Degree Programme description

The course focuses on equipping students with key methodological, historical, critical principles, providing wide-ranging and in-depth knowledge on Archival and Library Science, as well as solid cardinal notions on related disciplines – with a national and international overview.

Students will learn how to manage, describe and organise records from both public and private archives, using both digital tools and applying theorical principles, and how to govern, catalogue and organise libraries, using cutting edge technology and methodologies.

Entry requirements

A bachelor’s degree – or an equivalent title – is required to apply to Archival and Library Science Master’s Degree LM-05.

Applicants will be expected to have mastered technical, scientific, theoretical and field-specific knowledge concerning these areas of study – with a national and international overview. To access the Archival and Library Science Master’s Degree, students must show interest in research and teamwork, as well as displaying an adequate personal preparation.

The verification process attesting that the candidates fulfil the entry requirements will be confirmed by checking certifications attesting both general and specialised knowledge on archival and library science principles, on history and at least one European language. Each student will be interviewed to assess their general and specialised academic knowledge, certified by the academic credits that were previously checked.

Students with a bachelor's degree from Scuola di Studi Umanistici e della Formazione of the University of Florence are exempted from the interview process.

For each Settore Scientifico Disciplinare (Academic Reference Sector)  the following CFU (academic credits) are required: 12 CFU in M-STO/08 Archival Science, Bibliography and Library science; 6 CFU in M-STO/01 Mediaeval history, o M-STO/02 Modern history, o M-STO/04 Contemporary history; level B1 in English or European Union language.

Employment opportunities

The degree programme trains professionals with expertise in preservation, management, and promotion of cultural archival and library heritage, employing methodological principles and innovative digital tools – consequently, being able to be employed as archivists, record managers, coordinators or department heads, in State Archives, in Public Offices archives, Archival Superintendencies, in Ecclesiastic archives, as well as in all private archives. Graduates will be able to find occupations in State, public and private libraries, as well as Ecclesiastic libraries as librarians, library coordinators with both analog and digital applications.

About this Programme

The Master’s Degree Programme in Scienze archivistiche e biblioteconomiche duration is two years. Students must acquire 120 CFU to graduate, ordinarily obtaining 60 CFU per year, although it is possible to graduate earlier, after following the necessary procedures.

The main core of CFU is allotted to  Bibliography, Archival studies, and Library science (M-STO/08) – which are the primary fields of study for this master's degree – as well as Contemporary Italian literature (L-FIL-LET/11), Humanistic literature (L-FIL-LET/13), Mediaeval Art History (L-ART/01), Modern history (M-STO/02), Palaeography (M-STO/09) - for a total of 60 CFU. In order to further strengthen specialized knowledge in the primary fields of studies, some CFU are allotted to related and complementary studies M-STO/08, in addition to 12 CFU in Contemporary Art history (L-ART/03). Among the total Credits, students have 12 CFU they can allot to classes of their choosing, and 6 CFU will be reserved for formative and orientation activities, such as technical, digital, technologic laboratories or training and guidance traineeships. 12 CFU are allotted to the final examination.
More details on the syllabus.

Course attendance

The classes will take place in person although students may enrol as non-attending students, for attendance is not compulsory.

Learning activities

The lessons for the Programme in Scienze archivistiche e biblioteconomiche will be delivered through lectures, laboratories, and seminars which provide the opportunity to develop critical and expositive aptitude, through dialogue and discussion with fellow students.

Exams, assessment methods, and language requirements

The notions acquired by students will be tested through written and/or oral exams.

A specific level of language proficiency is required to enrol in Scienze archivistiche e biblioteconomiche Programme.

Assessment methods: other educational activities, traineeship and stage

Learning activities such as Laboratories will be assessed by the professors responsible though an examination/interview and graded as “suitable/not suitable”.

Results of stage activities/traineeships will be evaluated by the Traineeship Delegate of the Master’s Degree Programme, by a representative of the host public/private Institution – that is responsible for the final report on the student activities during the traineeship.

Specially appointed professors will assess the results achieved by the students throughout the traineeship, and even in median phases.

Assessment methods: studying abroad and related credits CFU

This Course encourages students to study abroad. Through a call for application, Erasmus + Programme will enable students to study abroad in foreign Universities. After a student has been selected for the Erasmus programme, they will submit the study programme/syllabus to the President of their Degree Course.

The President will approve the Learning Agreement, taking into account the core educational aims, and the correct quantitative proportion between CFU and ECTS.

Erasmus students will be able to arrange changes in their Learning Agreement with the President’s approval.

The declared CFU will be ratified upon the student’s return, based on the attestation provided by the host university and presented by the student taking into account European grades’ conversion tables.

Furthermore, it is possible to start a traineeship in foreign countries.

Final examination

The final exam (24 CFU) will require students to draw up a thesis, displaying the acquired in-depth knowledge of their disciplinary area, technical critic and methodological analysis, exhaustive documentation, and scientific research – using both analog and digital tools.
The thesis defence will take place in person, before a committee constituted of university professors and experts, who will jointly assess the overall quality of thesis, additionally taking into account the student’s career (such as grades obtained for each exam, time taken to complete the programme) and propose a final grade.

The thesis will be centred around a discipline in which the student has acquired at least 6 CFU. In order to access the final exam, students must have acquired 96 CFU.

Higher education after graduation

Bi-annual Master of II Level, Doctorate (PhD).