Master of Heritage Conservation

Program Overview

This program in Building Design and Heritage Conservation explores the documentation, assessment, and management of culturally significant places. It equips graduates for careers in heritage conservation, including roles in government agencies, architectural firms, and cultural organizations. Graduates benefit from access to advanced facilities and opportunities for internships and international travel.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This program is much more than simply preserving existing buildings. It aims to provide value to building owners, visitors and cultural bodies through a deep understanding of history and heritage conservation practices.

Objectives:

• Develop core competencies in the documentation and assessment of culturally significant places, including buildings, sites and cultural landscapes.
• Formulate policy for culturally significant places and their effective management.
• Understand the legal frameworks, policy positions and professional methods that govern heritage conservation practice.
• Encourage critical thinking about how cultural value is determined and who should help determine it.

Careers:

• Heritage consultant skills are in demand by government and cultural agencies, development firms, historical societies and architectural and urban planning firms.
• Graduates may be employed as social commentators, historians or cultural observers.
• The dual focus of this program (building design and policy formation) equips graduates to enter either area.
• The approaches taught in this program are recognised internationally, making skills readily transferrable to other countries.
• Students enrolled in this course may be eligible for membership of the Environment Institute of Australian and New Zealand (EIANZ).

Other:

• Graduates can develop their specialist conservation and adaptive reuse skills through this course.
• The University of Sydney is one of the world's top 20 universities.
• The program offers a uniquely flexible course structure allowing students to complement their core studies with a broad range of electives from across the University.
• Students have access to state-of-the-art computer laboratories and digital fabrication equipment, dedicated studio spaces, an indoor environmental quality (IEQ) laboratory, an extensive research lighting laboratory and outstanding audio and acoustics facilities, including an anechoic chamber and recording studio.
• Opportunities for industry internships and international travel are available to further broaden thinking as a design professional.
• Students have opportunities to attend workshops run by international scholars and display their work in the Tin Sheds Gallery.