MLIS program offers two tracks. The first track is for individuals
seeking a career in school librarianship as a certified school library media
specialist. The second track is a more general approach to library and
information science, designed for individuals who want to pursue careers in
academic, public or special libraries.

Applications are available for the next group of online student learners for
the University of Pittsburgh's FastTrack MLIS Program. Applications for the
next Cohort are due by Friday, February 14, 2003. (Classes begin on May 12,
2003.)

For more information about the program, please visit our website at
http://fasttrack.sis.pitt.edu/.

If you should have any further questions and/or would like to receive an
application packet, please contact the coordinator of the FastTrack program,
Sue Alman, at 1-800-672-9435 or at salman at mail.sis.pitt.edu.