Competency-based education (CBE) is an emerging model for higher education designed to reduce certain barriers to educational attainment. This essay describes CBE and the challenges and opportunities for academic librarians desiring to serve students and faculty in Library and Information Management Master of Library Science (MLS) programs. Every level of postsecondary education is implicated, as CBE programs exist at for-profit, nonprofit, private, and public universities, colleges, and community colleges offering degrees at the associate's, bachelor's, and master's levels. Most programs are entirely online, while some schools offer CBE in addition to traditional on-campus learning. In the coming years, many institutions will consider incorporating this potentially powerful credentialing model into their degree offerings. Librarians must prepare now to advocate to administrators and prepare services for this new patron base, as the nascence of CBE offers a window of opportunity for librarians to inform its development.