Certificate of Proficiency

RBS is pleased to announce its new Certificate of Proficiency Program, which allows students to create a specialized focus for their coursework at RBS and to earn formal recognition for their concentrated studies at the School. The program enables students to plan for and to attend a series of related classes that reflect their bibliographical interests; enrolled students will select and/or propose and complete a series of five classes within eight years (i.e., a student completing a certificate in 2011 can apply courses to the certificate from 2004 and on; a student completing a certificate in 2012 can apply courses going back to 2005, &c.). Prospective students should complete a proposal for a course of study, available online. Certificates are awarded every April and October.

Certificate of Proficiency Proposal

Note: If you are using an Apple computer, please see the PDF instructions on our application page.

1. Frequently Asked Questions

When and how can I join the RBS Certificate of Proficiency Program?
Students can enroll in the program starting 1 February 2011. Students should submit a proposal, available online, for a particular certificate.

Can my former RBS classes count toward my certificate?
Yes, so long as all of the courses counted toward the certificate are attended within the required eight-year period. This means that a student completing a certificate in 2011 can apply courses to the certificate from 2004 and on (but not before 2004), a student completing a certificate in 2012 can apply courses going back to 2005, and so on.

If I’ve already taken the five courses within the last eight years, can I get a certificate?
Yes, so long as the courses fulfill the requirements for one of the programs outlined below.

Can the same course count towards two certificates?
No; you cannot “recycle” courses for multiple certificates. Students who have concerns about meeting specific requirements should contact and consult with RBS’s Program Director.

2. Certificate of Proficiency Programs

A. The Certificate of General Proficiency

To obtain a certificate of general proficiency, students must attend any three courses, plus any two pre-1800 or post-1800 surveys, such as “The Printed Book in the West to 1800,” “Type, Lettering and Calligraphy, 1450-1830,” or “Printed Books since 1800: Description and Analysis.” “History of the Book, 200-2000” also counts toward this certificate.

Survey courses	Course no.
History of the Book, 200-2000	H-10
The Printed Book in the West to 1800	H-30
The Printed Book in the West since 1800	H-40
Printed Books to 1800: Description & Analysis	G-20
Printed Books since 1800: Description & Analysis	G-30
Type, Lettering and Calligraphy, 1450-1830	T-50
Type, Lettering and Calligraphy, 1830-2000	T-55

B. The Certificate of Proficiency with Area Concentrations

Students must attend five courses, including one survey course (see table above and note that follows), plus an area requirement for three courses in one concentration. Please note, "History of the Book 200-2000" does not fulfill the survey requirement for a concentration.

Survey requirement: one pre-1800 or post-1800 survey, such as “The Printed Book in the West to 1800,” “Type, Lettering and Calligraphy, 1450-1830,” or “Printed Books since 1800: Description and Analysis.”

Area requirement: two courses of a designated area (e.g., history of bookbinding, history of illustration; history of manuscripts; &c.) See list of areas below.

Example 1	Certificate of Proficiency with an Area Concentration in the History of Bookbinding
Survey requirement fulfilled by	“The Printed Book in the West since 1800”
Area requirement fulfilled by	“Introduction to the History of Bookbinding,” “Publishers’ Bookbindings, 1830-1910,” and “Seminar in the History of Bookbinding”
Elective, in this instance fulfilled by	“Introduction to the Principles of Bibliographical Description”

Example 2	Certificate of Proficiency with an Area Concentration in the History of Manuscripts
Survey requirement fulfilled by	“The Printed Book in the West to 1800”
Area requirement fulfilled by	“Introduction to Western Codicology,” “Introduction to Illuminated Manuscripts,” and “English Paleography, 1500-1750”
Elective, in this instance fulfilled by	“Digitizing the Historical Record”

C. The Certificate of Proficiency in a Specialized Area

Students must attend five courses, including four courses within an area.

Example 1: Certificate of Proficiency with a Specialization in Illustration
Specialization requirement fulfilled by: “Introduction to the History of Illustration,” “Book Illustration Processes to 1900,” “Japanese Illustrated Books, 1615-1912,” and “The Identification of Photographic Print Processes”
Elective: “Rare Book Cataloging”

Example 2: Certificate of Proficiency with a Specialization in Medieval and Early Modern Books and MSS
Specialization requirement: “The Book in the Manuscript Era,” “15th-Century Books in Manuscript and Print,” “Introduction to Illuminated Manuscripts,” and “Introduction to Paleography, 800-1500”
Elective: “Introduction to Archives for Special Collections Librarians”

3. Areas

Areas	Courses	Course no.
American Book History	The History of the Book in America	H-15
	The American Book in the Industrial Era, 1820-1940	H-50
	History of American Music Printing and Publishing	H-55
	History of European and American Papermaking	H-60
	The History of the Book in America, c. 1700-1830	H-70
	Publishers’ Bookbindings, 1830-1910	B-90
	Law Books: History & Connoisseurship	C-85
Bibliography	Introduction to the Principles of Bibliographical Description	G-10
	Printed Books to 1800: Description & Analysis	G-20
	Printed Books since 1800: Description & Analysis	G-30
	Analytical Bibliography	G-45
	Advanced Descriptive Bibliography	G-50
History of Bookbinding	Introduction to the History of Bookbinding	B-10
	Seminar in the History of Bookbinding	B-50
	The Description of Bookbindings	B-80
	Publishers’ Bookbindings, 1830-1910	B-90
Collections Cataloging & Description	Rare Book Cataloging	L-30
	Visual Materials Cataloging	L-40
	Implementing Encoded Archival Description	L-80
	Designing Archival Description Systems	L-90
	Provenance: Tracing Owners & Collections	C-90
	The Description of Bookbindings	B-80
	Introduction to the Principles of Bibliographical Description	G-10
	Printed Books to 1800: Description & Analysis	G-20
	Printed Books since 1800: Description & Analysis	G-30
	Advanced Descriptive Bibliography	G-50
The Book in Continental Europe and Great Britain	Introduction to the History of Bookbinding	B-10
	Seminar in the History of Bookbinding	B-50
	The History of the Book, 200-2000	H-10
	The Book in the Manuscript Era	H-20
	15th-Century Books in Print and Manuscript	H-25
	The Printed Book in the West to 1800	H-30
	The Printed Book in the West since 1800	H-40
	Printing, Publishing, & Consuming Texts in Britain, 1770-1919	H-45
	The Stationers' Company and the London Book Trade to 1830	H-80
	Introduction to Paleography, 800-1500	M-10
	Introduction to Western Codicology	M-20
	Latin Paleography, 1100-1500	M-40
	Introduction to Illuminated Manuscripts	M-50
	English Paleography, 1500-1750	M-70
Digital Materials	Digitizing the Historical Record	L-65
	XML in Action: Creating Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) Texts	L-70
	Electronic Texts in XML	L-75
	Implementing Encoded Archival Description	L-80
	Publishing EAD Finding Aids	L-85
	Designing Archival Description Systems	L-90
	Born-Digital Materials: Theory & Practice	L-95
The Global Book / NB: Requires four courses from three regions
America	The History of the Book in America	H-15
	The American Book in the Industrial Era, 1820-1940	H-50
	History of American Music Printing and Publishing	H-55
	History of European and American Papermaking	H-60
	The History of the Book in America, c. 1700-1830	H-70
	Law Books: History & Connoisseurship	C-85
	Publishers’ Bookbindings, 1830-1910	B-90
Asia	Japanese Illustrated Books, 1615-1868	I-85
Asia	The Art of the Book in Edo and Meiji Japan, 1615-1912	I-90
Continental Europe and Great Britain	Introduction to the History of Bookbinding	B-10
	Seminar in the History of Bookbinding	B-50
	The History of the Book, 200-2000	H-10
	The Book in the Manuscript Era	H-20
	15th-Century Books in Print and Manuscript	H-25
	The Printed Book in the West to 1800	H-30
	The Printed Book in the West since 1800	H-40
	Printing, Publishing, & Consuming Texts in Britain, 1770-1919	H-45
	The Stationers' Company and the London Book Trade to 1830	H-80
	Introduction to Paleography, 800-1500	M-10
	Introduction to Western Codicology	M-20
	Latin Paleography, 1100-1500	M-40
	Introduction to Illuminated Manuscripts	M-50
	English Paleography, 1500-1750	M-70
History of Illustration	Introduction to the History of Illustration	I-10
	Book Illustration Processes to 1900	I-20
	Advanced Seminar in Book Illustration Processes	I-30
	The Identification of Photographic Print Processes	I-35
	Japanese Illustrated Books, 1615-1868	I-85
	The Art of the Book in Edo and Meiji Japan, 1615-1912	I-90
History of Letterforms	Introduction to the History of Typography	T-10
	Type, Lettering and Calligraphy, 1450-1830	T-50
	Type, Lettering and Calligraphy, 1830-2000	T-55
	Introduction to Paleography, 800-1500	M-10
	Introduction to Western Codicology	M-20
	Latin Paleography, 1100-1500	M-40
	Introduction to Illuminated Manuscripts	M-50
	English Paleography, 1500-1750	M-70
	Western Manuscripts & Documents, 1500-2000	M-80
	15th-Century Books in Print and Manuscript	H-25
Librarianship	Special Collections Librarianship	L-10
	Rare Book Cataloging	L-30
	Visual Materials Cataloging	L-40
	Donors and Libraries	L-55
	Intro to Archives for Special Collections Librarians	L-60
	Digitizing the Historical Record	L-65
	XML in Action: Creating Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) Texts	L-70
	Electronic Texts in XML	L-75
	Implementing Encoded Archival Description	L-80
	Publishing EAD Finding Aids	L-85
	Designing Archival Description Systems	L-90
	Born-Digital Materials: Theory & Practice	L-95
	Artists’ Books: Strategies for Collecting	C-80
	Law Books: History & Connoisseurship	C-85
	Provenance: Tracing Owners & Collections	C-90
History of Manuscripts	Introduction to Paleography, 800-1500	M-10
	Introduction to Western Codicology	M-20
	Latin Paleography, 1100-1500	M-40
	Introduction to Illuminated Manuscripts	M-50
	English Paleography, 1500-1750	M-70
	Western Manuscripts & Documents, 1500-2000	M-80
	The Book in the Manuscript Era	H-20
	15th-Century Books in Print and Manuscript	H-25
History of Medieval and Early Modern Books and MSS	Introduction to Paleography, 800-1500	M-10
	Introduction to Western Codicology	M-20
	Latin Paleography, 1100-1500	M-40
	Introduction to Illuminated Manuscripts	M-50
	English Paleography, 1500-1750	M-70
	Western Manuscripts & Documents, 1500-2000	M-80
	The Book in the Manuscript Era	H-20
	15th-Century Books in Print and Manuscript	H-25
	The Printed Book in the West to 1800	H-30
	Printed Books to 1800: Description & Analysis	G-20
History of the Book Pre-1800	Introduction to Illuminated Manuscripts	M-50
	Western Manuscripts & Documents, 1500-2000	M-80
	The Book in the Manuscript Era	H-20
	15th-Century Books in Print and Manuscript	H-25
	The Printed Book in the West to 1800	H-30
	The History of the Book in America, c. 1700-1830	H-70
	Printed Books to 1800: Description & Analysis	G-20
	Type, Lettering and Calligraphy, 1450-1830	T-50
History of the Book Post-1800	The Printed Book in the West since 1800	H-40

	The American Book in the Industrial Era, 1820-1940	H-50
	Publishers’ Bookbindings, 1830-1910	B-90
	Printing, Publishing, & Consuming Texts in Britain, 1770-1919	H-45
	Type, Lettering and Calligraphy, 1830-2000	T-55
History of Typography	Introduction to the History of Typography	T-10
	Type, Lettering and Calligraphy, 1450-1830	T-50
	Type, Lettering and Calligraphy, 1830-2000	T-55

Rare Book School

Certificate of Proficiency