Program Overview

Master in Records Management and Archival Studies

Programme Overview

The two-year Master degree programme in Records Management and Archival Studies offered at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi has been designed in collaboration with the UAE National Archives due to high demand in this field. The programme is taught in English by lecturers and international industry experts that provide students with the highest levels of scientific and professional skills in a field that has been rapidly developing in recent decades.

Programme Objectives

The Master degree programme in Records Management and Archival Studies is a comprehensive programme for decision-makers, that provides high level of intellectual education, the ability to think critically and autonomously, and conduct research on new topics.

The programme will prepare students to become seasoned professionals in the field, especially in the wake of digital revolution and transition towards e-administration and paperless administration, it aims to:

• Prepare students for successful and productive careers in senior and middle management positions in private and public, local and international organisations, and/or for pursuing doctoral studies in records and archives management
• Provide students with the core knowledge and professional skills in records management that would enable them to evaluate international norms and practices, prepare them for managing projects and information governance in a variety of organisational contexts
• Instil leadership and critical thinking skills in students to address challenges related to records and archives, and implement appropriate solutions
• Advancing cultural awareness through preserving documentary materials of all types and forms, and promoting research and discovery

Programme Structure

The structure of the curriculum itself and of the individual courses is a result of the awareness of the scholarly and practical nature of the archival work.

The programme aims to inculcate decision-making in various areas such as policy design, appraisal of records, systems, and technologies, and the management of teams and projects. Though management is an integral part of each course, a course in management concludes the two years by bringing together the techniques, tools and strategies of organisational management referred to in the other courses taught throughout the programme.

Programme Duration and Delivery Language

• Programme duration: 2 years
• Delivery language: English

Degree Awarded and Accreditation

• Degree awarded: Master in Records Management and Archival Studies
• Accreditation: The curriculum follows the European ECTS system and the degree is awarded by Sorbonne University in Paris. This programme is officially accredited by the UAE Commission for Academic Accreditation.

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor in a relevant field with a CGPA of 3 out of 4 or equivalent.
• Candidates with a GPA between 2.5 and 2.99 (or equivalent scores as per the equivalency table) may be conditionally admitted under probation during the first semester.
• IELTS certificate with minimum overall band of 6.0 with a validity of 2 years or TOEFL certificate with minimum score of 79 (or equivalent) with a validity of 2 years.
• Native English speaker who completed 3 full years in an English-medium institution within a maximum period of 3 years or equivalent.

Tuition Fees and Scholarships

• Programme tuition fees (over 2 years): AED 166,400 (approximately US$ 45,344)
• 25% academic excellence scholarship for new joiners with a Bachelor CGPA average of 3.6/4.0 and above, or equivalent.
• 20% Alumni preferential rate for Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi alumni.
• 25% preferential rate upon enrolment on a second master’s degree for applicants holding a master degree from SUAD.
• 5%-15% corporate rate for companies and organisations.
• 10% Family discount for students who have a first-degree relative currently enrolled in an undergraduate or a postgraduate programme.

Programme Curriculum

Year 1 – Semester 1

• Records Management Foundation
  • Archival Theories and Concepts
  • Archival Diplomatics
  • Records Management/ Advanced Records Management
  • The Juridical Administrative UAE System in the Age of Digital Transformation
  • IT (Information Technology) and Archives
  • Records Management in Business & Administrative contexts
  • Academic and Administrative Writing

Year 1 – Semester 2

• Managing data at the new era of digital transformation
  • Information Governance
  • Digital Recordkeeping
  • Database Design
  • IT Security and Risk Management
  • Research and Scholarship
  • Records Management in Business and Administrative contexts
  • Data Analysis I
  • Professional Arabic for Archival Terminology

Year 2 – Semester 1

• Arrangement, Access & Preservation of Hybrid Data
  • Archives System / Business System Analysis
  • Archives Organisation and Description / Advanced Archives Organisation and Description
  • Digital Preservation
  • Preservation of Archival Materials
  • E-Records and e-Archives Law
  • Records Management in Business & Administrative Contexts
  • Data Analysis II

Year 2 – Semester 2

• Archival valuation and organisational management
  • Archival Appraisal and Acquisition
  • Archival Access and Dissemination
  • Big Data Processing and Valuation
  • Non-textual and Audiovisual Records
  • Management of Information Organisations
  • Research Project Dissertation
  • Professional Arabic for Archival Terminology

Strategic Partners

• Geneva School of Business Administration
• National Library and Archives
• International Council on Archives

Career Opportunities

As a Records Manager or an Archival Specialist, graduates of this programme will be able to:

• Accurately articulate ideas about records, as well as theories and practices related to archives fluently and thoughtfully in a variety of communication modes for diverse audiences
• Engage critically and creatively with emerging professional and societal issues
• Identify asset value from daily acquired information
• Positively transform organisational effectiveness and innovation
• Capture, store, preserve and make accessible the information needed in future for the businesses
• Capture records for long-term archival preservation and use
• Ensure records retain their value in terms of accountability, cultural memory, and business needs

Such efforts contribute to optimising business operations and to promoting cultural awareness and dialogue.