Professional training for archival work usually occurs at the graduate level. In the past, most archivists learned on the job, but the more knowledge gained at university, the better for the aspiring archivist. Very few institutions offer formal degree programs in archival management. However, the number of institutions offering training for archives jobs is growing. This training is usually part of a master’s degree program in library science or history. The degree of training ranges from a single survey course, to a sequence of courses including an internship and research in the field. Although there is currently no universally accepted standard of minimum qualifications and training for working in archives, a student wishing to become an archivist can prepare himself or herself best by choosing further study that will provide maximum opportunity to learn both the theory and practice of archival science. Whether to pursue a master’s program in history or library science depends primarily on the student’s interests. Some students choose to pursue both programs, and there are some institutions that allow their students to combine studies in this way.
A full-time student can earn a master’s degree in library science in twelve months at most institutions of higher learning in the United States, and a master’s degree in history in twelve to eighteen months, depending on the requirements of individual institutions.
Some students combine receiving academic training with work in an archives. Some institutions hire students on an individual basis and others through special student employment programs. Depending on the number of hours per week that a student works, such work may affect the longer time it takes to earn a degree, but the experience that work provides can be an invaluable part of a student’s preparation for archival work.
What other opportunities are there to become involved with archives?
In addition to archives management coursework as part of a formal academic degree program, some archival institutions and universities also offer stand-alone seminars and courses in archives management. These programs are one to six weeks in length and provide hands-on experience as well as an introduction to the basic principles of archives. They often enroll only those already working in archives and libraries.