Master Archives

Master Archives is a two-year graduate program in archival science, taught in French at Université Paris 8 - Vincennes - Saint-Denis, located in St Denis Cedex, France. Archival science is concerned with the identification, preservation, organization, and management of records and documents that hold historical, legal, or administrative value, whether held by government bodies, businesses, cultural institutions, or private organizations. Students in this field typically study archival theory and history, records management, preservation techniques, digital archiving, and the legal frameworks that govern access to public and private records. Practical training is a significant part of archival science education, often including work with physical and digital collections, cataloging exercises, and internships at archives, libraries, or museums that give students direct experience managing real document collections. Graduates of archival science masters programs commonly work as archivists, records managers, digital preservation specialists, or documentation officers within public institutions, corporations, or cultural organizations, and the field increasingly includes roles focused on managing digital and born-digital records. Because instruction is delivered entirely in French, applicants should have solid command of the language to work with historical documents, legal texts, and technical archival literature. The program starts in September and has a yearly tuition of 250 EUR, in line with public university tuition rates in France. Over the two years, students generally move from foundational archival theory toward more applied and technical coursework, including the management of digital records. St Denis Cedex, part of the greater Paris region, gives students access to a wide range of archival institutions and cultural organizations that support the practical training central to this field.