Studies & Degrees in Archival Science
Archival science is the study of how records are selected, organised, preserved and made available over time. The International Council on Archives (ICA) defines archives as the documentary by-product of human activity retained for their long-term value. They come in many formats, including text, photographs, video, sound, analogue and digital. In Spanish-speaking countries the subject is called archivología or archivística, and in Brazil arquivologia.
Students learn to appraise which records are worth keeping, to classify and describe them, to conserve different materials and to give users access. Two principles from the ICA run through most programmes: provenance, which means keeping information about who created a record, and original order, which means preserving records in the arrangement their author gave them. A large part of current teaching deals with digital records. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics lists creating and managing systems to preserve electronic records among the typical duties of an archivist. Closely related fields are records management, which covers documents from the moment they are created, and archive conservation.
Qualifications and levels
The route into the profession differs by country. According to the ICA, some countries have clear routes of entry and qualifications, while in others entry to archival work is less formalised.
- Undergraduate degrees are the usual route in Latin America. The Universidad de Antioquia in Colombia teaches a degree in Archivística that lasts eight semesters and has 130 credits in its current version. The Universidade Estadual de Londrina in Brazil offers a four-year bachelor's degree (bacharelado) in Arquivologia, taught in person in the evening. The Universidad Nacional de Córdoba in Argentina awards the Licenciatura en Archivología; its Escuela de Archivología describes two graduate profiles, Archivero and Licenciado en Archivología.
- Master's degrees are the usual route in the United Kingdom and the United States. In the UK and Ireland, the Archives and Records Association (ARA) accredits university programmes in archives, records management and conservation, with full-time, part-time and distance learning options. In the US, archivists typically need a master's degree in history, library science, archival studies, political science or public administration, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Practical work is part of most programmes. At the Universidad de Antioquia the final placement can be done in a workplace, in research or as an entrepreneurship project.
Where to study it
SpainExchange lists seven active schools for this subject: two in Argentina, two in the United Kingdom, and one each in Mexico, Colombia and Brazil.
In Argentina, the Escuela de Archivología of the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba belongs to the Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades and has trained archivists since 1959. The graduate profiles it publishes range from transcribing colonial palaeographic texts to planning and evaluating archive systems. In Colombia, the Universidad de Antioquia teaches Archivística at its Escuela Interamericana de Bibliotecología in Medellín and treats the subject as one of the information sciences within the social sciences and humanities. In Brazil, the Universidade Estadual de Londrina notes that the profession of archivist is regulated by a law of 1978.
In the United Kingdom, University College London is one of six universities listed by the ARA as providers of accredited programmes, together with Aberystwyth, Dundee, Glasgow, Liverpool and University College Dublin in Ireland.
The language of instruction follows the country: Spanish in Argentina, Colombia and Mexico, Portuguese in Brazil and English in the United Kingdom.
Careers
Graduates work in public archives, companies, universities, cultural institutions and health services. The ARA lists job titles such as archivist, digital archivist, collections assistant and project archivist, and describes records management and archive conservation as separate career paths in the same sector. Graduates of a licenciatura can also plan and direct archive systems or advise on computerised archive systems, according to the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba.
In the United States there were 10,300 archivists in 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Museums, historical sites and similar institutions were the largest employers of archivists, curators and museum workers (36%), followed by government (23%). Employment in this group is projected to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a master's degree to work as an archivist?
It depends on the country. In the United States archivists typically need a master's degree, and in the UK and Ireland the ARA accredits university programmes for the profession. In Argentina, Colombia and Brazil the professional qualification is an undergraduate degree.
How long does a degree in archival science take?
The degree in Archivística at the Universidad de Antioquia lasts eight semesters and the bachelor's degree in Arquivologia at the Universidade Estadual de Londrina lasts four years.
What is the difference between an archivist and a records manager?
According to the ICA there is very little difference in skills. Recordkeepers are responsible for documents from the moment they are created, while archivists tend to take over once records are kept as archives.
Is archival science only about old paper documents?
No. Archives include photographs, film, sound and digital records, and preserving electronic records is a standard part of an archivist's work.