Bachelor's Degree in Information and Documentation USAL 2026: structure, career paths and what changes

Key data

The University of Salamanca has had, since 9 October 2026, an official Bachelor's Degree in Information and Documentation with full national validity. The degree was agreed by the Council of Ministers on 15 September 2026 and is published through the Resolution of 28 September 2026 in the BOE, verified in accordance with Royal Decree 822/2021 which regulates the organization of official university education in Spain.

For archives, libraries and documentation centres, this means having access to a pool of professionals with homologated qualifications covering everything from classical archival science to digital information management and bibliometrics. For students, it opens an official pathway to a sector with growing demand in both public administration and the private sector.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution formalizes the complete study plan for the Bachelor's Degree in Information and Documentation at the University of Salamanca. The degree is structured in five blocks with differentiated ECTS credits:

The areas of knowledge covered by the study plan are:

• Archival science
• Library science
• Information retrieval
• Documentary technologies
• Bibliometrics
• Research in information and documentation

A relevant aspect for institutional planning: optional subjects can be exceptionally modified before the start of each academic year, which provides some flexibility to the plan without requiring complete re-verification.

Economic and operational impact

For institutions that employ information professionals —municipal archives, university libraries, corporate documentation centres or document management services— the existence of this official degree has direct practical consequences:

• Public employment calls: Civil service examinations and competitions that require qualifications in Information and Documentation may expressly require this official degree verified in accordance with RD 822/2021.
• Team accreditation: Companies providing document management or archival services will be able to accredit staff with official homologated qualifications, an increasingly common requirement in public procurement specifications.
• Workforce planning: Institutions with needs in digital information management, bibliometrics or information retrieval have an official training profile to guide their selection processes.
• Adaptable optional subjects: The ability to modify optional subjects before each academic year allows the plan to adapt to market needs without prolonged administrative delays.

Who does it affect?

• University students seeking an official qualification in archival science, library science or digital document management.
• Public and private archives that need professionals with homologated qualifications for their selection processes.
• University, municipal and specialized libraries that announce positions with official qualification requirements.
• Documentation centres of companies, administrations and research organizations.
• Document management and digitization companies that participate in public tenders with personnel qualification requirements.
• HR departments of institutions that incorporate information and knowledge management profiles.

Practical example

A municipal archive announcing an archive technician position in 2027 will be able to include in the requirements specification the «Bachelor's Degree in Information and Documentation» verified in accordance with Royal Decree 822/2021, with the assurance that the qualification issued by the University of Salamanca meets that requirement as it is an official degree with national character.

Similarly, a document management services company bidding for a public contract requiring accredited personnel qualified in archival science or library science will be able to present its employees who graduated from this degree as officially qualified professionals, strengthening its technical offer against competitors without qualified staff with homologated qualifications.

For a student starting the degree, the training itinerary involves: 60 ECTS of basic training + 138 ECTS of compulsory subjects + 24 ECTS optional + 12 ECTS of external internships + 6 ECTS of Bachelor's Final Project, completing the 240 ECTS within the standard timeframe of four academic years.

What should institutions do now?

1. Update qualification requirements in employment calls and procurement specifications to expressly include the Bachelor's Degree in Information and Documentation verified in accordance with RD 822/2021.
2. Review qualification catalogues in internal selection processes, especially in archives, libraries and documentation centres, to incorporate this new official degree.
3. Contact the University of Salamanca if you wish to establish external internship agreements (12 compulsory ECTS in the plan), which allows you to attract talent before graduation.
4. Inform HR departments about the existence of this training profile to guide future hires in document management, archival science or library science positions.
5. Monitor modifications to optional subjects that the university may introduce before each academic year, as the plan allows exceptional adjustments in that block (24 ECTS) without complete re-verification.

Official source

View complete regulation at official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-21093