ACA Graduate Course Preapproval Program

Each year the Academy of Certified Archivists (ACA) verify the qualifications of applicants who apply to take the Certification Examination. Part of this process is evaluating graduate course syllabi to ensure the class meets ACA standards and contains curriculum covering at least one domain. To streamline this process, the ACA created the Graduate Course Preapproval Committee (GCPAC) to evaluate graduate courses. This is a free program that preapproves graduate courses in archival studies, library science, and information science programs.   

Using a rubric based on the ACA’s Role Delineation Statement domains, the GCPAC determines which courses meet the criteria for approval. Once approved, faculty and their programs can promote the courses as being “ACA pre-approved.” The committee will reevaluate courses every five years, and faculty can submit additional syllabi when new classes are offered.  

The following schools and courses are approved under the program. If you have questions about specific courses during the program evaluation period or would like to submit your classes for pre-approval, please email the ACA Regent for Exam Administration. 

Baylor University  

• MST 4301/5311 Intro to Museum Administration
• MST 4302/5312: Outreach and Community Relations
• MST 4305/5333: Preservation Management
• MST 5324: Archival Arrangement and Description
• MST 5326: Archival Technology and Digital Collections Management
• MST 5304: Museum Collections Management
• MST 5340: Leadership in Museum Administration

Catholic University of America  

• LSC 615: Metadata
• LSC 643: Oral History
• LSC 646: Archives Management
• LSC 647: Preservation
• LSC 648: Digital Curation
• LSC 652: Foundations of Digital Archives
• LSC 677: History and Theory of Cultural Heritage Institutions
• LSC 843: Public Programs, Outreach, and Digital Exhibits in Libraries, Archives, and Museums

Clayton State University

• ARST 5000: Principles and Practices in Archives
• ARST 5100: Archives & Technology
• ARST 5110: Archives and the Web
• ARST 5150: Preservation of Archival Records
• ARST 5170: Reference, Access, and Outreach
• ARST 5200: Arrangement and Description of Archival Materials
• ARST 5250: Digital Curation and Preservation
• ARST 5300: Digital Preservation
• ARST 5400: Records Management
• ARST 5500: Appraisal and Selection of Archival Materials
• ARST 6620: Managing Archives
• ARST 6950: Capstone

Emporia State University 

• LI 809XI: Introduction to Archives
• LI 818XJ: Archival Arrangement and Description 
• LI 827XJ: Preservation Strategies 
• LI 885XI: Bibliographic and Research Methods in Archives 

Long Island University

• LIS 693 Gardiner Foundation Fellows
• LIS 706 Digital Preservation
• LIS 714 Archives and Manuscripts
• LIS 721 Appraisal of Archives and Manuscripts
• LIS 722 Digital Curation
• LIS 723 Records Management and Information Governance

Louisiana State University

• LIS 7408 Introduction to Archival Theory, Principles, & Practice
• LIS 7504 Preservation Management of Physical Records
• LIS 7704 Archival Arrangement and Description

San Jose State University

• INFO 256: Archives and Manuscripts
• INFO 259: Preservation Management
• INFO 282: Digital Asset Management
• INFO 284: Seminar in Archives and Records Management, Topic: Digitization and Digital Preservation
• INFO 284: Seminar in Archives and Records Management, Topic: Digital Curation
• MARA 200: The Record and the Recordkeeping Professions
• MARA 204: Management of Records and Archival Institutions
• MARA 210: Records Creation, Appraisal, and Retention 
• MARA 211: Records Access, Storage, and Retrieval
• MARA 249: Electronic Recordkeeping Systems and Issues in Electronic Recordkeeping
• MARA 256: Archives and Manuscripts 
• MARA 259: Preservation Management
• MARA 283: Enterprise Content Management and Digital Preservation
• MARA 284: Seminar in Archives and Records Management: Topic: Developing an Information Governance Strategy
• MARA 285: Research Methods in Records Management and Archival Science
• MARA 286:  Developing an Information Governance Strategy
• MARA 287: Information Assurance
• MARA 289: Advanced Topics in Archives and Records Administration

University of Akron

• HIST 601: Graduate Research Seminar
• IHSC 501: Advanced Topics in Museum and Archives I
• IHSC 502: Advanced Topics in Museums and Archives II
• IHSC 525: Capstone in Public Humanities

University of Arkansas

• HIST 7320: Archival Management
• HIST 7372: Digital History
• HIST 7380: Archival Preservation

University of Maryland 

• INST 604: Introduction to Archives and Digital Curation
• INST 641: Policy and Ethics in Digital Curation
• INST 643: Curation in Cultural Institutions
• INST 746: Digitization of Legacy Holdings
• INST 782: Arrangement, Description, and Access for Archives
• LBSC 731: Special Collections
• LBSC 784: Digital Preservation 

University of Missouri 

• ISLT 9490: Archival Practice
• ISLT 9491: Appraisal & Archival Systems
• ISLT 9492: Data & Records Management

University of North Texas 

• INFO 5371: Archives and Manuscripts
• INFO 5375: Archival Appraisal
• INFO 5240: Archival Arrangement and Description

University of Texas at Austin 

• INF 380C: Information in Social and Cultural Context
• INF 384M: Topics in Description and Metadata: Theories & Applications of Metadata 
• INF 385R: Survey of Digitization 
• INF 385T: Video Games: Access, Archives, and Values 
• INF 385T: Exhibits in Cultural Heritage Institutions 
• INF 385T: Special Topics: Literacy and Memory Technologies
• INF 385T: Special Topics: Access & Care of Indigenous Cultural Knowledge

Wayne State University 

• INF/HIS 6780: Introduction to Records and Information management
• INF 7712: Introduction to Copyright and Intellectual Property
• INF 7715: Archival Reference
• INF 7770: Oral History Methodologies 
• INF 7885: Administration of Historic Agencies
• INF 7920: Digital Curation & Preservation
• LIS 7710: Archival Administration
• LIS 7730/HIS 7890: Administration of Audio-Visual Collections
• LIS 7740: Archives and Libraries in the Digital World 
• LIS 7750: Introduction to Library and Archival Conservation
• LIS 7780/HIS 7820 Description and Access for Archives 
• LIS 7850: Issues in Librarianship: Primary Historic Research for Information Professionals and Archivists
• LIS 7850: Issues in Librarianship: Introduction to Copyright and Intellectual Property for Information Professionals 
• SIS 7860: Primary History Research for Information Professionals and Archivists

Faculty members who want to submit syllabi for preapproval or have questions can contact the ACA Regent for Exam Administration.