Studying archives and records management at DIS

UCL:DIS offers a range of opportunities for those who wish to study archives and records management or seek to obtain a qualification in this field.


First professional and entry-level qualifications

Our MA/Diploma/Certificate programmes are designed for new entrants to the profession, and for those who have been working in archives or records management at professional or paraprofessional level but do not yet have a formal qualification.

The programme in Archives and Records Management is primarily intended for graduates who intend to pursue a career in archives or records management within the United Kingdom. Please follow this link for further details about the programme in Archives and Records Management.

The programme in Records and Archives Management (International) is primarily intended for those pursuing, or intending to pursue, a career in archives or records management outside the United Kingdom. Please follow this link for further details about the programme in Records and Archives Management (International).


The MA and Diploma

For the Diploma, students take eight taught modules; for the MA, eight taught modules and a Masters dissertation. Both the MA and the Diploma are accredited by the Archives and Records Association (UK and Ireland) as entry-level professional qualifications.

UCL provides seven core modules, and students' individual interests can be further explored in depth through the eighth module which offers a choice of options and through the MA dissertation.

As modular programmes, the MA and Diploma offer considerable flexibility in modes of study:

• the MA or Diploma can be completed in a single year of full-time study,
• or can be taken over two, three or four years on a part-time basis.

Normal requirements for admission are a first or second class honours degree and about a year's experience of paid or voluntary employment in an established archive or records service, or experience in a post where management of archives or records is a substantial part of the postholder's responsibility.


The Certificate

Those who seek a shorter programme of study may wish to apply for admission to UCL's Certificate programme.

The Certificate programme comprises four taught modules and can be completed in a half year of full-time study, or more gradually over one or two years.

The Certificate is not accredited by the Archives and Records Association and thus is not recognised as a full professional qualification, but is suitable for those who wish to gain some basic knowledge of archives or records management. Admission requirements are the same as for the MA and Diploma.


Why should I choose to study at UCL?

Archives management has been taught at UCL for over 60 years, making this one of the longest-established archive education programmes in the English-speaking world. It was founded on the initiative of Sir Hilary Jenkinson, the eminent archivist whose thinking laid the foundations of archival science in English-speaking countries worldwide. Although its content and structure have changed greatly over the years, keeping pace with developments in the archives and records disciplines and in information technology, the UCL programme continues to reflect Jenkinson's emphasis on maintaining the highest standards in the teaching of archival principles and practice.
 
As a metropolis, London hosts not only a large number of records management services, but also the broadest and finest grouping of historical archives in any city in the English-speaking world. With its base in the centre of London, the UCL programme is able to call on an impressive range of visiting speakers, as well as giving students frequent opportunities for structured field visits to study archives and records management practices in a variety of organisations in both the public and the private sector. UCL's central location also provides easy access to the many other social and cultural attractions which London can offer.
 
UCL's teaching and research staff are regular participants in innovative projects such as LEADERS, an XML-based project linking Encoded Archival Description to encoded transcripts and images of archival documents, and the Community Archives and Identities project, which investigated the importance of community archives and their role in the production of community identity. Teaching at UCL draws on the staff's involvement in leading-edge projects such as these, as well as their extensive practical experience of archives and records work.
 
The MA/Diploma in Archives and Records Management is taught in conjunction with the MA/Diploma in Records and Archives Management (International), which attracts overseas students to London from all parts of the world. Some modules are relevant to more than one professional domain and are shared with UCL's programmes in Library and Information Studies and Electronic Communication and Publishing. UCL thus offers a unique opportunity to study archives and records alongside fellow-students from a wide variety of backgrounds, while taking advantage of the many professional contacts and educational opportunities available in one of the world's great cities.
 

How to Apply
Please follow the link to: Graduate study