Natalie,

 

There are a lot of archival studies programs, some housed within Library Schools or History departments.  That should tell you a bit about the different approaches to archival studies.  Some require a strong grounding in history, while others expect students to be well grounded in cataloguing, reference and other areas of the library sciences.   Of course, a blend in approaches is possible.

 

The Society of American Archives has a directory of Archival Education:  http://www.archivists.org/prof-education/edd-index.asp that lists all accredited archival studies programs.   I would suggest that you address your question to the members of Archives-L, where the quality of these programs is a recurring topic.  You can search their web archives for more info or join the list.  Go to http://www.archivists.org/listservs/arch_listserv_terms.asp for information on either of these options.

 

Mary Beth