A. We have courses for three categories of students.
Category one: Students who have submitted a formal application to our graduate program for either an M.L.S. or Ph.D. degree and have been accepted.
Category two: Students who want to take a credit course but are not seeking a degree with us (and perhaps not with anyone else either although they might be).
Category three: Students who take non-credit courses. These courses do NOT offer credits; instead they offer CEUs (continuing education units). This is, by far, our largest category of students.

A. Not all the non-credit (CEU) courses are offered for credit. Non-credit courses are required for many reasons: to improve job skills, for pay raises, to keep a certification current, to acquire certification. The largest number of people who take these courses do so because they want to learn what's in them! Our continuing education courses are current and practical. They connect you with colleagues in your field and experts on a variety of subjects. Many people with an M.L.S. take these courses, and many people without a college degree take these courses. Another bonus is that non-credit courses cost much less than credit courses.

A. None. Credit courses, which give credits, are not the same as non-credit courses, which give CEUs (continuing education units). On occasion, one or two of our courses give you a choice of either credits or CEUs. When registering for one of these courses, be sure to pick the section that you want - credit or non-credit.

A. Credit courses lead to a degree if you have submitted a formal application and been admitted to the degree program at UW-Madison. If you're in a degree program at another institution, you'll have to ask your school if they will accept the credits transferred from your UW-Madison course.

Some states, including Wisconsin, have certification levels that do not require getting a degree.

A. Some states, including Wisconsin, require that library directors be certified. Other library workers do not necessarily have to be although we can't speak for all libraries. The certification courses we offer typically lead toward certification as a library director. Each state sets its own requirements for library directors. Check with your state library agency to see what is required where you live and work.

A. Certification requirements differ from state to state, but certification in itself does not lead to any degree. Credit courses lead to a degree. If you have taken credit courses in pursuit of your certification, one or two of them MIGHT apply towards a graduate degree, but only if they are graduate credits (not undergraduate credits). The school you are admitted to will determine what previous credits they will accept when you enter. As a general rule, graduate schools will accept only two courses transferred from another place.

A. Courses offering CEUs do not require a formal application to the University. They require only that you complete the course registration form found on our web site or in our brochure.

A. Your state library agency or library board will tell you what certification they require. Some states require certification before you can be a director of a library. Some states require continuing education units (CEUs) in order to keep your certification current.

A. To answer this question, you must ask your state library agency or library board.

A. The course best suited for your needs can be determined by looking at your job description. What areas are you working in that might be helped by more training? Or, alternately, what areas might you like to move into where the knowledge in our courses might improve your chances for the promotion? Alternately, you might ask your library director which course he or she thinks is best for you, given your background. One of our courses might build nicely on what you've already accomplished. In other words, there is no one right course for everyone to begin with.