University of Kentucky School of Library and Information Science

Northern Kentucky University | University of Louisville |
Course Planning Guide | DL FAQ

Off-Campus Degree Program; Distance Learning Opportunities; and Part-time Study

The School's online course offerings allow students not based in Fayette County to complete the program with minimal time in Lexington.

The School offers certain Distance Learning (DL) courses that typically require little student presence on the main campus. Distance Learning courses utilize a variety of delivery methods, but is primiarly online. It should be noted that courses taught via any of these delivery methods often require some class meetings in Lexington or at a remote site, and that while they can offer increased flexibility, it is the responsibility of the student to explore the requirements of each individual class.

The School supports Part-Time studies in a variety of ways; in addition to the availability of online courses, some courses are scheduled in late afternoon or evening, providing better access to the School’s master’s-degree program.

Northern Kentucky University Program

For many years the School has operated a distance learning program at Northern Kentucky University. Students areno longer required to take a specified number of courses in Lexington (although some courses taught via the Internet may require some class meetings in Lexington, and certain elective courses will be only offered on the Lexington campus). The School has developed a new course offerings guide, by semester, to aid in planning.

Louisville Program

In response to a request by the University of Louisville, Louisville Free Public Library, and Jefferson County Schools, the UK School of Library and Information Science has offered a degree program there since 1999. Distance-learning students are no longer required to take a specified number of courses in Lexington (although some courses taught via the Internet may require some class meetings in Lexington, and certain elective courses will be only offered on the Lexington campus). A course guide is available to assist Louisville area students in their program planning.

Questions may be sent to Will Buntin, Student Affairs, at: will.buntin@uky.edu

DL FAQ

  1. If a course is offered via the Internet, can I assume there will be no face-to-face requirements?
    No - most (if not all) Internet delivered courses will require some face-to-face meetings either on the Lexington campus and/or an off-campus site.
  2. OK, so if I'm taking a NKU or Louisville section of an Internet course, can I assume that any face-to-face requirement will take place at those sites?
    No, you should not assume that. Many NKU or Louisville designated sections will be taught by Lexington campus faculty who may require visits to Lexington for the meetings, since their students live in multiple areas around the region. Courses taught by local part-time instructors will likely meet in their local areas, as well.
  3. I'm a Lexington campus student - can I register for DL courses with Louisville or NKU section numbers?
    Yes.
  4. Should I expect that all LIS courses will be offered in a DL format?
    No. Students who plan to engage the program only via DL options must accept that they may not get some courses they deem of importance and that they may need to take some DL courses of marginal interest to their career plans to achieve a 36 hour program.
  5. How do I know what to plan on in the way of DL courses?
    We have developed a course planning guide that shows our intended DL courses. Note that this is subject to change; courses may not be delivered as scheduled if unforeseen circumstances arise and conversely, additional courses could be added to this list.
  6. Will every DL course be offered every semester?
    No (see course planning guide). Since some courses are offered on a rotating schedule, DL students need to pay particular attention to the timing of the courses they need and their related prerequisites.
  7. Who will keep me informed about the meeting requirements of my DL classes?
    While we will try to make as much information available as we can by postings on our web site, it is always the responsibility of the student to explore the requirements of all classes they register for.