The Graduate Certificate in Archiving and Preservation of Audiovisual Media offers a skills-based curriculum in the archiving and preservation of audiovisual media. This certificate provides students the opportunity to augment expertise in their main field of study with advanced study in the management and preservation of a variety of archival materials, leaving them prepared to assist in the preservation and provision of access to analog and digital time-based cultural heritage.
Admission Criteria
Completed Bachelor's degree with a 3.0 minimum GPA . Statement of Purpose describing the applicant's experience and interest in the area of audiovisual archiving.
Applications are accepted from students holding a Bachelor's degree at the time of initial enrollment, those pursuing graduate work in library and information studies and allied disciplines (including but not limited to Library and information studies, film and/or media studies museum studies, history, English, anthropology, and art history), or those already possessing graduate degrees in related disciplines.
Students enrolled in or possessing graduate degrees in disciplines outside of the humanities and social sciences will be considered on an individual basis. Emphasis is placed on the humanities and social sciences due to the subject knowledge cultural heritage institutions typically require of their applicants.
General Curricular Requirements
Acceptance into the certificate program is not required before beginning coursework. Students complete a total of fifteen (15) credit hours for the Graduate Certificate in Archiving and Preservation of Audiovisual Media. Twelve (12) hours come from required courses and three (3) hours are selected from a list of approved electives. No prerequisites are required for the courses in the certificate.
All 15 hours in the certificate can be applied as electives to the 36-hour Masters of Library and Information Studies (MLIS) degree program if the student is accepted into the degree program. This allows students in other degree programs to apply their certificate coursework towards an MLIS degree and offers the opportunity for MLIS students interested in audiovisual archiving and preservation to have this designation on their transcript. Corresponding elective courses in the certificate can also be applied towards the Archival Studies Certificate but they cannot, in that case, be counted toward an MLIS degree. Courses cannot be triple-counted across certificates and degrees.
Course of Study
| Archiving and Preservation of Audiovisual Media | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 12 | |
| Intro AV Archiving | ||
| AV Collections Management | ||
| Digital Preservation | ||
| Community Media Archiving | ||
| Approved Electives | 3 | |
| Digital Humanities | ||
| Intro Archival Studies | ||
| Archival Theory & Practice | ||
| Archival Appraisal | ||
| Archival Repres., Access & Use | ||
| Digital Libraries | ||
| Metadata Fundamentals | ||
| Internship | ||
| Directed Research | ||
| Media History | ||
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Transfer Credit
Transfer of credits is not allowed for the Graduate Certificate in Archiving and Preservation of Audiovisual Media.
Time Limits for Degree Completion
Students completing only the Graduate Certificate in Archiving and Preservation of Audiovisual Media have six years to complete the certificate.
Students completing the certificate along with the MLIS must meet all requirements for the master's degree with coursework completed in the six years (18 consecutive semesters) immediately preceding the date on which the degree is to be awarded. Additional information about time limits for degree completion for master's programs is available at the Graduate School.
Intended certificate duration in semesters for full-time students (9hrs): 3 semesters maximum; 2 semesters if additional courses are offered per semester based on student demand. Note: Full-time enrollment would be atypical based on historical data for students enrolled in the MLIS courses.
Intended program duration in semesters for part-time students (3 and 6 hrs): 5 semesters for students taking 3 hours per semester; 3 semesters for students taking 6 hours per semester.
Awarding the Certificate
Students are awarded the Graduate Certificate upon completion of the required hours of coursework.
Academic Misconduct Information
Student academic misconduct is not permitted. In the event of perceived academic misconduct, the University's Academic Misconduct Policy will be followed. More information is available here.
Withdrawal or Leave of Absence Information
Students, who need to withdraw from a course at the university or take a leave of absence, should contact their academic advisor and the SLIS director. Additional information is available on the Graduate School website related to withdrawals and leaves of absence.
Academic Grievances Information
Academic grievances are addressed according to the "University-Wide Academic Grievance Procedures" outlined in the University of Alabama Faculty Handbook.