University of Manchester - Logo

Faculty of Humanities

School of Arts, Languages and Culture

View all courses

View courses by thematic

Library and Archive Studies

Year of entry: 2025

Course length: 12 Months Full-Time | 24 Months Part-Time

About the course

The MA in Library and Archive Studies is taught in collaboration with The University of Manchester Library. This is major multi-site research library with National Research Library status.

It includes the stunning John Rylands Research Institute and Library with its world-leading collections of archives and rare books and cutting-edge digital practices. The Rylands Library has close links to research and teaching through the John Rylands Research Institute and Library and the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures.

Learn more >

Students are offered a choice of optional courses in a variety of specialist topics linked to rare books curation, information governance and compliance, exhibitions and public engagement, digital practices, and community engagement. Students are also given the option to take modules from and gain experience with a variety of research specialisms within the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures in art gallery and museum studies, arts management and policy, creative and cultural industries, digital media and culture, and heritage studies.

This course consists of taught units and a dissertation. Taught units cover topics including:

  • Strategic Practice in Libraries
  • Archives and Special Collections
  • Records and Information Management
  • Exhibitions in Libraries and Archives
  • Law, Information Governance, and Compliance
  • Palaeography, Codicology, Sources
  • Describing and Cataloguing Rare Print

These are example course units based on 2024/25 options and are subject to change each year.

Apply online >
View full course profile >

Similar courses:

Art Gallery and Museum Studies >

12 months Full-time

Heritage Studies >

12 months Full-time

Arts Management, Policy and Practice MA >

12 months Full-time 24 months Part-time

All similar courses >
View all courses>
About the Faculty >
About the School >

School of Arts, Languages and Culture

Faculty of Humanities

The University of Manchester