Published: October 20, 2016 by Anna Maloney

The Master of Archives and Records Administration program at San José State University educates students from a variety of professional backgrounds and experiences. For example, students in the program range from fresh out of their undergraduate studies to having worked in the records and information management field for most of their careers. Morgan King, who is in her last semester of the MARA program, is currently working in the RIM field and earning a MARA degree to advance her career.

King works as the head of records and information management for a large pharmaceutical company based in the northeast. “I started as a data analyst…then was a designated archivist. I then took on a series of roles with increasing responsibility in a RIM / information governance group. Now I lead the group,” she said. Her most recent role comes with a long list of duties—ranging from maintaining policies and procedures to providing technical expertise and guidance on information issues. The MARA program, which King joined at the encouragement of a supervisor, has helped her to “stay current in terms of understanding the history and theory of the profession, but also in staying on top of industry trends.” 

As she nears the end of her tenure in the MARA program, King reflects on her favorite courses—Information Governance, Digital Asset Management, and Information Assurance—and provides some words of advice to current and potential MARA students: “My advice is that this program is very much an enhancing opportunity if you already work in RIM or archives. I have my first masters in education and training, which was an in-person degree, and I would say that it is very different to be in a 100% online program, but it does not diminish the amount of learning you will do. The classes are engrossing, the material is abundant, and the projects are very practical. I really recommend this program to individuals who are already in the profession but want to take their career to the next level and truly become industry experts.”