Study heritage conservation
What is heritage conservation?
Our heritage is all of the cultural remnants left behind by previous generations. Public spaces, streets and city infrastructure and our own houses are all records of the way we live and the decisions made by generations before us. Heritage conservation is the process of protecting these structures through policy, physical restoration and by creating an enhanced public significance.
This course will equip you with a deep understanding of cultural continuity and place identity while challenging you to imagine how to regenerate and renew historic buildings, urban areas and cultural landscapes through architectural intervention and urban strategy.
Gain industry relevant experience via a graduate internship and benefit from mentoring by heritage professionals through the International Council of Monuments and Sites.
If you come from an architectural, urban planning, archaeological, historical, engineering or related background, or are a graduate of the Bachelor of Architecture and Environments, this course will develop your specialist conservation and adaptive reuse skills. We also welcome applicants from other disciplines.
Career pathways include:
- conservation specialist
- heritage consultancy
- policy development.
Heritage conservation courses
The Master of Heritage Conservation will develop your skills in best practice conservation, adaptive reuse of buildings and management of culturally significant places. You will develop the ability to assess heritage significance and shape how this assessment translates into policy.
While studying local and international conservation practices, you will also gain techniques for documentation, management and interpretation of culturally important places.
Urbanism
This degree is a two‑year, 96-credit-point version of the specialist 18-month master’s programs in Urban Design, Heritage Conservation, Urban and Regional Planning. This extended timeframe enables you to experience a cross‑disciplinary approach while still specialising in a specific area of professional interest.
Related courses
At the master’s level, this degree will take 1.5 years full time to complete (72 credit points). The program can also be taken at the level of:
- Graduate Diploma in Heritage Conservation (one year and 48 credit points)
- Graduate Certificate in Heritage Conservation (6 months and 24 credit points)
Inspiring alumni
Priyanka Misra
Master of Heritage Conservation (2014)
Heritage Specialist, City of Sydney Council
"My master’s degree gave me the opportunity to undertake an internship with the City of Sydney Council’s heritage team. It was an amazing experience that opened a door to my new career and a whole new world of heritage conservation from a government organisation’s point of view."