Mapping Chicago Preservation

Academic Programs

Preservation education plays a vital role in shaping the next generation of historians, architects, planners, and advocates dedicated to protecting our built heritage. Across the United States, universities and institutions offer degree programs, certificates, and specialized courses that provide training in preservation theory, policy, and practice.

The table below highlights a selection of master’s programs, including key details such as course offerings, faculty, and affiliated departments. For a more comprehensive overview of preservation education programs, visit the regularly updated database maintained by the National Council for Preservation Education (NCPE).

For a broader listing of educational opportunities, including certificate and continuing education programs, visit PreservationDirectory.com.

Program Institution Department Faculty Courses Link Exhibitions
Masters in Historic Preservation SAIC Department of Historic Preservation Richard Friedman; Nicholas Lowe Preservation Law; Physical Documentation; Restoration Design Studio Program LinkProjects
Master of Historic Preservation University of Florida College of Design, Construction and Planning Cleary Larkin; Linda Stevenson DCP 6710 History and Theory of Historic Preservation [Syllabus] ; DCP 6714 – Built Heritage Documentation Program LinkProjects
Master of Science in Historic Preservation; Ph.D. in Historic Preservation University of Texas School of Architecture Tara Dudley; Juliana Felkner American Architecture; National Register Documentation; Materials Conservation: Laboratory Methods; Preservation Law Program LinkProjects
Master of Science in Historic Preservation Clemson University School of Architecture Amalia Leifeste History and Theory of Historic Preservation; American Architecture; Preservation Studio; Conservation Laboratory Science; Adaptive Use Program LinkProjects
Historic Preservation, MSHP University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design Frank G. Matero; Randall F. Mason American Architecture; Public History of the Built Environment: Theory and Practice; Preservation Through Public Policy; Conservation Science Program LinkProjects
Initiative in the History of the Built Environment, Doctoral Fellows University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design Francesca Russello Ammon - Program Link-
MS in Historic Preservation; Undergraduate minor University of Oregon School of Architecture Chris Bell; Larissa Rudnicki Pacific Northwest Preservation Field School; Preservation Economics; Legal Issues in Historic Preservation; American Architecture from a Preservation Perspective Program LinkProjects
History, Theory, and Preservation (HTP), part of Architecture major; Graduate Minor in Heritage Studies UIUC School of Architecture Kathryn E. Holliday Special Problems in Urbanism Program LinkProjects
Master of Historic Preservation and Master of Real Estate Development (dual degree) University of Maryland Graduate school Rhonda Sincavage; Frederick Stachura Preservation Policy and Planning; Historic Preservation Professional Practice; Historic Preservation Studio Workshop; Historic Preservation Law Program Link-
Historic Preservation, MS Pratt College Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment Vicki Weiner; Harriet Harriss History and Theory of Preservation ; Preservation Law and Policy; [Syllabus] Program LinkProjects
Historic Preservation Certificate; Online MDS in Historic Preservation Boston Architectural College - - Historic Preservation Philosophy and Practice; Adaptive Reuse and Development Process Program Link-
Diploma in Heritage Conservation Willowbank School of Restoration Arts - Ashleigh Bell; Alex Blades History of Architecture; Window Conservation; Heritage Project Management Program Link-
Master of Science in Historic Preservation Notre Dame School of Architecture Steven Semes; Paul Kapp - Program Link-