History/Historic Preservation/Public History/Historic Architecture

The University of Victoria offers a variety of options in the area of heritage, culture, and museum studies. 

Post-undergraduate level products are:

• Diploma in Cultural Resource Management that focuses on museum or heritage principles and practices or approaches to the management of cultural organizations
• Post-undergraduate level Professional Specialization Certificate in Collections Management Cultural Resource Management Program
• Post-undergraduate level Professional Specialization Certificate in Heritage Conservation Planning.

Graduate level studies are:

• Graduate Certificate in Cultural Heritage Studies for emerging and mid-career individuals involved with a range of cultural heritage fields that strengthens both understanding and integration of cultural heritage, community engagement and sustainable development
• Graduate Professional Certificate in Cultural Heritage Studies, available in Summer 2013 to professionals and those interested in pursuing a career or involvement in cultural heritage, will strengthen management and leadership skills by focusing on conceptual and practical strategies for approaching challenges in the workplace and community.

Athabasca University's Heritage Resources Management program offers an Undergraduate Certificate and a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma. Heritage Resource Management (HRM) involves working with those things of the past — both intangible and tangible — that a society determines are of value and worth preserving. It can thus involve many subjects, including history, archaeology, art history, paleontology, documentary heritage, science and technology, and cultural landscapes. It also requires many specialized practices. These include the work undertaken at archives, at a huge range of museums, interpretive centers, historic places and, among others, in connection with heritage landscapes.

The undergraduate University Certificate (UC-HRM) program is designed for students who do not already hold an undergraduate degree, and who desire a solid foundation in both general theory and established practice. The courses are all delivered in an self-paced distance format, so students can participate in the courses and program starting any month through the year and from anywhere in the world, while providing a very flexible academic schedule. The courses provide practical knowledge and a comprehensive exposure to important issues and trends in the heritage field, from the management and maintenance of exhibits to the heritage policies of various Canadian governments. Students are introduced to planning, and are provided with a basis for making ethical decisions. Students implement their new knowledge and understanding in a mandatory practicum.

For undergraduate students, the 30 credits credits earned in the Undergraduate Certificate program may be applied to a full undergraduate degree at Athabasca University.

The Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Heritage Resources Management (PBD-HRM) program is designed for students that already hold a Bachelor's degree. Graduate-level training provides students with range of important opportunities academically, professionally, and personally. Those who choose a career in the heritage field benefit from a commitment to ongoing professional development, lifelong learning, and a high level of academic training. The PBD-HRM meets these needs, and provides an important professional credential which additionally may be used as a stepping stone to further graduate work such as AU's Master of Arts - Integrated Studies degree.

MA in Historic Preservation Planning

The Historic Preservation Planning prepares students for professional work in the preservation and use of our physical heritage. Sudents enter the program with humanities or social science degrees, and some have already worked in architecture or areas related to historic preservation planning. Courses address theory and practice as well as the economic, legal, and social ramifications of preservation. Students must complete two semesters of course work in American architecture history (unless you studied the subject as an undergraduate). During the first year, students take courses in the economics of neighborhood conservation, urban history, real estate development, building materials conservation, preservation law, and community-assisted design. A workshop takes students to the field to conduct a historic resources survey in a nearby city, town, or village.

The Cooperstown Graduate Program offers an MA in History Museum Studies.

The Cooperstown Graduate Program (CGP) is a partnership between the State University of New York College at Oneonta and the New York State Historical Association. The Program trains creative, entrepreneurial museum leaders committed to generating programs and services for the public good. CGP trained professionals dedicate themselves to the development of strong institutions that play a central role in their communities, encouraging broad public audiences to use artifacts and the study of art and history as a catalyst for social change.

One of only two programs in the country located on a museum campus rather than a university campus, students have the opportunity to interact regularly with museum professional staff, with objects, and with exhibitions. The CGP curriculum balances museum studies with the study of history and material culture. Core and elective courses in research, history, object study, administration, and education provide an excellent foundation for the development of museum programs and exhibitions. The coursework at CGP provides students with real professional experience including creating programming and exhibitions for museums in the region, acting as consultants, and working on strategic plans, feasibility studies, historic furnishing reports, and collections plans. Students gain a basic understanding of all aspects of museum work (particularly administration, collections, exhibitions and programming) and specialize in a career track and in a subject area.

In addition, the Cooperstown Graduate Program is a co-collaborator with the Museum Association of New York (MANY) and the New York State Historical Association (NYSHA) in running the "Institute for Cultural Entrepreneurship" -- a four-day program that is held at the Cooperstown Graduate Program. This program is for mid-career museum, preservation, historic site and other arts and culture professionals designed to introduce business applications and principles of entrepreneurial thinking with the goal of expanding vision and leadership skills. Participants at the Institute for Cultural Entrepreneurship are introduced to what today’s entrepreneurial museum leaders are saying. The Institute is a dynamic four-day experience that immerses participants in the world of nonprofit entrepreneurship training through case studies and skill building exercises that contribute to creative idea generation. Training sessions are designed to serve as catalysts that challenge traditional models of museum work in innovative and creative ways. Practice exercises teach creative idea generation and follow-through while entrepreneurial and problem solving skills are tested on case studies developed expressly for this Institute. Follow-up webinars keep participants connected with mentors and one another to help them become the change agents that 21st century museums demand.

Syracuse University offers an MA in Museum Studies through the Department of Design in the College of Visual amd Performing Arts and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Cultural Heritage Preservation through the School of Information Studies.

The Museum Studies program offers a curriculum based on research, scholarship, design, and hands-on training that prepares students for a wide range of positions in different types of museums.

The School of Information Studies offers a graduate level Certificate of Advanced Study in Cultural Heritage Preservation that is designed for students currently pursuing another graduate degree or as post-baccalaureate work.  The certificate is available to on-campus students only. Recipients of the Cultural Heritage certificate are provided with an interdisciplinary grounding in the preservation of cultural heritage. The certificate program is intended to prepare students to work with organizations such as libraries, museums, National Parks, and State and local agencies in preserving cultural resources and the opportunity to focus on areas such as the following:

• the application of digital approaches to heritage preservation
• the basics of historic site preservation
• the management and interpretation of cultural resources
• and the collection, preservation, and curation of archaeological artifacts, archival materials, ethnographic data, and museum collections.

The School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania offers an MS in Historic Preservation, a Certificate in Historic Preservation, and and Advanced Certificate in Architectural Conservation and Site Management for post-graduates. In addtion, the Historic Preservation Department offers dual-degrees with other departments in the School of Design.

Faculty and students in the MS program in Historic Preservation pursue all aspects of preservation-technical, material, humanistic, urbanistic, economic. The time-tested curriculum provides the essential foundations for preservation practice, many opportunities for specialized study, and hands-on experience through praxis projects. History, theory, documentation, technology, and planning are the core of the program. Specializations include site management, building conservation, landscape preservation, preservation planning, and preservation design. Students learn to identify and analyze cultural places and their historic fabric, determine significance and value, and design appropriate conservation and management measures. Graduates can look toward careers focused on the design and preservation of the world's cultural heritage including buildings, engineering works, cultural landscapes, archaeological sites, and historic towns and cities.

The Certificate in Historic Preservation provides an opportunity for students in the departments of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, and City and Regional Planning to gain expertise in historic preservation while completing requirements for their professional degrees. The Certificate program also offers practicing professionals the opportunity to pursue specialization training in historic preservation within one semester full-time.

The Advanced Certificate in Architectural Conservation and Site Management is a one-semester program that provides post-graduate training focused on research or praxis for those who have completed the Master of Science in Historic Preservation. The Advanced Certificate allows graduates the unique experience of directed research and field work at home or abroad under direct professional mentorship.

MTSU offers an MA or PhD in Public History, or a graduate level Certificate of Advanced Study in one of four tracks.

Students an MA in Public History choose one of four concentrations within the program: historic preservation, cultural resource management, museum management, and archival management. As fields of public history, these areas overlap to some extent, but each requires its own specialized training and each put students on a distinct career path. Incoming students may not be certain of the concentration they wish to pursue; one of the purposes of our program is to expose students to the myriad career possibilities associated with the four concentrations, helping them to select the curriculum best suited to their interests and aspirations.

The Ph.D. in Public History is an innovative, practice-based, individualized program of study. Offered by the Department of History in partnership with the Center for Historic Preservation and the Center for Popular Music, the program provides a community of nationally recognized scholars and cultural heritage professionals cooperating to train the next generation of leaders in the field

A 12-credit hour Certificate of Advanced Study is available to students currently pursuing an M.A. in Public History at MTSU, to MTSU alumni who hold an M.A. in Public History, and to applicants who hold an equivalent M.A. from another university. The CAS program has four options, described in greater detail below: Historic Preservation, Heritage Studies, Museum Management, and Archival Management.

Students pursuing an MA in Museum Science can specialize in one of two areas: Museum Science or Heritage Management.

The Museum Science Track offers study in the degree program Master of Arts in Museum Science. The program emphasizes thorough preparation in the broad spectrum of museum theory and practice. It is one of the few study programs offering classroom instruction coupled with a working museum setting, allowing theory to be applied in practice first-hand.Graduates from the program have a comprehensive background in museum studies, preparing them as generalists. In addition, students may elect to become specialized in a number of museum sub-disciplines including collection management; exhibitions and interpretation; museology; museum management and administration; and, curatorship in anthropology, art, history, or the natural sciences.

The Heritage Management Track emphasizes extensive investigation in the field of heritage management. Graduates from the Museum Science Program's Heritage Management Track are prepared to enhance local, regional, and national sociological and scientific values, encourage preservation and stewardship of cultural and natural heritage, advocate public service, and direct educational programs designed to derive maximum advantage from innovative technology without the loss of cultural identity and biodiversity. The track is configured to allow individual students to emphasize areas of special interests such as heritage administration, conservation, interpretation, education, and utilization (ecotourism). The track offers both theoretical and practical coursework designed to prepare graduates to be leaders in the heritage management field. The Heritage Management Track uses a variety of existing courses offered by various departments within the University to address individual educational and career goals.

UMW offers an undergraduate degree with a minor in Museum Studies. In addition students may request to pursue an interdisciplinary program or a special major.

The Museum Studies Minor is an interdisciplinary minor program (administered through the Historic Preservation Department) that was developed in conjunction with the three UMW museums (UMW Galleries, Gari Melchers Home and Studio, and the James Monroe Museum) and the departments of anthropology, art and art history, American studies, classics, historic preservation, and history. It provides students with the academic foundation and practical experience necessary for entrance into museum careers. It explores the manner in which museums are organized and operate and how they care for and interpret their collections, serve their audiences, respond to new technologies, and grapple with complex legal and ethical issues unique to their disciplines, including the cultural implications of the work they do and the extent of its impact from the intimate community to the global market. Historic Preservation currently serves as the home department for the Museum Studies Minor and students interested in enrolling in the minor should contact the chair of the department. The requirements for the minor are listed in the Museum Studies section of the Catalog.

Historic Preservation Department offers an interdisciplinary major that acquaints students with a broad range of activities, methods, and theoretical perspectives. Historic Preservation majors explore the theoretical, ethical, and philosophical issues that surround preservation practice. Students in the program may emphasize historic architecture, building forensics, folklore, archaeology, preservation planning, material culture, or museums in their course work. The program focuses on the maintenance, conservation, advocacy, and interpretation of historic sites and structures and on cultural resource management. The acquisition of research and analytical skills is stressed and substantial fieldwork, laboratory, or research assignments are woven into most courses. The academic program of the department is strongly enhanced by the research and public education programs of the UMW Center for Historic Preservation.

MA and PhD programs in Art History are offered.

The graduate program leading to an MA degree offers Architectural History, Art Historical Studies, and Museum Studies tracks. The PhD program offers Art Historical Studies and Curatorial tracks.

Graduate degree programs in Art History include the Master of Arts with individual tracks in Architectural History, Art Historical Studies, and Museum Studies, and the Doctor of Philosophy with Historical and Curatorial tracks; Provides a broad overview of historical developments, institutional responsibilities, professional opportunities, and theoretical issues relevant to contemporary museum practice; Curriculum equips students to build careers in curatorship, collections management, educational program development, and exhibit development.