The MA Archives & Records Management programme in the School of History trains students to select, curate and ensure access to the historic and future memory contained in records. It is aimed at graduates who wish to acquire the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to enable them to ethically manage records and archives in all formats, from medieval manuscripts to born digital records.
The programme is based on the conception of the record-keeper as a reflective professional, who is informed in terms of adherence to international best practice, creative in the delivery of services, sensitive to cultural difference, and dynamic in relation to technological change.
The programme’s learning environment comprises lectures, seminars, field trips, practitioner visits and work placements. Onsite facilities allow students to gain practical experience of archival preservation, processing and digitization, often working in collaboration with internal or external archival repositories. UCD is also very conveniently located for the use of Dublin city centre research and cultural institutions, including the National Library of Ireland and the National Archives where an extensive range of Irish manuscripts and Irish state papers are housed.
This MA is the entry-level professional qualification for archivists and records managers in Ireland and globally.
UCD’s programme has an international reputation and has long-standing accreditation by the Archives and Records Association (UK and Ireland).
The MA curriculum provides students with practical knowledge based on a strong theoretical foundation.
