Applicants should normally have a master's degree in Library and Information Studies (or equivalent). Master's degrees in other fields will be considered in relation to the proposed research.
An applicant with a master's degree in Library and Information Studies (or equivalent) will normally be admitted to Ph.D. 2.

An applicant with a master's degree in another field may be considered for admission to Ph.D. 2, but may need to register for courses to upgrade background knowledge in library and information studies.

The applicant must present evidence of academic achievement: a minimum standing equivalent to a ''McGill'' cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.0 out of a possible 4.0 or a grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 out of 4.0 for the last two full-time academic years if the overall CGPA is 2.8 or higher.

Applicants to graduate studies whose mother tongue is not English, and who have not completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized foreign institution where English is the language of instruction or from a recognized Canadian institution (anglophone or francophone), must submit documented proof of competency in oral and written English prior to admission. Such proof normally comprises the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 100 on the Internet-based test (iBT, or 600 on the paper-based test [PBT]), with a written score of at least 25 and a reading, speaking, and listening score not less than 20, or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a minimum overall band score of 7.5.