Program Overview

Archives and Records Management

Key Facts

• Qualification: MA
• Course duration: 1 year
• Available for: September start 2025

Course Overview

The Department of Information Studies has a well-established international reputation in teaching and research in information studies. Studying in a town with a rich information history and range of cultural organisations with which the Department has close links, including:

• National Library of Wales (one of the UK’s five copyright libraries)
• Royal Commission for Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
• Welsh Books Council
• Ceredigion Archives
• Ceredigion Museum

About this course

• Why study Archive and Records Management at Aberystwyth University?
  • Hands-on project working with professional archivists
  • In-depth study of palaeography using documents in different hands
  • Medieval and post-medieval palaeography pathways
  • Training in industry standard cataloguing and preservation software
  • Intensive dissertation workshop to support research topic identification and develop research skills
  • Professional conferences, visits and lectures

Modules September start - 2025

Year 1

• Core:
  • Access, outreach and advocacy (ILM2020, 20 credits)
  • Archives and Records - Practical Project (ILM2410, 10 credits)
  • Collections Care (ILM2120, 20 credits)
  • Recordkeeping Process and Practice (ILM2520, 20 credits)
  • Recordkeeping Theories and Contexts (ILM2610, 10 credits)
  • Dissertation (ILM1460, 60 credits)
• Options:
  • Digital and Audio-visual Collections (ILM2220, 20 credits)
  • Knowledge and Information Architecture (ILM8620, 20 credits)
  • Latin for Postgraduate Study (HYM2120, 20 credits)
  • Medieval and Post -Medieval Palaeography and Diplomatic (ILM1820, 20 credits)
  • Post Medieval Palaeography and Diplomatic (ILM4120, 20 credits)
  • Rare Books and Special Collections (ILM8120, 20 credits)

Careers

This course will also equip you with a wide range of general work skills such as research, analysis, writing, presentation and management, ensuring your employability is improved across all areas. Upon graduation, you will have proven your abilities in structuring and communicating ideas efficiently, writing for and speaking to a range of audiences, evaluating and organizing information, working effectively with others and working within time frames and to specific deadlines.

Teaching & Learning

• The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study:
  • Recordkeeping Theories and Contexts
  • Recordkeeping Process and Practice
  • Access, Outreach, and Advocacy
  • Collections Care
  • Archives and Records Practical Project
  • Research in the Profession
• Choose from a list of optional modules including:
  • Manuscript Skills
  • Digital Collection Development
  • Rare Books Librarianship
• How will I be taught? A wide variety of teaching methods are used. You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, workshops and practical classes. High quality teaching and supervision will enable you to realise your full potential. You will be encouraged to take responsibility for your own learning and work on projects both individually and in groups.
• Assessment: A number of different types of assessment are used throughout the programme. In addition to essays and written exams, you will give individual and group presentations. You will receive constructive feedback on all coursework assignments.

Typical Entry Requirements

• Entry Requirements: 2:2 Bachelors (Honours) degree in any subject, or equivalent, with 6 weeks (around 200 hours) work experience in a relevant sector. Non-graduates will be considered individually based on relevant work experience.
• English Language Requirements: IELTS 6.5 with minimum 5.5 in each component, or equivalent
• Other Requirements: Applicants should provide details of previous relevant work/volunteer experience at the point of application and include an up-to-date CV.