The Master of Science graduate degree in historic preservation prepares graduate students for broad-based careers in the field of historic preservation. Our primary educational goal is the development of long-term professional practitioners with knowledge and training in the appropriate skills to support their careers. Students are offered an intensive, practical, community-oriented, professional experience. Strong emphasis is placed on hands-on, community-based projects through linkages with local, state, and federal groups, organizations and agencies, heritage organizations, museums, and historic sites.
Students may choose either of two dual tracks leading toward completion of the MS degree, one incorporating traditional on-campus instruction available to those who choose to experience the Vermont context firsthand and attend classes in-person, and the other offering remote instruction for those who enroll in our program from a distance. These two enrollment options have been crafted with the goal of melding the curricular requirements of a program steeped in tactile awareness of history visible in our surroundings, with new opportunities for offering such experiences through advancing technology.
Each course will be divided into lecture and symposia components, and each course will be offered in a manner that establishes clear, identical, educational expectations for in-person and distance learners. Lecture components will be offered in-person and synchronously during each semester. Symposia for each course will be offered during intensive, four or five-day conferences during which students and faculty will meet in person during full, eight-hour days and engage with one another on campus or in field settings. Two symposia will take place during fall semesters and two symposia will occur during spring semesters.
Our Program
The Master of Science degree in historic preservation is a 30-credit hour program. All students complete either a 3-credit internship or a 6-credit written thesis project and must pass a comprehensive examination at the end of the third semester. Graduate students from a wide variety of academic backgrounds and experiences generally enter the program in the fall semester. The regular deadline for applications is March 1, but late applications may be reviewed if openings are available through July 1. Most students complete their graduate degree studies after three semesters and a summer internship, but some students choose to include a fourth semester and a thesis in lieu of the internship. Part-time enrollment is also offered as an option for graduate students, with up to five years available for completion of the M.S. degree.
Multiple Paths to Career Success
Examples of positions that have been held by graduates of the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Historic Preservation Program include: state and federal historic preservation officers; executive directors and field representatives of non-profit preservation organizations; executive directors of historic site museums; directors of historic preservation revolving funds; historic preservation review coordinators; historic preservation faculty at colleges and universities; downtown preservation development managers; and principals and associates of historic preservation consulting firms and cultural resource management companies. For more background on what ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Historic Preservation Program alumni are doing, see Outcomes and Careers.
Graduate Admissions
Graduate students are admitted to the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Historic Preservation Program from a wide variety of academic backgrounds ranging from history, architectural history, architecture, and business administration, to engineering, art history, planning, law, and other fields of undergraduate study. Candidates must hold at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited academic institution prior to enrollment.
Because historic preservation is a field of many skills and interests, the admissions review policy maintains flexibility about applicants' previous academic studies and experience, placing emphasis upon their stated motivations and capacity to do independent, self-directed work.
Those interested should apply directly to ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Graduate Admissions using the online application form.
The ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Historic Preservation Program welcomes diversity. The policy of ¶¶Òõ̽̽ is to not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, handicap, color, religion, age, or national origin in admission or access to or treatment or employment in its programs and activities.
Questions? Discuss career plans? Schedule an appointment or visit?
Contact us at histpres@uvm.edu
Tuition and Financial Aid
All students accepted to the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Historic Preservation Program receive a discounted graduate tuition rate, regardless of merit or need. This non-resident alternate pricing tuition rate is $1,200 per credit. Vermont residents may apply for the in-state tuition rate, which is $678 per credit.
Students who satisfy a financial need requirement are also eligible for federal work-study support. The ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Historic Preservation Program typically has work-study positions available for all pre-qualified students. Applications for work-study funding must be made through the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Financial Aid. Read more about the information and application procedures.
Questions? Schedule an appointment or visit? Request an information package? Contact at histpres@uvm.edu
For Undergraduates
The ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Historic Preservation Program offers a Master of Science degree in historic preservation, as well as an Accelerated Masters Program.
Undergraduate students may wish to consider an individually designed minor in historic preservation. An IDM in historic preservation might include courses to learn about observations about architectural history, landscape heritage, architectural conservation, adaptive reuse, and other topics.