MScEcon International Archives, Records and Information Management

Consolidate your experience and skill base
Invest in your future in the records, information or archival professions
Employability: Increase your options and further your career prospects

This is a discipline which seeks to address the following questions: -
How can we realise the asset value from the information we have created?
How can we positively transform organisational effectiveness and innovation?
How can we capture, store, preserve and make accessible the information we need to drive our businesses forward and provide an audit trail of our activities?
How and why do we capture records for long-term archival preservation and use, and ensure they retain their value in terms of accountability, cultural memory, and business needs?

By studying records and information management at postgraduate level, students will learn professional principles and techniques, and acquire the core skills, which will enable them to play a part in the management and exploitation of an invaluable informational resource which underpins organisational success.

The Degree is available in distance learning mode and is in two parts. Part One takes 120 credits, gained from core and option modules. If students successfully pass these modules, they can progress to Part Two, which consists of the Dissertation module, worth 60 credits. Successful completion of the Dissertation makes a total of 180 credits, which gains students a Master’s degree. Students must choose the records, information or archive management pathway, as shown on the next page.

• Over 1000 Distance Learners in the Department – you are not alone
• A dedicated team of Distance Learning specialists – the Open Learning Unit
• Highly flexible method of study – 2-5 years. You set your own deadlines

Part 1: 120 credits

Core modules:
Core Module topics include management, research in the profession and risk, governance and managing digital assets.
Additional core modules for the Records Management Pathway include archive management and a workplace case study; for the Information Management pathway modules on information and society and organisation and retrieval; and for the archival pathway, modules addressing the acquisition, preservation, and processing of archival material, providing the opportunity to explore new and innovative ways of opening up archival material to a variety of users and audiences.
Option modules:
You choose 10 or 20 credits from the current options offered by the department: subjects include marketing, digital preservation, knowledge management, rare books, digital information and web publishing.

Part 2: 60 credits

Core module (60 Credits)
DISSERTATION

Research
Join a department with a thriving research culture, with specialisms encompassing archive theory, cloud computing and digital forensics, digital preservation and historical and contemporary information cultures. DIS regularly holds research seminars, symposia and conferences, in these and other key information, heritage and library research areas.

Come to Aberystwyth:

Gain a professional post graduate qualification in 2-5 years.
Study with the Largest UK provider of professional Library, Archives and Records Management education.
Join a department with 50 years of experience of delivering library, archive and information management courses.
Expand your research interests in the Department of Library and Information Studies. DIS achieved a 50% “world leading” and “internationally excellent” result in the last Research Assessment Exercise.
Benefit from a close working relationship with professionals in the field, as well as the support of a small friendly team of academic staff based here in Aberystwyth.

Are you eligible?

• Good honours degree or substantial related experience.
• In related employment (supported voluntary posts potentially acceptable).

Who to contact:

Kirsten Ferguson-Boucher
Department of Information Studies,
Aberystwyth University
Llanbadarn Campus,
Llanbadarn Fawr
Aberystwyth
Ceredigion SY23 3AS
armstaff@aber.ac.uk  01970 622188

Frequently Asked Questions

How much will it cost?
Information for students from the UK and EU can be found here http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/postgrad/funding-fees/eu-taught/tuitonfees/ ensure you look at either the full-time Arts and Social Sciences course information or the Distance Learning Fees further down the page.
Information for students from outside the European Union can be found here http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/postgrad/funding-fees/noneu-taught/tuitionfees/

How do I pay?
If you are offered a place on any of our programmes, Aberystwyth University can offer self-financing distance learners various flexible means of paying for their studies. Please contact the Student Fees office on (01970) 621583 or fees@aber.ac.uk for further information.

What are the Study Schools?
All our distance learning programmes include two or three study schools. We have found that it is very important for distance learners to meet each other as they start their studies. Meeting face to face makes it much easier to get talking when you meet again online.  Upcoming Study School dates can be found at http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/dis/distance/studyschool/upcomingstudyschools/

What is the deadline for a place on a course?
Applications for a place can be accepted up to two months prior to your first September or April Study School. There is no formal interview process required to enter the Distance Learning programme, although you are welcome to contact us to ensure you are happy with your choice of course.

Are there any grants or funding available?
As with all Higher Education you may if you wish apply for a tuition fee loan to defer the cost of the course. You might arrange this through the UK Students Loans system, or a professional/career development loan organised through a traditional lender. There are also a few Bursary and Award schemes, many of which require very particular circumstances, which might be available. You can search for information on these via the UK DirectGov site http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/ChoicesAfterYouGraduate/DG_10012463
The University list of UK/EU sources of funding
http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/postgrad/funding-fees/eu-taught/funding/external/
and the Non-European funding sources
http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/postgrad/funding-fees/noneu-taught/funding/external/
Your public library should have directories of charitable trusts that provide grants and awards, such as: the Educational Grants Directory, the Charities Digest, the Grants Register, and the Directory of Grant Making Trusts.

What are the requirements to  study on this course?

International Archives, Records and Information Management: requires a good honours degree or relevant experience*  in related employment

*If applicants have considerable relevant experience in the workplace, the need for an undergraduate degree qualification may be waived.