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Overview
With an international reputation for intellectual leadership and strong local connections with communities and professionals, the MAS program provides an inspiring space to study archival science and develop professional skills. Records and archives play a vital role in society and students in this program will engage critically and creatively with emerging records issues, while developing the skills required to ensure that records are effectively created, organized, managed and preserved.
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?
In 1981 the Master of Archival Studies program was created at UBC making it the first graduate program in archival studies in North America.
Home to faculty who are internationally recognized for their contributions to research and teaching on digital preservation, computational archival science, and personal recordkeeping. The School offers students unique opportunities to engage in international research projects in this discipline.
Quick Facts
Program Enquiries
Contact the program
Admission Information & Requirements
1) Check Eligibility
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. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:
Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.
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.
Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:
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
Other Test Scores
Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:
The GRE is not required.
2) Meet Deadlines
September 2025 Intake
Application Open Date
01 September 2024Canadian Applicants
International Applicants
3) Prepare Application
Transcripts
All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.
Letters of Reference
A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.
Statement of Interest
Many programs require a statement of interest, sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Master of Archival Studies (MAS)
Citizenship Verification
Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.
4) Apply Online
All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.
Research Information
Research Highlights
InterPARES is a multi-national, interdisciplinary research project exploring issues concerning digital records and data. Its goal is to generate theoretical and methodological frameworks to develop local, national and international policies, procedures, regulations, standards and legislation, in order to ensure public trust grounded on evidence of good governance, a strong digital economy, and a persistent digital memory. This project is directed by Dr. Luciana Duranti, Professor at the School. See the School’s website for more research areas and opportunities: https://ischool.ubc.ca/research/
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 under the direction of School of Information faculty member, Dr. Victoria Lemieux. The Graduate Pathway on Blockchain and Decentralized Trust Technologies is a 12-credit non-degree multidisciplinary, research-intensive training program that augments existing Master's and PhD programs.
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. In addition to our successful Co-operative Education Program, the school provides students with options to earn academic credit while attaining valuable real-world experience. ARST 596 provides opportunities for students to earn 3 course credits while working on one or more projects with a professional in the field. For more information, visit the course page ARST 596.
Tuition & Financial Support
Tuition
| Fees | Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat | International |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | $116.25 | $168.25 |
| Tuition * | ||
| Installments per year | 3 | 3 |
| Tuition per installment | $1,880.23 | $3,885.36 |
| Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%) | $5,640.69 | $11,656.08 |
| Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) | Not applicable | |
| Other Fees and Costs | ||
| Supplementary fees (once) | $236.00 Mandatory program fee, student society fee | |
| Student Fees (yearly) | $1,116.60 (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. | |
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.
Financial Support
Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.
Program Funding Packages
Every year, the iSchool awards more than 30 distinct prizes and scholarships to incoming, continuing and graduating Master’s students. These awards are in addition to bursaries and other funding from the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
International students may be automatically eligible for an International Tuition Award valued at $3,200 per year.
UBC has launched Canada's first Blockchain training pathway for graduate students. The Graduate Pathway on Blockchain and Decentralized Trust Technologies will be a 12-credit non-degree training program that augments existing Master's and PhD programs. Additional funding may be available for students as part of the Blockchain pathway.
Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)
All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.
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. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)
Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union.
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. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.
Financial aid (need-based funding)
Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.
All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.
Foreign government scholarships
Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.
Working while studying
The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.
International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.
A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.
Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals
Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.
Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.
Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.
Cost Estimator
Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.
Career Options
Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats
These statistics show data for the Master of Archival Studies (MAS). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.
ENROLMENT DATA
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | 38 | 28 | 60 | 39 | 28 |
| Offers | 23 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 20 |
| New Registrations | 13 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 11 |
| Total Enrolment | 26 | 23 | 18 | 18 | 25 |
Completion Rates & Times
Disclaimer
Research Supervisors
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Master of Archival Studies (MAS)
This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.
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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)
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Lemieux, Victoria (Archival, repository and related studies; Records and information management (except business records and information management); Digital humanities; Blockchain technology and Ecosystems; Trust and Records; Privacy; security; Risk management; Transparency and the public interest (in public sector and financial contexts))
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Shaffer, Elizabeth (intersections of race, gender, and digital infrastructures and technologies)
Sample Thesis Submissions
Further Information
Specialization
Archival work is related to that of many other disciplines, including history, political science, business administration, and sociology.
Faculty Overview
Academic Unit
Program Identifier
Classification
September 2025 Intake
Program Enquiries
Contact the program
Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form.
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