Program Overview

Master of Archival Studies (MAS)

The Master of Archival Studies (MAS) program at the University of British Columbia provides an inspiring space to study archival science and develop professional skills. With an international reputation for intellectual leadership and strong local connections with communities and professionals, the program focuses on the nature of records and archives, managing records from creation to preservation, and records systems and archival systems.

Overview

The program content focuses on:

• Nature of records and archives
• Managing records from creation to preservation
• Records systems and archival systems
• Selection of records and their acquisition in archives
• Intellectual control of records and archives and provision of access
• Records, archives and the law
• Ethical and professional responsibilities
• History of record-keeping and archives
• Archives, recordkeeping and social justice

What makes the program unique?

The Master of Archival Studies program was created at UBC in 1981, making it the first graduate program in archival studies in North America. The School offers students unique opportunities to engage in international research projects in this discipline, with faculty who are internationally recognized for their contributions to research and teaching on digital preservation, computational archival science, and personal recordkeeping.

Quick Facts

• Faculty: Faculty of Arts
• Academic Unit: School of Information
• Specialization: Archival Studies
• Mode of delivery: In person at UBC Vancouver
• Program Components: Coursework + Options
• Tuition (First Year): Domestic: $5,753.49, International: $12,238.90

Admission Information & Requirements

Minimum Academic Requirements

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

• TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based
  • Overall score requirement: 100
  • Reading: 22
  • Writing: 21
  • Speaking: 21
  • Listening: 22
• IELTS: International English Language Testing System
  • Overall score requirement: 7.5
  • Reading: 7.0
  • Writing: 7.0
  • Speaking: 7.0
  • Listening: 7.0

Prior degree, course and other requirements

• The GRE is not required.
• Transcripts: All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study.
• Letters of reference: Applicants have to submit 2 references to apply to this graduate program.
• Statement of Interest: Many programs require a statement of interest, sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.
• Supervision: This program has an optional thesis component. Decisions on supervision are not made during the program application, but at a later time, e.g. after completion of coursework, for students opting to write a thesis.

Research Information

Research Highlights

• InterPARES is a multi-national, interdisciplinary research project exploring issues concerning digital records and data.
• Blockchain and decentralized trust technologies are transforming how records are created, managed and preserved. UBC has launched Canada's first Blockchain and Decentralized Trust Technologies training pathway for graduate students.

Program Components

• Experiential Learning: The iSchool is committed to providing students with a variety of learning experiences while they work on their degrees and excels at providing students with a range of opportunities to attain field-based experience.

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

• Fees:
  • Application Fee: $118.50 (Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat), $168.25 (International)
  • Tuition:
    • Installments per year: 3
    • Tuition per installment: $1,917.83 (Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat), $4,079.62 (International)
    • Tuition per year: $5,753.49 (Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat), $12,238.86 (International)
• Other Fees and Costs:
  • Supplementary fees (once): $240.25
  • Student Fees (yearly): $1,144.10 (approx.)
  • Costs of living: Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies.

Financial Support

• Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based and need-based opportunities.
• Program Funding Packages: Every year, the iSchool awards more than 30 distinct prizes and scholarships to incoming, continuing and graduating Master’s students.
• International students may be automatically eligible for an International Tuition Award valued at $3,200 per year.
• Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding): All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education.
• Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA): Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision.
• Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA): Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students.
• Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA): Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis.
• Financial aid (need-based funding): Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies.
• Foreign government scholarships: Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad.

Career Options

Graduates may find work in such positions as:

• Archivist
• Digital archivist
• Archives curator
• Archives advisor
• Manuscripts processing archivist
• Electronic records archivist
• Audiovisual archivist
• Data/digital curator
• E-discovery advisor
• Privacy and information officer
• Records and information manager
• Records administrator/specialist
• Records analyst
• Records policy and program officer
• Records/preservation system designer
• Research officer
• Security specialist
• And others

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

• ENROLMENT DATA:
  • Applications: 38 (2023), 28 (2022), 60 (2021), 39 (2020), 28 (2019)
  • Offers: 23 (2023), 12 (2022), 16 (2021), 12 (2020), 20 (2019)
  • New Enrolment: 13 (2023), 9 (2022), 10 (2021), 6 (2020), 11 (2019)
  • Total Enrolment: 26 (2023), 23 (2022), 18 (2021), 18 (2020), 25 (2019)
• Completion Rates & Times: This program has a graduation rate of 96% based on 54 students admitted between 2015 - 2018. Based on 29 graduations between 2020 - 2023 the minimum time to completion is 0.33 years and the maximum time is 7.55 years with an average of 2.11 years of study.

Research Supervisors

• This program has an optional thesis component. Decisions on supervision are not made during the program application, but at a later time, e.g. after completion of coursework, for students opting to write a thesis.
• Faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program:
  • Douglas, Jennifer (Personal recordkeeping and archives; Community archives; Person-centred archival theory and practices; Grief and recordkeeping and archives; Emotions and recordkeeping and archives; Archival arrangement and description)
  • Lemieux, Victoria (Blockchain technology and Ecosystems; Trust and Records; Privacy; security; Risk management; Transparency and the public interest)
  • Shaffer, Elizabeth (intersections of race, gender, and digital infrastructures and technologies)

Sample Thesis Submissions

• Sustaining community archives through social innovation model: an exploratory study
• "So that they might be useful in the future": exploring the futurity of international archival initiatives

Related Programs

• Doctor of Philosophy in Library, Archival and Information Studies (PhD)
• Master of Archival Studies and Master of Library and Information Studies (MASLIS)
• Master of Arts in Children's Literature (MA)
• Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS)

Further Information

• Specialization: Archival Studies
• UBC Calendar: graduate-and-postdoctoral-studies/degree-programs/archival-studies
• Program Website:
• Faculty: Faculty of Arts
• Academic Unit: School of Information
• Program Identifier: VGMMAS
• Classification: Natural sciences » Computer and information sciences » Library science and information studies » Archival, repository and related studies