Use archival principles and practices to make available documentary materials and historical evidence with long-term value to researchers and the public.
The Advanced Certificate in Archives prepares students to become archivists. Archivists collect, manage, preserve, and provide access to records with enduring value, including records creating by individuals, families, and organizations, in analog and digital formats. Archives serve as memory institutions for culture and support scholarly, historical, legal, genealogical, and personal research.
By the end of this program, student will be able to:
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Explain the social and organizational function of archives, and how it differs from and intersects with libraries and museums.
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Use knowledge of core archival principles and practices, such as collection development, appraisal, donor relations, arrangement and description, legal/ethical issue resolution, access/reference, preservation, instruction/outreach/advocacy and management/administration.
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Process an archival collection and use archival descriptive standards, specifically DACS and EAD.
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Implement digitization of analog collections and management of born-digital materials.
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Discuss trends in the field of archival practice and archival studies and place in historical context.
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Demonstrate critical thinking about the role of archives for sustaining personal, social and public memory.
To read more about archives projects completed by Pratt School of Information students and alumni, please visit the following resources:
- Student projects tagged “Archives” on the #infoshow website (annual showcase of student work)
- Archival Outlook: Sounds from the Past: Archives Students Give Voice to World War II Ambulance Drivers
- New York Times: Leaving Cloister of Dusty Offices, Young Archivists Meet Like Minds
- Library of Congress, The Signal: Students Saving Sounds: An Interview With Anthony Cocciolo
- Evidence Based Library and Information Practice: Situating Student Learning in Rich Contexts: A Constructionist Approach to Digital Archives Education
Changes for Fall 2020
Beginning in fall 2020, the Advanced Certificate in Archives will be changing from a 12-credit certificate to an 18-credit certificate. Students who have entered the School of Information before fall 2020 will be able to select if they would like to complete the 12-credit or 18-credit certificate. However, students entering in fall 2020 or after will only have the option of taking the 18-credit certificate. The requirements for the 18-credit certificate are available in the online catalog, and the requirements for the 12-credit certificate are available in past graduate bulletins (e.g., page 175 of the Graduate Bulletin for academic year 2019/2020).
Questions? For admissions inquiries, please contact Graduate Admissions at 718.636.3514 or admissions@pratt.edu. For all other inquiries, contact the School of Information at 212.647.7682 or si@pratt.edu. For more information, you may also request a catalog and sign-up to attend an information session.