Library and Information Science: Archives Management Concentration

Our Master of Library and Information Science (MS): Archives Management Concentration at Simmons University helps students gain knowledge in collecting, appraising and preserving documents and materials found in manuscripts, moving images and photographs, oral-history recordings, multimedia, government records and literary correspondence.

Archivists are in high demand as society becomes more concerned with preserving our heritage. We know you've done your research. So you probably know that Simmons has the #1 ranked Archives Management program in the country — but is it right for you?

Because of our location in historic New England, we offer our students access to unique resources for study and research not found in other parts of the country. Our students go onto successful careers as processing, reference, digital assets and preservationist archivists.

The Master’s in Library Science: Archives Management Concentration can be completed entirely online. In addition to face-to-face classroom options in Boston and at SLIS West (South Hadley and Amherst, Massachusetts), students can embark on a blended approach, combining online and face-to-face courses that meet their academic needs.

Why study in the Archives Management Concentration?

The archival profession has been growing steadily as the number of records and the knowledge and social consciousness about saving them have increased. You'll establish and maintain proper repositories in public and private organizations — such as public archives, colleges and universities, museums and cultural heritage sites, photographic and film collections, public libraries, foundations, government agencies and corporations.

U.S. News & World Report Best Grad Schools Badge for Library & Information Studies, Archives

Ranked among the best

Simmons University is ranked #1 for Archives and Preservation by U.S. News and World Report.

What will you learn?

The Master's in Library and Information Science with Archives Management Concentration is a 36-credit program that imparts the concepts and competencies needed for archival positions in a variety of settings. In addition to three core courses in library and information science, Archives Management students take five core courses in areas such as archival arrangement and description, archives management, archival access, and managing electronic records.

All students complete one 60-hour internship in an archival setting as part of the curriculum. To fulfill the additional semester hours required for the degree, Archives Management concentrators work with their advisor to design a program to meet individual backgrounds and goals, which can include electives from across the library and information science curriculum.

What can you do with an Archives Management Concentration?

Students who graduate with the Archives Management Concentration find employment in archives of all kinds. Opportunities include:

  • Processing Archivist: Arrange archival materials in folders and boxes, and create finding aids that describe the contents of a collection.
  • Reference Archivist: Assist researchers in finding relevant materials.
  • Digital Assets Archivist: Manage the digital holdings of an archive, including digital photographs and computer files. Digitize important collections and maintain online access to these materials.
  • Preservationist: Specialize in protecting archival materials from the damage that can arise from weather, environmental conditions, natural disasters, and age.
  • Outreach Archivist: Increase outreach to undeserved and expanded communities through partnership, collaboration, and programming.

Graduates of our archives program also go on to work in a variety of settings such as:

  • University Archives
  • Special Collections
  • Government Archives
  • Historical Societies
  • Corporate Archives

Learn more about our Archives Management Concentration!

Take advantage of Boston while taking library science and archives degree courses on a flexible schedule, with classes held on days, nights, and weekends. Or, join Simmons from far away—the option to complete the degree online provides the utmost flexibility for students from every corner of the world. Ready find out more about the Master of Library and Information Science with a concentration in Archives Management at Simmons? Request more information today!

Students in the MS (LIS) degree program must complete 36 credits of graduate coursework to be qualified to earn the MS (LIS) degree.

MS (LIS) students must maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 to continue in the program.

Students in the School Library Teacher (SLT) concentration must receive a “B” (3.0) or better in every course. Any course in which the student has received a grade lower than a B must be repeated before the candidate may enroll in a practicum or be recommended for licensure. See “Degree Progress and Academic Sanctions” for further information.

Concentrations and Specializations

LIS students may choose to focus their studies by following a degree concentration curriculum designed to prepare students to work in a variety of information institutions with a diversity of materials and tools. Students who choose to concentrate their studies must complete the LIS core courses required of all MS students as well as a sequence of courses required to earn the degree concentration.

Program Requirements

MS (LIS) students are required to complete three courses equaling nine (9) credits of core coursework in library and information science.

LIS407 Information Sources & Services 3
LIS415 Information Organization 3
 
LIS488 Technology for Information Professionals 3
or, if a student is in the School Library Teacher Program (SLTP)
LIS460 Technology and the School Library Teacher 3

These core courses must be completed within a student’s first twelve (12) hours of coursework. SLT students must complete LIS 407 and LIS 415 within their first twelve (12) hours of coursework and may complete LIS 460 any time during the course of their degree program.

The School has initiated a program to provide a common base of knowledge of the technologies and tools students will encounter during the course of their studies, as well as resources available to them as a Simmons LIS student. All students entering the program are required to register for the 0-credit LIS 400 – Virtual Orientation, which introduces students to the full range of academic, administrative, and social expectations for students, and the environment in which they must meet those expectations. Intended for both online and on campus students, this course describes program requirements; university, school, and program policy; and offers information about the full range of resources available to the students in support of their programs. It also offers basic tutorial and instruction related to the use of Moodle (the learning management system used in online and on campus courses), library resources, and other key tools used to support student learning.


LIS students may choose to focus their studies by following a degree concentration curriculum designed to prepare students to work in a variety of information institutions with a diversity of materials and tools. Students who choose to concentrate their studies must complete the LIS core courses required of all MS students as well as a sequence of courses required to earn the degree concentration.

Archives Concentration Course Requirements

LIS core courses (9 credits):

LIS407 Information Sources & Services 3
LIS415 Information Organization 3
LIS488 Technology for Information Professionals 3

Take the following (9 credits):

LIS438 Introduction to Archival Theory and Practice 3
LIS440 Archival Access and Use 3
LIS442 Establishing Archives and Manuscript Programs 3

One of the following (3 credits):

LIS433 Oral History 3
LIS441 Appraisal of Archives and Manuscripts 3
 
LIS443 Archives, History and Collective Memory 3
OR
HIST527 Archives, History, and Collective Memory 4
LIS456 Records Management Environments 3
LIS471 Photographic Archives 3
LIS472 Moving Image Archives 3
LIS476 Outreach and Advocacy for Cultural Heritage 3
LIS505M Government Archives 3

One of the following (3 credits):

LIS439 Preservation Management 3
LIS444 Digital Preservation 3
LIS448 Digital Stewardship 3

Four elective courses (12 credits)

Cultural Heritage Informatics Concentration Course Requirements

LIS core courses (9 credits):

LIS407 Information Sources & Services 3
LIS415 Information Organization 3
LIS488 Technology for Information Professionals 3

Take the following (9 credits):

LIS432 Concepts in Cultural Heritage Informatics 3
LIS438 Introduction to Archival Theory and Practice 3
LIS477 Digital Asset Management 3

One of the following (3 credits):

LIS439 Preservation Management 3
LIS444 Digital Preservation 3
LIS448 Digital Stewardship 3
Five elective courses (15 credits)

Design Your Own Concentration Course Requirements

LIS core courses (9 credits):

LIS407 Information Sources & Services 3
LIS415 Information Organization 3
LIS488 Technology for Information Professionals 3

Nine elective courses (27 credits) 

Information Science and Technology Concentration Course Requirements

Any two from the complete list below (6 credits):

Systems Oriented
LIS467 Web Development and Information Architecture 3
LIS486 Systems Analysis in Information Services 3
LIS487 Data Interoperability 3
User Oriented
LIS421 Social Informatics 3
LIS455 Usability and User Experience Research 3
LIS462 Digital Libraries 3
LIS465 Knowledge Management 3
LIS475 Organizational/Information Ethics 3
LIS500 Independent Study 3

Four elective courses (12 credits)

LIS core courses (9 credits):

LIS407 Information Sources & Services 3
LIS415 Information Organization 3
LIS488 Technology for Information Professionals 3

Take the following (9 credits):

LIS458 Database Management 3
LIS484 Theories of Information Science 3
LIS485 Introduction to Programming 3

Libraries and Librarianship Concentration Course Requirements

LIS core courses (9 credits):

LIS407 Information Sources & Services 3
LIS415 Information Organization 3
LIS488 Technology for Information Professionals 3

Take the following (9 credits):

LIS404 Principles of Management 3
LIS408 User Instruction 3
LIS453 Collections Development and Management 3

One of the following (3 credits):

LIS414 Special Libraries 3
LIS450 Public Libraries 3
LIS451 Academic Libraries 3
Five elective courses (15 credits)

School Library Teacher Concentration Course Requirements

LIS core courses (6 credits):

LIS407 Information Sources & Services 3
LIS415 Information Organization 3

Take the following (24 credits)

LIS406 Management and Evaluation of School Library Programs 3
LIS459 Fundamentals of School Librarianship 3
LIS460 Technology and the School Library Teacher 3
LIS461 Curriculum and Instructional Strategies for the School Library Teacher 3
LIS481 Library Collections and Materials for Children 3
LIS483 Library Collections and Materials for Young Adults 3
LIS498 Practicum (PreK-8) 3
LIS499 Practicum (7-12) 3
Two elective courses (6 credits)

Students may complete the master of science degree program in library and information science fully online. Students may choose the DYO (Design Your Own) option, and customize their degree program to reflect their professional goals. Or, they may choose to concentrate their studies in archives management or information science and technology.

Archives Management Concentration Online

The Archives Management Concentration follows the same requirements of the program offered on campus, including a 60-hour internship that will be completed within your first two semesters as part of LIS 438.

Online Courses

Excepting mode of delivery, online courses are identical to face to face courses in content and learning objectives. Online courses are asynchronous, meaning that teaching and learning in the online course environment is not bound to time or place. Just as face-to-face students must meet assignment deadlines set by their instructors and actively engage in learning in the classroom space, online students are similarly obligated to complete assignments on time and participate in learning activities. The difference between the online and face-to-face experience: online students may access and engage with organized learning materials anytime and anywhere they are connected to the Internet.

Because all MS students may register for and participate in online classes, the SLIS online classrooms have become spaces for local and distant students to learn and network.

Attend the LIS Master’s Program at SLIS West in South Hadley, Massachusetts located at Mount Holyoke College. The SLIS West Campus is primarily a part time program geared towards the needs of working students. The small classes, scheduling flexibility, and cohesive community help our working students succeed in the classroom and in their careers.

Courses are scheduled primarily on weekends, with some evening options available. Depending on the area of specialization, program requirements can be completed entirely at the SLIS West campus, although many students take a course or two online or in Boston. Boston students are also welcome to take classes at SLIS West.

Spotlight on Archives Management Concentration Students and Alums

Tomb effigy for Eleanor of Aquitaine (d. 1204) at Fontrevaud Abbey, France. Wikimedia Commons.

Diana Myers ’24MS Aspires to Increase Access to Medieval Archives

Graduate student Diana Myers is pursuing a Master’s in Library Science and Information Science with a concentration in Archives Management. She plans to combine her archival experience with her research on medieval Europe to facilitate the public’s access to rare, premodern materials.


A row of books in the Simmons University library

Director of Archives Stacie Parillo ’11MS Talks Torpedo Testing, Love Letters, and the Value of Archival Collections at the U.S. Naval War College

When Stacie Parillo ’11MS was unhappy with her career, she began investigating her childhood dream of being a librarian. Now she is the Director of the Naval Historical Collection Archives at the U.S. Naval War College.


Emily Pastore Galgano with an Alaskan mountain in the background

Emily Pastore Galgano ’18MS Documents Living Culture at Sealaska Heritage Institute

Emily Pastore Galgano ’18MS moved to Juneau, Alaska for the role of Archives and Collections Director at Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI). In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Galgano shares what she has learned from the Indigenous culture she helps to preserve.


Archivist Derek Mosley

Derek Mosley Selected as Fellow of the Society of American Archivists

Derek Mosley '11MS has received the highest honor bestowed by the Society of American Archivists. Mosley will be inducted as a Fellow of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) during an awards ceremony at Archives * Records 2023 in Washington...


Photo of Alum Brooke Lake

Brooke Lake '19MS Preserves Personal Histories with her Archiving Company

Brooke Lake founded Monocurate , a personal archiving company, in 2021. We checked in with Lake about the company, what kind of materials they preserve, and how she created this unique archival niche business. What led you to Simmons School...


Headshot of Anna Kijas by Gerry Szymanski

Anna Kijas '08MS Helps Preserve Ukrainian Cultural Heritage

Living in a war-torn country poses acute danger to civilians. In addition, an invasion places architectural sites, art objects, and archives under threat of being looted or destroyed. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, SLIS alumna Anna Kijas...


Molly Foye ’23MS poses with sheep outdoors at a farm

Molly Foye ’23MS Shares Her Passion for Material Culture and Archives

SLIS graduate student Molly Foye developed an interest in material culture during her undergraduate education. Currently, Foye holds a position on a farm in New Hampshire that enables her to expand the possibilities of archival work and librarianship. Why did...


Joy Rodowicz ’14MS

Joy Rodowicz ’14MS Discusses her Role at the National Fire Protection Association

My title is Digital Assets and Records Manager at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which is a fire and life safety organization that has been around for 125 years.