Dual Degree Program with the Department of History to Prepare Archivists

There is no generally accepted career path to prepare you to work as an archivist. Most employers of archivists would prefer to have someone with both a background in historical research and understanding of the principles of bibliographic control and the management and use of information storage and retrieval systems. This has recently come more and more to mean a person holding the ALA accredited master’s degree in library and information science. A person with a master’s degree in history and a master’s degree in library and information science is highly competitive in this market.

Students who desire to earn the dual degree must be admitted separately by both the Department of History and the School of Library & Information Science, either in the same semester, or after the student has begun one of the programs. The Department of History will accept two SLIS courses which have a focus on history or archives management. The School of Library & Information Science will accept any two courses at the 7000 level from the Department of History for its degree, making it possible for students to obtain both degrees for a combined total of 60 hours. A student going full-time and taking summer courses can complete both degrees in less than three years. Courses must have been taken no more than five years before graduation to apply toward a degree.

Contact

Dr. Edward Benoit III
ebenoit@lsu.edu