Historic Preservation, MS

Program Description

The Master of Science in Historic Preservation is a professional degree program in Charleston, SC, that provides multidisciplinary training essential for careers in historic preservation, architectural conservation, and the effective management of the nation’s cultural resources. The program emphasizes the documentation, evaluation, interpretation, and conservation of historic structures, sites, objects, and landscapes with the goal of developing appropriate sustainable preservation strategies for buildings, neighborhoods and communities. The program actively engages students in historic preservation projects in Charleston, a city widely recognized for its historic buildings and its innovative leadership in developing many of the tools applied by the modern preservation movement. Students conduct additional fieldwork and research at historic sites elsewhere in South Carolina and abroad. The size of the program is restricted to ensure focused research with the faculty. Coursework, much of it organized around studios, labs and field seminars, draws on Charleston’s historic preservation specialists as well as distinguished visiting faculty and experts. Students are admitted into the program from a wide range of undergraduate disciplines. Submission of a portfolio with samples of work related to the built environment is encouraged.

The 60-credit program is structured in sequential layers, beginning with an initial core semester devoted to the analysis and documentation of historic buildings and structures. The first semester is followed by an advanced semester consisting of laboratory and studio-based courses organized around acquisition of analytical skills in architectural conservation and completion of a significant preservation project. Summer professional internships with a local, regional or national historic preservation organization, such as the Historic American Building Survey and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, provide opportunities for the application of skills acquired during the first year. The second year focuses on acquisition of advanced skills and completion of a thesis. Students defend their thesis proposals at the beginning of the third semester. Thesis projects pursue original research questions and encourage students to acquire specific, advanced skills related to their area of focus in the discipline of historic preservation.