ARCHIVES AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES

University College London (UCL) offers MA, Diploma and Certificate programmes in Archives and Records Management. This page provides answers to some frequently asked questions about these programmes.

Other pages provide information about other opportunities for studying archives and records management at UCL:
• short courses and continuing professional development
• MSc and MRes programmes for mid-career professionals
• professional qualifications for international students: MA/Diploma/Certificate in Records and Archives Management (International)
• research degrees: MPhil and PhD.


What is the MA/Diploma in Archives and Records Management?

The MA/Diploma programme is primarily intended for graduates who intend to pursue a career in archives or records management within the United Kingdom. It provides the opportunity to learn to manage, organise, describe, interpret and provide access to records and archives created by a wide range of organisations and individuals. Students learn to manage records created in the present and those inherited from the past, and also to maintain and preserve records for use in the future.

The main focus of the programme is on written records and archives, in both digital and hard copy format. Teaching and learning give equal emphasis to the management of records for business purposes within the organisations where they are created, and to their longer-term preservation and use for historical research and other cultural purposes.

As a modular programme, it offers 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.

For the MA and Diploma, UCL provides seven core modules (Principles of Archives and Records Management, Preservation, Access, Records Management, Archival Description, Management Skills, Reading and Interpretation of Archives from 1500) which aim to build a solid foundation of understanding, knowledge and practical skills. Students’ individual interests can be explored in depth through an eighth module which offers a choice of options and through the MA dissertation. Click here to view further details of the programme.

The MA and Diploma are accredited by the Society of Archivists and are widely recognised by employers throughout the UK as entry-level professional qualifications.


What are the admission requirements?

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. A knowledge of Latin to GCE A level standard is required for those wishing to take the optional module P011 English Medieval Archives.


How can I obtain the work experience that I need?

Some applicants take paid work at pre-professional level; others obtain some or all of their experience on a voluntary basis. The Forum for Archives and Records Management Education and Research, of which UCL is a member, has published guidance for applicants seeking work experience in archives and records management. A copy of this is [where?].
 
Suitable posts are often advertised on the archives-nra listserv, which can be joined at <http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk>. The Society of Archivists may also be able to put applicants in touch with employers offering suitable short-term vacancies: telephone 01823 323363 or see <http://www.archives.org.uk/careers/careerinformation/workexperienceplacement.html>.

One archival internship is available annually at The National Archives in London. Recruitment for this internship is organised jointly by The National Archives and UCL, and the intern can expect to be offered a place to study for a professional qualification at UCL, subject to satisfactory progress during the internship. The internship is advertised in June each year. Further details are available from the Personnel Department, The National Archives, Kew, Richmond TW9 4DU.


How much time commitment is required to study at UCL?

Full-time study for the Diploma takes nine months, from late September to early June.

Full-time study for the MA requires a calendar year (September-September), with the summer months being occupied by work on the MA dissertation.

• The full-time programme begins with an induction week in late September, when students attend a range of events to introduce them to UCL.

• In term time (October-December and January-March), classes, lectures, seminars and field visits occupy four days each week. Classes are held in the morning (10.00-1.00) or afternoon (2.00-5.00). In addition, time should be allowed for private study and for completion of coursework.

• Full-time students often undertake casual paid employment at evenings or weekends, but full-time study cannot be combined with a part-time job.

Distance learning courses are not offered at UCL, but part-time study (attending one or two days per week) is available for students who do not wish to attend on a full-time basis.

• For the MA or Diploma, attending one day per week ideally requires four years of study. It may be possible to complete in three years on this basis, but (depending on timetabling, options chosen, and so on) most students who complete in three years find that they have to attend for two days a week in one or two terms, and for one day a week in the others.

• Attending two days per week allows the MA or Diploma to be completed in two years.


Should I consider the Certificate in Archives and Records Management?

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

Certificate students take four modules, choosing at least three of them from the following: Principles of Archives and Records Management, Preservation, Access, Records Management, Archival Description, Management Skills, Reading and Interpretation of Archives from 1500. Their fourth module may be chosen from the same list or they may choose another option such as English Medieval Archives, Manuscript Studies, English Historical Frameworks, Advanced Preservation, Web Publishing or Markup: EAD and TEI.

The Certificate can be completed in a half year of full-time study; in one year, attending two days per week; or in two years, attending one day per week.

The Certificate is not accredited by the Society of Archivists 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 50 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 e-TERM, the European Training Programme in Electronic Records Management, and LEADERS, an XML-based project linking Encoded Archival Description to encoded transcripts and images of archival documents. 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/Certificate in Archives and Records Management is taught in conjunction with the MA/Diploma/Certificate 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 the capital city.


How much does it cost?

Click here to view details of fees for UCL's postgraduate programmes.


Are grants, scholarships or loans available?

English, Welsh and Northern Irish applicants may be eligible for an award from the Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB) under its