ARM Disciplines and Approaches
Archives and Records Management draws on diverse foundational disciplines and approaches, including:
- Management theories for organizational records
- Archival theories and practices of arrangement and description
- Appraisal theories and methodologies
- Preservation principles in relation to both analog and digital records
ARM Concentration Topics
- Theories and methods for capturing, classifying, managing, appraising, and preserving authentic records in all formats and media, in order to serve business, economic, legal, memorial and historical needs of public and private organizations and persons
- History of records and record-keeping in relation to changing perspectives and social contexts
- Regimes of privacy and access
- Intellectual property rights and conflicts
- The role of archives and archival institutions in human rights, social justice, decolonization and memorial contestation
Academic Concentration Requirements
MI students enrolled in 2024 and later
- Students must successfully complete a total of 8.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:
- 2.5 required FCEs:
- 5.5 elective FCEs.
- Note: of the total 8.0 FCEs for this option, 0.5 FCE must come from each of the following four Professional Requirements areas: Technical, Managerial, Professional Values, and Critical Perspectives. This requirement can be fulfilled by required and elective courses for each concentration.
- Students must successfully complete a total of 8.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:
- Thesis (2.0 FCEs)
- 2.5 required FCEs:
- Research Methods course (0.5 FCE)
- Reading course (0.5 FCE)
- 2.5 elective FCEs
- Note: of the total 8.0 FCEs for this option, 0.5 FCE must come from each of the following four Professional Requirements areas: Technical, Managerial, Professional Values, and Critical Perspectives. This requirement can be fulfilled by required and elective courses for each concentration.
- Students must successfully complete a total of 8.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:
- Co-op (1.0 FCE), plus the Co-op Independent Modules (0.0 FCE)
- 2.5 required FCEs:
- 4.5 elective FCEs
- Note: of the total 8.0 FCEs for this option, 0.5 FCE must come from each of the following four Professional Requirements areas: Technical, Managerial, Professional Values, and Critical Perspectives. This requirement can be fulfilled by required and elective courses for each concentration.
Year 1 required courses
In Year 1, students are recommended to complete the following mandatory ARM courses, as well as 1.5 FCEs in elective courses.
INF1003H Information Systems, Services and Design 0.5 Credits
INF1330H Archives Concepts and Issues 0.5 Credits
INF2175H Managing Organizational Records I 0.5 Credits
INF1331H Archival Arrangement and Description 0.5 Credits
Successful completion of INF1330 is a pre-requisite
INF2186H Metadata Schemas and Applications 0.5 Credits
INF2184H Appraisal for Records Retention and Archives Acquisition 0.5 Credits
Successful completion of INF1330H is a pre-requisite, INF2175H is strongly recommended
Year 2 required courses
In Year 2, students are recommended to complete 4.0 FCEs in elective courses.
MI students enrolled in 2023 and earlier
Year 1 required courses
While it is not obligatory, it is recommended that students complete all required courses for the ARM concentration in Year 1, because these courses provide foundational knowledge. For students considering the Co-op option, all Year 1 required courses must be completed in Year 1.
INF1005H Information Workshops I 0.25 Credits
INF1006H Information Workshops II 0.25 Credits
INF1003H Information Systems, Services and Design 0.5 Credits
INF1330H Archives Concepts and Issues 0.5 Credits
INF2175H Managing Organizational Records I 0.5 Credits
INF2184H Appraisal for Records Retention and Archives Acquisition 0.5 Credits
INF1331H Archival Arrangement and Description 0.5 Credits
INF2186H Metadata Schemas and Applications 0.5 Credits
Year 2 required courses
If all required courses are completed in Year 1, students may complete their remaining 5.5 credit requirements by taking a combination of:
INF2120H Conservation and Preservation of Recorded Information 0.5 Credits
INF2122H Digital Preservation and Curation 0.5 Credits
INF2150H Legal Issues in Archives 0.5 Credits
INF2180H Archives: Access, Advocacy and Outreach 0.5 Credits
INF2040H Project Management 0.5 Credits
INF2311H Managing AudioVisual Material 0.5 Credits
INF2146H Trusting Records 0.5 Credits
INF2174H Histories of Records and Archives 0.5 Credits
INF2103H Recordkeeping Cultures 0.5 Credits
INF2104H Archives and Community 0.5 Credits
INF2403H Special Topics in Information: Digital Archives Workflows 0.5 Credits
ARM Graduates: Where are they now?
Samantha Summers (CDP, Class of 2021)
Samantha completed a double concentration in LIS and ARM for the MI portion of her combined degree. She puts to her degrees to use at the ROM where she is Manager of Donor Circles, overseeing renewal fundraising campaigns and the Member to Patron pipeline.
Work Integrated Learning for ARM Students
The Faculty of Information offers a variety of work-integrated learning opportunities including the MI Co-op option and practicum courses. The Careers Services team helps students find suitable placements.
Careers in Archives and Records Management
- Archivists
- Archival Consultant
- City Archivist
- Conservator
- Digital Information Archivist
- Digitization Manager
- Government Records Archivist
- Media Archivist
- Photo Archivist
- Privacy Officer University Archivist
- Record Managers
- Content Manager
- Corporate Records Officer
- Data Analyst
- Documentation Specialist
- Electronic Document Management Coordinator
- Government Records Analyst
- Information Analyst
- Information Resource Specialist Records Analyst
Who hires ARM graduates?
Faculty of Information alumni work in a wide range of organizations and industries including financial services, technology, health care, law, government, marketing and communications, non-profits and more.
Professional Networks
Many students, alumni and faculty are members of key ARM professional associations. The strong ties to these organizations, forged over many years, keep the Faculty of Information abreast of the latest ARM trends. In addition, many instructors are active ARM professionals. ARM professional associations include:
