Education · 1 of 4

The path

A degree, then a specialist master's, then work on real collections.

1. 1

   High school diploma

   Grade 12

   History, English and computer studies. Reading old handwriting comes later.

2. 2

   Bachelor's degree

   4 years

   History is the usual choice, but law, science, art history and Indigenous studies all lead into specialized archives.

3. 3

   Master's in archival studies

   About 2 years

   For example the Master of Archival Studies at the University of British Columbia, which is built from 18 credits of required core courses plus 30 elective credits and offers a dual option combined with library and information studies.

4. 4

   Co-op, internship or practicum

   During the master's

   Hands-on time in a working archive. Programs build this in, and it is how you get hired.

5. 5

   Project work, then a permanent post

   1 to 5 years

   Contracts on specific collections first, then a permanent job at a government, university or corporate archive.