Conservation and Management of Historic Buildings MSc

Buildings are a direct link to the past – to the people who built them, to the people that lived in them, and to economies and societies that produced them.

Even the simplest structure encapsulates a huge body of evidence about the past. To protect and steward a building’s heritage requires an understanding of its nature, structure, historic context and significance, the ways in which the building can be legally protected and the conservation tools which are available for its repair and upkeep. It also requires an understanding of how a given structure can be managed sustainably. This includes everything from schemes of interpretation and display, providing considered management advice and guidance, to finding adaptive re-uses to give buildings a viable and climate-friendly future.

This blending of conservation and management skills lies at the heart of this course and reflects the integrative direction of travel of many historic building professions.

You will learn from tutors who have considerable experience of working with historic buildings in both academia and the heritage sector. You will benefit from opportunities to work with heritage organisations and projects, and also gain practical conservation skills through core short courses provided by our academics or practical training associates.

This programme has specifically been designed to meet the needs of postgraduate learners many of whom may be combining study with work and/or caring or other responsibilities. Teaching is designed to be fully flexible, to allow full participation for both part-time and full-time students. You can enter the programme in either September or January.

The course has two main strands: The first focuses on the investigation and understanding of historic buildings: How they relate to the wider environment and historical context, understanding their structure, construction & history and how they might be recorded. There is a focus on understanding the value and significance of historic assets. The second looks at the conservation of buildings: The ethical issues surrounding building conservation, practical methods of building conservation and restoration, and how the built heritage can contribute to regeneration and the enhancement of public value.

You will complete four taught modules with varied assessments which take a pragmatic approach to building conservation and are designed with employment in mind. You will also produce either a dissertation focusing on a particular topic of interest to you or a professional product of comparable standard such as a detailed building study or building conservation management plan. For those in employment the professional product can be built around a negotiated work output.