Conservation of Historic Buildings

Overview

We offer you the unique opportunity to learn how to design and manage conservation projects while studying in a UNESCO World Heritage site. Taught by experts in the field, our course focuses on preserving historic buildings and cultural heritage worldwide. You’ll gain knowledge of philosophical approaches to conserving the built environment and its significance within the context of international standards and charters. You’ll also explore materials, techniques, traditional constructional principles and structural behaviour.

To learn about conservation in practice, you’ll visit and work on case studies at historic buildings sites in the UK. These help you understand how our built heritage is repaired and re-used, and develop your technical and communication skills. You’ll finish your master’s degree with a large research project in an area of conservation that excites you.

Our course draws on the research knowledge in our Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering and expertise in the industry. Our academics’ international collaborations and research feed into our teaching and contribute to your learning experience. Our research was ranked 1st in the UK in the Architecture and the Built Environment submission of the 2014 Research Excellence Framework.

We have a range of facilities to support your studies. Our library gives you access to online historical literature, maps and audio visual services, as well as professional databases such as Construction Information Services.

If you want a future in preserving historic architecture, then our course is the right choice to help prepare you for the next step in your career. We work with industrial partners to make sure you have the technical, communication and design skills that employers value. You’ll work on group projects with students on other construction-related MSc courses, preparing you for a range of professional positions. You’ll graduate with the ability to make a real contribution to the preservation of our architectural landscape. Our graduates have gone on to work in roles such as:

• Inspectors and managers at Historic England and English Heritage
• Senior National Trust managers and national amenity society inspectors
• Local authority conservation officers
• Conservation architects, engineers and surveyors in specialist practices

You could also choose to continue your studies with us on our PhD programme.