Hello Archivists!

I’m stuck trying to decide between two online MLIS programs focused on archives and digital archives: Dominican University and Catholic University of America (CUA). Both offer solid pathways, but they represent very different institutional profiles and regional footprints.

Dominican is local to me and offers strong regional connections within the Midwest, but its curriculum feels heavily oriented toward practical execution over academic theory and lacks R1 brand equity. On the other hand, CUA brings R1 status, direct links to D.C. federal repositories and hiring panels, a curriculum that explicitly bridges archives and museum curation, and unique study abroad opportunities like their summer LSC course in Rome and Florence. However, as an online student taking CUA from a distance, the logistics of finding my own hands-on practicum placements fall entirely on me.

For working archivists and hiring managers in the field:

How much weight do you actually give to an R1 program, specialized global opportunities like international archival study abroad, or a D.C./federal pipeline when hiring for archival positions compared to strong regional institutional networks?

For those who completed an online MLIS at an out-of-state or non-local school, how manageable was it to secure quality, hands-on practicum sites independently without built-in local institutional support?

Finally, as someone aiming for a career in digital archives and looking for deep theoretical grounding, is a program’s heavy tilt toward immediate "real-world" skills a potential bottleneck down the line, or does practical experience always take precedence in hiring decisions?

I’d love to hear your perspectives on how these trade-offs actually play out in the job market. Thanks for the guidance!