Offered by The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, Archival Studies: Master's Degree (MAS) - UBCV is a master's degree in Library Science programme. The programme is delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 12,728 per year (CAD 5,869 per year for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Master's Degree
Field:Library Science
Delivery: On Campus
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 5,869 / year
International tuition: CAD 12,728 / year
Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
Founded in 1981 as the first graduate archival studies program in North America, UBC's Master of Archival Studies combines coursework with an optional thesis on managing records from creation through preservation, and hosts the multinational InterPARES project studying digital recordkeeping and archival governance. Recent graduates completed the degree in an average of 1.8 years, ranging from 1 to 7.3 years, and can build experience through ARST 596, a 3-credit field-based project course, or the school's co-operative education program. Research strengths span digital preservation and computational archival science, records management, archival systems and intellectual control, digital records and data through InterPARES, and blockchain and decentralized trust technologies. Admission requires a minimum B+ average (76% at UBC), two letters of reference and a statement of interest, with English-proficiency scores required of applicants from non-English-instruction backgrounds; the GRE is not required. Graduates take up roles as archivists, digital archivists, curators, records managers, privacy officers, data curators and preservation system designers.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:76.00 / %
Admission Requirements: The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies sets a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76 percent at UBC) common to all applicants; individual programs may set higher standards, and meeting the minimum does not guarantee admission as the process is competitive. No specific undergraduate degree is mandated, though the program's own site should be checked for particular prerequisites. Applicants from a university outside Canada where English is not the language of instruction must present, within the last 24 months, one of: IELTS Academic overall 7.5 with no section below 7.0; TOEFL, on the redesigned scale UBC applies to tests taken from January 21, 2026 onward, overall 5.0 with Reading 5.0, Writing 5.0, Speaking 4.5 and Listening 5.0; or Duolingo English Test overall 130. Required documents are official transcripts from all post-secondary study, two letters of reference, a Statement of Interest, and an application fee ($118.50 domestic, $168.25 international); the GRE is not required. For the September 2027 intake, applications open September 2, 2026 and close January 15, 2027 for domestic and international applicants, with transcript and referee deadlines February 1, 2027.
Application Details
Start Date:September 2027
Application Deadline:Domestic and international undergraduate applicants both apply through EducationPlannerBC for Winter Session 2027/28 (September 2027 entry) and Summer 2027: applications open in early October 2026 and the equal-consideration deadline is 15 January 2027, 11:59 p.m. PST, the same date for both groups; a few programs keep reviewing late applications on a space-available basis afterwards. Earlier dates apply only to entrance-award consideration -- 15 November 2026 for the International Scholars Program and 1 December 2026 for Presidential/Centennial/Beyond Tomorrow scholars. Several limited-entry programmes -- Law, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Nursing (advanced entry), Occupational/Physical Therapy, Social Work and Teacher Education -- set their own earlier deadlines from October 2026 through February 2027. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
