The Society of American Archivists' approach to graduate archival education has changed in recent years. Guidelines for education have evolved to the point where the 1994 guidelines endorse master's programs in archival education. The SAA Strategic Plan offers strong support for graduate archival education and research, including archival education at the doctoral level. The 1994 guidelines will now be revised in light of the changes in graduate programs and archival work since they were written.

This paper explores the role of research in a professional, graduate archival education program by assessing the experience of the Master of Archival Studies (MAS) program in the School of Library, Archival and Information Studies at the University of British Columbia (UBC). It pays particular attention to the role of the thesis in creating both a solid research base as well as helping the program to establish itself as a separate field within the university.

Research occupies a central place in any graduate program and needs to be integrated across the archival curriculum, from the earliest courses through completion of the degree. This article traces the origins and development of New York University's Program in Archival Management and Historical Editing in order to explore its changing conceptualizations of research, and to examine the ways in which all archival educators can strengthen this programmatic component. As one of the oldest and most successful graduate training programs in North America, NYU's history-based curriculum provides an important case study and offers some significant lessons for archival educators.

The results of a survey of graduates of archival education programs in the United States present a profile of the next generation of archivists by focusing on a variety of demographic, economic, and professional issues. The findings indicate that the new generation of archivists is younger, predominantly female, and slightly better compensated than previous generations. Furthermore, interesting contrasts and comparisons can be made between graduates of history and graduates of library and/or information science-based programs, as well as between men and women in terms of employment sectors, salaries, and the length of the graduate programs. Understanding career trajectories is important in building a stronger archival profession in the United States, as well as in fostering professionalization among the younger generation.

The author argues that something unanticipated has occurred, graduate archival education has expanded and matured and graduate educators have assumed leadership in the continued development of this aspect of the profession. These developments create new tensions about where graduate education is heading and the role of professional associations such as the Society of American Archivists. The author considers options for how educators ought to work on nurturing graduate archival education, believing that no matter what options are selected, the future of graduate archival education rests primarily with what graduate educators deem it to be.