The Master of Library and Information Science degree is a program of basic professional education designed to prepare students for entry into positions in libraries and information centers in colleges, schools, communities, industries, and businesses. The M.L.I.S. program provides students not only a strong core of general knowledge of the profession but also the opportunity to explore individual areas of interest related to career preparation. Instruction is available to students in all areas of South Carolina through an extensive program of distance education. Advances in educational technology made it possible for the University of South Carolina to work cooperatively with appropriate agencies in Georgia, West Virginia, Maine, and Virginia to offer the complete M.L.I.S. program to students in those states who would not otherwise have access to an ALA-accredited program of library and information science.