Graduate Credit Courses (Certificate and Nondegree)

All of the courses below are offered online. Check our Online Learning webpage for more information about taking a class online.

Youth Literature Online Certificate Program

This fifteen-credit advanced study of youth literature is designed for teachers, librarians, and other individuals who are concerned with passing on our literary heritage to youth in a technological age. Fourteen different courses are offered in a three year cycle, of which you must select five to earn the certificate. To qualify for admission you must have a master's degree in library science, education, or a related field, or hold a bachelor's degree and have sigificant work experience. You can enter the program in any semester; you may also take these courses individually without pursuing a certificate. For more information about the certificate program, check our Youth Literature Online Certificate Program website. The Fall 2008 courses are:

Fantasy and Speculative Fiction     17:611:542
This course offers professionals serving middle and high school students the opportunity to increase your appreciation and knowledge of fantasy and speculative fiction through intense reading and discussion of representative works. Among the authors whose works we will cover are Ursula LeGuin, William Sleator, and Robin McKinley. You will read texts on topics such as reader response/reception theory and explore the nature of literary response through examination of your own responses the responses of the other professionals in the class. Finally, we will investigate and consider options for teaching Fantasy and Speculative Fiction with young people. Prerequisites: experience in a children's literature course is strongly recommended; experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques, your own reliable Internet account, and the hardware and software required for an online course. Sessions: this course is offered online asynchronously; class runs September 2nd to December 18th. Instructor: Waller Hastings 3 cr. Enrollment limit: 20.

From Seuss to Sendak to Sis     17:611:544
This course will study the development of children's book illustration in the work of three masters of the twentieth century. You will explore the picture books of Dr. Seuss, Maurice Sendak, and Peter Sis, considering issues such as the use of history made by each illustrator and his concern for social context, the relationship of image to text and of illustration to a linear narrative, and repeating motifs and symbols that join individual publications into an organic whole. Students in the course will be divided into groups which will explore the three illustrators; this exploration will include a look at work by other important 20th century contemporaries such as Hillary Knight, Mitsumasa Anno, and Quentin Blake. The final weeks of the semester will be a conference period during which the groups will share some of the papers they have written and together discover how different perceptions, research, and group dynamics led to alternate hypotheses about these three masters. Prerequisites: experience in a children's literature course is strongly recommended; experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques, your own reliable Internet account, and the hardware and software required for an online course. Sessions: this course is offered online asynchronously; class runs September 2nd to December 18th. Instructors: Constance Vidor and Michael Joseph 3 cr. Enrollment limit: 20.

School Library Media Studies

Our graduate courses are appropriate for school library media specialists and those contemplating moving into the school library media center. For general information about New Jersey requirements for work in school libraries and the courses we offer, please check our School Library Media Studies webpage.

We believe the best preparation you can have to work as a school librarian is an MLIS degree and the full School Library Media Certification. For details about Rutgers' MLIS degree, including information about the program in New Brunswick and the online program, please check the MLIS website. However, if you are pursing the Associate School Library Media Certification, or if you have an MLIS but need to fill in some coursework to qualify for the full School Library Media Certification, please contact Melanie Andrich at mandrich@rutgers.edu  or 732-932-7169 for information about using our courses towards your requirements.

These courses in the school library media area are being offered in Fall 2008:

Coordination of School Library Media Programs and Services (formerly Core Competencies for School Library/Media Programs and Services) 17:611:510
An introduction to the functions and services of the K-12 school library media center and the various roles of the library media specialist.  Topics to be addressed in this course include: the library media center as a physical place; the role of the library media specialist in the teaching-learning process; strategies for cooperative program planning and teaching; and policies at the school, district, state and national levels. Prerequisites: experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques, your own reliable Internet account, and the hardware and software required for an online course. Sessions: this course is offered online asynchronously; cclass runs September 2nd to December 18th. Instructor: Alice Yucht. 3 cr. Enrollment limit: 20.

Integrating Your Library Media Program and Your School Curriculum 17:611:511
In this course we will examine how to design a library media program so that it is integrated with a school's curriculum. We will cover both theoretical and practical aspects of instructional program design, including learning theories, information literacy, curriculum standards, and current trends in educational media programs. We will examine the integration of information literacy across the curriculum applying strategies for collaborative planning, team teaching, and implementing inquiry-based learning programs. Prerequisites: experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques, your own reliable Internet account, and the hardware and software required for an online course. Sessions: this course is offered online asynchronously; class runs September 2nd to December 18th. Instructor: Deborah Sparnon . 3 cr. Enrollment limit: 20.

Information Sources and Services 17:611:531
This course is an introduction to standard print and electronic reference resources, placing emphasis on access to information through reference tools and the uses of information by students in K-12 schools and libraries. Course content focuses on how school library media specialists can develop information-literate students by teaching information processing skills and by building an excellent reference collection in their school media centers. Although this course is conducted online, frequent visits to a well-stocked school and/or public library will be necessary in order both to complete assignments and to become acquainted with the reference materials discussed. Prerequisites: experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques, your own reliable Internet account, and the hardware and software required for an online course (see Technical Requirements at http://rutgersonline.net). Sessions: this course is offered online asynchronously; class runs September 2nd to December 18th. Instructor: Shayne Russell. 3 cr. Enrollment limit: 20.

An Educator's Survey of Children's Literature 17:611:547
Whether you took a children's literature course years ago or are a self-taught professional, our survey of children's literature will energize your work with students aged three to twelve. This class will examine print and nonprint materials, including some of the old classics and some of the newer acclaimed books. We will look at research related to children and reading and discuss publishing trends and issues such as intellectual freedom. During the semester you will enhance your ability to select and use books in your classroom or school media center lessons. Prerequisites: experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques, your own reliable Internet account, and the hardware and software required for an online course (see Technical Requirements at http://rutgersonline.net). Sessions: this course is offered online asynchronously; class runs September 2nd to December 18th. Instructor: Grace Oliff. 3 cr. Enrollment limit: 20.

Field Experience 17:611:592
Field experience involves supervised professional work in a library or other information organization. It is required for all individuals seeking certification for school library job titles, whether or not you are emergency or provisionally certified. Students will work under the supervision of a certified professional and in conjunction with a faculty adviser. Coursework includes a minimum of 150 hours of work in a semester, keeping a journal of the experience as well as issues to be explored, attendance at meetings with the faculty adviser, and a brief summary paper. Placement at a work site is based on the student's background and career objectives and must be done through the Professional Development Studies office. Please note that Field Experience is not the same thing as your first year of work in a school library under provisional certification. Check our FAQ for further explanation. Sessions: this course is offered online asynchronously; class runs September 2nd to December 18th. Instructor: Alice Yucht. 3 cr. Enrollment limit: 20.

Arrangements for a field experience must be made by May 15, 2007 for Fall 2007. Students should have completed a minimum of 12 credits in the program, including 611:510 Coordination of School Library Media Programs and Services (or its equivalent) before registering for Field Experience. Students who are emergency or provisionally certified should specify this when requesting field experience so the experience can be designed appropriately.

Courses in the Education Sequence

The two courses below are part of a three-course program that meets the N.J.A.C. requirements for school librarians who have no teaching background to "complete a coherent college program at a regionally accredited college or university that includes a minimum of nine semester-hour credits in educational theory, curriculum design and integration, teaching methodology, student/learning development, and behavior management." Details about our program are available here.

Theory and Foundations of Education for the School Library Media Specialist 17:611:520
An introduction to the historical foundations and major theories and philosophies in education. The focus is on the role of the school library media specialist as a teacher in the media center and the professional community of the school. Students will explore and apply learning and child development theories; develop strategies for communication with students, parents, faculty and staff, administration, and other professionals; and explore legal issues connected to the role of library media specialist. A major component of the class will be to support each student in developing a personal philosophy of education. Prerequisites: permission to enroll in this course will be granted to students who are seeking certification as a school library media specialist or associate school library media specialist, as evidenced by current or previous enrollment in appropriate coursework; experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques, your own reliable Internet account, and the hardware and software required for an online course. Sessions: this course is offered online asynchronously; class runs September 2nd to December 18th. Instructor: Marjorie Pappas . 3 cr. Enrollment limit: 20.

Student Learning Development and Behavior Management for the School Library Media Specialist
17:611:522
An introduction to the characteristics and learning styles of learners, techniques for classroom management, and rules and expectations in the school library and classroom. Prerequisites: permission to enroll in this course will be granted to students who are seeking certification as a school library media specialist or associate chool library media specialist, as evidenced by current or previous enrollment in appropriate coursework; experience using email and basic World Wide Web searching techniques, your own reliable Internet account, and the hardware and software required for an online course (see Technical Requirements at http://rutgersonline.net). Sessions: this course is offered online asynchronously; class runs September 2nd to December 18th. Instructor: Deborah Sparnon. 3 cr. Enrollment limit: 20 per section.

Registration

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