The Graduate Certificate in Archival Studies is designed to give students a solid grounding in the core knowledge of the archives and records management profession. The curriculum is structured around the guidelines for graduate programs set by the Society of American Archivists, ensuring that students will be competitive for jobs in a range of institutions possessing archival collections.
For graduate students in other degree programs, the Certificate will provide an opportunity to learn more about archival practices as they affect the composition and meaning of cultural artifacts and the historical record. In addition, the program will offer advanced continuing education opportunities to practitioners working in libraries and archives, especially on the challenges posed by the emerging of digital recordkeeping.
Student Outcomes
This program is built around the official guidelines of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) for graduate archival studies programs, which call for a minimum of 18 credits as a foundation for archives and records management professionals. Upon graduation, students will have a thorough grounding in the core knowledge of the profession, focusing on the nature of records and the basic archival functions of records appraisal, acquisition, arrangement, description, preservation, reference, access, outreach, and archives administration. Students will also gain essential contextual knowledge of the organizational, legal, and cultural factors shaping archival records as they are created and managed over time.
The ever-increasing pace of technological innovation requires a more information-savvy workforce that understands not only the how, what, where, when, and why of technology and data but how to apply that knowledge. At the University of Arizona’s School of Information, we have faculty and students engaged in research and education around all aspects of the information sciences without regard for disciplinary boundaries. We do research in: artificial intelligence; data management and curation; computer vision; computer-mediated communication and learning; natural language processing; social networking; human computer interfaces; dark networks; computational art creation; eCommerce, eGovernment, and eHealth; computational music; library sciences; educational and entertainment technologies; and much more.
We are preparing our graduates to be the doers, thinkers, solvers, and game-changers, not only of the problems and opportunities we see now, but also of the myriad scenarios we can’t yet imagine but are sure to arise during our students’ lifetimes.
**The Masters of Information degree has undergone a name change effective Spring 2023. Interested future students should search for the Masters of Science in Information Science, with sub-plans in either Machine Learning or Human-Centered Computing**
School of Information
Arizona International Direct - Online
University of Arizona - Main - Tucson
Arizona Online - Online
The School of Information applies the same minimum criteria as it does for the Master of Arts in Library and Information Science.
All students are required to complete certificate coursework within 4 years.
If you are not a current student in the School of Information, Master of Arts in Library and Information Science program, please carefully read the minimum requirements to apply for certificate admission.
Please complete this online application for admission to the Graduate College with and pay the application fee. As part of the online application, you are required to submit the following materials.
Please email official e-Transcripts to si-transcripts@email.arizona.edu directly from the institution or mail one official transcript to the following address (do not send to the Graduate College). Official transcripts from ALL higher education institutions attended are required.
School of Information
The University of Arizona
Harvill 409
1103 E 2nd St.
Tucson, AZ 85721
If you are a current student in the Master of Arts in Library and Information Science program and meet the minimum requirements for this certificate, please submit the following:
Both the application and written statement will be reviewed by the Certificate Coordinator for a decision.
No standarized tests required.
Financial Aid Opportunities are available for students completing a certificate program through Arizona Online. Please contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OFSA) for more information.
There may be funding opportunities available through the School of Information, if completing both a Master of Arts in Library and Information Science and a certificate program. Please see the School of Information Graduate Funding webpage for information and deadlines to apply.
Admission Deadlines:
Fall Semester: June 1
Spring Semester: October 15
Summer Semester: March 15
International Admission Deadlines:
Fall Semester: February 15
Spring Semester: September 1
Summer Semester: March 1
Arizona International Direct:
Fall Semester: July 15
Spring Semester: November 15
Summer Semester: May 1
International applicants will not be considered for conditional admission by this program.
4832
12
Certificate Requirements
The certificate requires a minimum of 12 to 15 credit hours in total (depending on admissions qualifications), including 9-12 units from required courses and 3 units from an elective course.
Required Courses [12 credits]:
LIS 540: Introduction to Archives (3 units)
LIS 640: Advanced Archives (3 units)
LIS 671: Introduction to Digital Collections (3 units)
Elective Courses [3 credits]:
LIS 504: Foundations of Library and Information Services (3 units)
LIS 530: Cataloging and Metadata Management (3 units)
LIS 541: Preservation (3 units)(available to main campus students only)
LIS 557: Documenting Diverse Cultures and Communities (3 units)
LIS 570: Database Management and Development (3 units)
LIS 584: Introduction to Copyright (3 units)
LIS 641: Community-focused Archives and Museums (3 units)
LIS 672: Introduction to Applied Technology (3 units)
LIS 673: Managing the Digital Information Environment (3 units)
LIS 674: Preserving Digital Collections (3 units)
LIS 675: Advanced Digital Collections (3 units)
LIS 693: Internship (3 units)
LIS 699: Independent Study (3 units)
N/A
Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.