School of Palaeography, Archive Studies and Diplomatics of the State Archive of Milan, Archivist specialisation course - 2023-2025
NEWS
Registration for the autumn module exam session is open. Please fill out the form - one for each exam - and return to as-mi.[at]cultura.gov.it by 12.00 p.m. on 2 August 2024.
The call for teachers for the archivist specialisation course of the School of Palaeography, Archive Studies and Diplomatics, 2023-2025 course, is now open. Applicants must fill out the candidate forms (Att. 1 and Att. 2) and return them to as-mi@cultura.gov.it or as-mi@pec.cultura.gov.it by 12 p.m. on 5 July
EXAM CALENDAR first year 2023-2024 (PDF, 854 KB) updated on 29.05.2024
SCORING RUBRICS
Prof. Barbieri Diplomatics
Dr Beschi/Mons Gallo Palaeography
Dr Borella Auxiliary Disciplines
Dr Brienza History of Contemporary Italy
Dr Fagiolo Restoration
Dr Pezzola Methodology
Dr Piroli /Dr Santoro General Archivistics: Archival Theory and History of the Archives updated 4.6.24
Dr Piroli/ Dr Santoro Diplomatics - Contemporary Documents
Dr Santoro History of the Archives
Dr Sforza Public Law
CALENDAR first semester - 2023-2024 (PDF, 483 KB) updated on 17.11.23
CALENDAR second semester - 2023-2024 (PDF, 226 KB) updated on 19.02.24
CALL PDF (423 KB) reopening of applications for teachers for the 2023-25 course. Applicants may submit their application by filling out Attachments 1 and 2 and returning them via registered (PEC) or regular email by 6 p.m. on 5 February 2024.
Publication of call (PDF, 453 KB) updated 2023
1st year course programme (PDF, 474 KB)
TWO-YEAR course programme (PDF, 478 KB)
LIST of candidates admitted to course (PDF, 196 KB)
LIST of candidates admitted to the entrance exam (PDF, 464 KB) on Monday 2 October at 9.00 a.m. Candidates must present themselves at exams with a valid identity document.
Ministerial Decree no. 241 of 1 October 2021, Regulation on the functions, organisations and functioning of the Schools of Palaeography, Archive Studies and Diplomatics of the State Archives, reorganised the Schools of Palaeography, Archive Studies and Diplomatics annexed to the State Archives into two-year Specialisation courses for archivists. The title awarded is the diploma of specialisation for archivists.
Email address: as-mi.scuoladiapd[at]cultura.gov.it
ADMISSION TO THE SPECIALISATION COURSE FOR ARCHIVISTS
Applications to the course (Attachment 1 PDF, 105 KB) must be submitted by no later than 2.00 p.m. on 5 September 2023 in the ways indicated in the call.
To be admitted to the course candidates must:
- possess a Master’s degree or pre-1999 Italian diploma di laurea
- pass a written test demonstrating a basic knowledge of history and a written Latin translation test on a document published in the Middle Ages.
Entrance exams will take place at 9 a.m. on 2 October 2023. More specifically, the history test will consist of 20 multiple choice questions on the institutional history of Lombardy from the Historical State of Milan (Middle Ages) to the Unification of Italy (time allowed: 40 minutes). For the translation into Italian of a medieval Latin text, candidates will have 3 hours and will be allowed to use a Latin dictionary.
The admissions rankings will be produced on the basis of the results of the exam.
Archivists employed by the Ministry of Culture are admitted to the courses, even if this results in their oversubscription, and exempt from taking the admission exams on the condition that they possess the required qualifications.
Archivists that work for the archives of ecclesiastical entities or institutions of historical interest that have passed the admission exams for the specialisation courses for archivists will be admitted to the courses even if this results in their oversubscription, occupying no more than 10% of available places.
Specialisation course students contribute to the expenses incurred by the School for the provision of the education service and the educational materials supplied through refunds established in the call by the Director of the School on the basis of criteria established by the Director General of Archives.
The course is not open to audit students.
COURSE OPTIONS
Students admitted to the course may choose to specialise in the palaeography or contemporary options.
Teaching may also take place online for no more than 25% of the total teaching hours.
There are mandatory and optional modules for both areas of specialisation.
The teaching plan approved by the Directorate-General for Archives can be viewed here (PDF, 242 KB).
The course specialising in palaeography includes the following modules:
MANDATORY (54 credits)
- General Archivistics:
o a) Archival theory (6 credits) – year 1;
o b) History of archives and archivistics (6 credits) – year 1;
o c) Archival legislation, organisation of archives, protection and administrative practices (6 credits) – year 2.
- Technical archivistics: critical analysis, discussion and application of traditional and innovative archiving methods for the acquisition, management, classification, selection, disposal, reordering, description, treatment and accessing of archives; description standards (6 credits) – year 2.
- Methodologies for the textual criticism of medieval, modern and contemporary documents (6 credits) – year 1.
- History of pre- and post-Unification institutions (6 credits) – year 2.
- Elements of public law with elements of public accounting (6 credits) – year 1.
- Digital archiving systems (systems for the digitalisation of documents and images, networks, databases and research tools, IT security, assessment of SW, tools introduced by the CAD (Digital Administration Code), proprietary and open formats, reuse, methodologies for working online, conservation of digital assets (6 credits) – year 1.
- Design and organisation of an archiving service; analysis and discussion of case studies; work placements or internships in external structures (6 credits) - year 2.
SPECIFIC SPECIALISATION MODULES (30 credits)
- Diplomatics: general aspects; critical appraisal and analysis of the history of records offices in the pre-Unification State or in the pre-Unification States of the region in which the School works; critical analysis of different types of documentation (12 credits) – year 1 and 2.
- Latin palaeography: general; module focused on the reading of medieval and modern documents; practical reading and transcription exercises (12 credits) – year 1 and 2.
- History of medieval and modern law. History of the institutions of the pre-Unification State of Lombardy (6 credits) – year 2.
OPTIONAL (up to 18 credits)
- Auxiliary archival sciences with particular reference to the pre-Unification State of the region of Lombardy (chronology and metrology, heraldry and noble law, sigillography) (6 credits) – year 1.
- History of contemporary Italy (6 credits) – year 1.
- Principles of the preservation and restoration of traditional media. Organisation and management of archive facilities. Security (6 credits) – year 1.
- Communication and cultural promotion of archive heritage and construction of institutional sites (6 credits) – year 1.
- Diplomatics of the contemporary document: analysis of 19th-20th century documents of the pre-Unification Italian States and the post-Unification State; the digital document: structural/diplomatic and technical aspects (12 credits) – year 1 and 2.
- Treatment of photographic, oral and audiovisual sources (6 credits) – year 2.
- Records management theory and methods: document management systems and national and international standards, design of document management systems and re-engineering of processes and systems (archiving, administrative and technological aspects), with critical analysis of case studies; Management and preservation of digital archives: theory, cultural and administrative policies, techniques, actions strategies (12 credits) – year 1 and 2.
The course specialising in contemporary studies includes the following modules:
MANDATORY (54 credits)
- General Archivistics:
o a) Archival theory (6 credits) – year 1;
o b) History of archives and archivistics (6 credits) – year 1;
o c) Archival legislation, organisation of archives, protection and administrative practices (6 credits) – year 1 and 2.
- Technical archivistics: critical analysis, discussion and application of traditional and innovative archiving methods for the acquisition, management, classification, selection, disposal, reordering, description, treatment and accessing of archives; description standards (6 credits) – year 2.
- Methodologies for the textual criticism of medieval, modern and contemporary documents (6 credits) – year 1.
- History of pre- and post-Unification institutions (6 credits) – year 2.
- Elements of public law with elements of public accounting (6 credits) – year 1.
- Digital archiving systems (systems for the digitalisation of documents and images, networks, databases and research tools, IT security, assessment of SW, tools introduced by the CAD (Digital Administration Code), proprietary and open formats, reuse, methodologies for working online, conservation of digital assets (6 credits) – year 1.
- Design and organisation of an archiving service; analysis and discussion of case studies; work placements or internships in external structures (6 credits) - year 2.
SPECIFIC SPECIALISATION MODULES (30 credits)
- Diplomatics of the contemporary document: analysis of 19th-20th century documents of the pre-Unification Italian States and the post-Unification State; the digital document: structural/diplomatic and technical aspects (12 credits) – year 1 and 2.
- Treatment of photographic, oral and audiovisual sources (6 credits) – year 2.
- Records management theory and methods: document management systems and national and international standards, design of document management systems and re-engineering of processes and systems (archiving, administrative and technological aspects), with critical analysis of case studies; Management and preservation of digital archives: theory, cultural and administrative policies, techniques, actions strategies (12 credits) – year 1 and 2.
OPTIONAL (up to 18 credits)
- Auxiliary archival sciences with particular reference to the pre-Unification State of the region of Lombardy (chronology and metrology, heraldry and noble law, sigillography) (6 credits) – year 1.
- History of contemporary Italy (6 credits) – year 1.
- Principles of the preservation and restoration of traditional media. Organisation and management of archive facilities. Security (6 credits) – year 1.
- Communication and cultural promotion of archive heritage and construction of institutional sites (6 credits) – year 1.
- Diplomatics: general aspects; critical appraisal and analysis of the history of records offices in the pre-Unification State or in the pre-Unification States of the region in which the School works; critical analysis of different types of documentation (12 credits) – year 1 and 2.
- Latin palaeography: general; module focused on the reading of medieval and modern documents; practical reading and transcription exercises (12 credits) – year 1 and 2.
- History of medieval and modern law. History of the institutions of the pre-Unification State of Lombardy (6 credits) – year 2.
MODULE EXAMS
Module exams are held in two sessions during the academic year, one in the summer and one in the autumn. The calendar of exams is put together by the Director of School with the advice of the education council.
In order to be admitted to sit individual module exams, the students on each course must have attended at least 80% of the lesson hours on the study programme, also remotely.
Depending on the content of the course, module exams can be written, oral or practical.
The marks for each module exam are given in thirtieths. The pass mark is 18/30.
The exam boards consist of the head teacher of the discipline and two other teachers from the School appointed by the Director.
REGISTRATION FOR YEAR TWO
By 10 October 2024 the Director of the School, having heard the opinion of the education council, will announce the names of the students who will attend the second year of the course having completed the first year at another School or another equivalent School. These students will occupy no more than 10% of available places and will be admitted to the courses even if they are oversubscribed.
The two-year Vatican School of Palaeography, Archive Studies and Diplomatics and the advanced specialisation schools of archive studies and library and information science, majoring in archivistics, set up at state universities are considered equivalent schools.
FINAL EXAM
The diploma of specialisation for archivists is awarded to students that pass all module exams, amounting to no less than 120 credits, and a final exam.
The final exam is worth 18 credits.
The final exam consists of the presentation, by the student, of an original paper in one of the disciplines covered by the course and approved by the course supervisor.
The final exam will be discussed in front of a Board consisting of three teachers appointed by the Director of the School, a representative of the Director-General for Education, Research and Cultural Institutions, and by the course supervisor.
The Board may award the final exam up to 10 additional marks compared the average mark recorded in the module exams.
The final exams are organised in two yearly sessions, after the end of the module exam application process, by the Director of the School in concert with the education council.
The final mark for the specialisation course is expressed in one-hundred-and-fiftieths and the minimum pass mark to qualify for the diploma is ninety, taking account of the average mark recorded in the module exams and the marks awarded in the final exam.
The Exam Board may award the distinction of “honours” to candidates that achieve a mark of 150/150.
As well as a diploma, students on the specialisation courses that have taken the final exam will also receive a certificate from the School showing their final mark and the marks they achieved in the individual module exams, with the name of the module and the corresponding number of credits.
For more information see the ministerial decree and updates published on this institutional website.
Last updated: 10/07/2024
