Graduates’ Evaluation of the MLIS Program and the Skills Contribution Towards Curriculum Development: The Case of a Private University in the Philippines

This article presents the results of the tracer study on the extent of the MLIS program’s contribution to enhancing the graduates’ skills, namely: a) creativity and innovation, b) critical thinking and problem solving, c) communication and collaboration, d) information, media, and technology skills, and e) life and career skills; and their evaluation of the following domains, namely: a) program of studies and curriculum, b) instructional materials, procedures, and techniques, c) evaluation and grading, d) community service and involvement, e) graduate studies library services, f) graduate studies library physical facilities, g) admission, retention, and student services, and h) research activities of the program using a descriptive quantitative research method. It also employed a non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test to determine the significant difference in the extent of contribution skills and the evaluation of the MLIS program when grouped according to the number of years in the workplace and the number of years as practicing librarians. Findings revealed that the MLIS graduate program contributes significantly to enhancing the skills of practicing librarians and is excellent on their evaluation the MLIS program as a whole. The extent of the MLIS program’s contribution in the graduates’ skills and their evaluation of the program has no effect nor significant relationship when grouped by the number of years in the workplace and the number of years as practicing librarians.