UBC Archival Studies ALA Accreditation

[Notker the Stammerer]

I'm currently researching archival studies programs for next year, and I noticed that the University of British Columbia's Masters in Archival Studies degree doesn't appear to be accredited by the ALA. However, their MSLIS program is accredited. This seems odd to me, since UBC is a highly regarded university and I've only heard good things about their iSchool. Have I overlooked something, or is only the MSLIS degree accredited?  Most archivist job postings require ALA accreditation, so I would need to apply to their MSLIS program with a concentration in archival studies rather than the Masters in Archival Studies program if I actually want to be employed?

I'm at the beginning of researching my options, so apologies if I've overlooked something or am overstating the importance of ALA accreditation.

[pynchonmlis]

Hi there! Apologies this is late. As far as I know, the ALA does not accredit programs that are not library/information science (but they would accredit programs that are LIS-focused with a concentration in archives). Perhaps it is different in Canada (I'm from the US), but many archivist positions in the US do not even require an MLIS. People can also get MAs in public history, history, or archival studies, and become archivists. If you have any inclination that you might want to become a librarian, however, I'd recommend going into an LIS program that is ALA-accredited, as professional librarian positions do typically require that accreditation and you'll have trouble finding a library job without it.