Archival Studies

The Bachelor's degree study programme in Archival Studies prepares qualified professionals for archival practice and records management. The objective of the study is to gain basic knowledge of the archival network in the Czech Republic and of methodology and current archival legislation. Besides familiarisation with archival practices, such as the use of information technologies, students learn about the history of administration, study legal and Czech history, and gain general knowledge of the current administrative and legal systems in the Czech Republic. Students gain a thorough knowledge of the auxiliary historical sciences which they will use in their further professional career. They learn to combine knowledge of individual disciplines and apply that knowledge in basic archival activities (pre-archival care, archival processing including creating basic archival finding aids, making archival material accessible for researchers and providing qualified research services).

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• explain the theoretical and methodological bases of archival theory and practice;
• apply knowledge of legislation in basic activities of records management and archival practice;
• define specific aspects of archival material and choose appropriate methods of processing;
• compile qualified research from archive funds of relevant archives;
• analyze selected historical issues and formulate relevant questions;
• apply IT skills with commonly used archival programs

Graduates of the Archival Studies programme have the knowledge and skills applicable to basic activities of all types of archives, registries, administrations, and state and local government, and in the relevant departments of museums, galleries, and libraries. Graduates from the Bachelor's degree programme are expected to continue in the Master's degree programme in Archival Studies.

The study programme includes three obligatory practical trainings.

The first practical training takes place in a weekly joint block at the Brno City Archive totalling 40 hours. The block takes place after the end of the second semester. The completion of the Archival Studies I course is required.

The second practical training takes place in a weekly joint block totalling 40 hours at the Moravian Provincial Archive after the end of the third semester.

The third obligatory practical training is individual, lasting three weeks, totalling 120 hours. It starts after the end of the fourth semester and may take place until the beginning of the fall semester. Students choose from the current offer of terms and topics of archives involved (the Moravian Provincial Archive, the Brno City Archive, the State District Archive in Zlín, Břeclav, Blansko, Benešov and many others). The practical training can also take place abroad (eg. Niederösterreichisches Landesarchiv St. Pölten). The completion of the course Archival Studies III is required.

The Bachelor's thesis examines a particular area of an academic issue appropriate to the type of study. Here the student must demonstrate the ability to carry out independent academic worky, to master the relevant academic literature and to analyse the material under study.

A standard scope of a Bachelor's thesis ranges from 70,000 to 90,000 characters including footnotes and content. Students can work with already published texts and data accessible for secondary analysis. They should demonstrate the ability to work critically with specialized texts, process the concepts and theories discovered there, and find relevant answers to the given question.

Instructions for Final State Examinations and elaboration of the Bachelor's Diploma thesis are regulated by FF Directive No. 6/2017 On Final State Examinations for Students of the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University.

http://archivnictvi.phil.muni.cz/media/2878034/vzor_bakalarske_prace.pdf

After completing the Bachelor's degree programme, it is possible to continue further studies in the Master's degree programme in Archival Studies (after satisfying the admission requirements).