Introduction

For over thirty years, the Preservation Studies Program at Boston University has provided the interdisciplinary training necessary for the effective and judicious management of cultural resources. Students in the Program engage firsthand with both traditional and innovative forms of preservation practice and receive essential preparation in architectural history, preservation planning, building conservation, preservation law, and adaptive use. Together these provide a broad grounding that emphasizes the variety of historic resources and the diversity of approaches to their preservation.

Boston University is a major research institution, located in a city well known for its rich history, its leadership in historic preservation, and its outstanding colleges and universities. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers M.A., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees and is committed to preparing future practitioners, researchers, and teachers in over forty programs in the liberal arts, music, and theology. The Preservation Studies Program's affiliation with the American & New England Studies Program provides outstanding faculty from the departments of archaeology, art history, and history, and both Programs have a long-standing commitment to the study of material culture and the built environment. The Preservation Studies Program also draws on the faculty of Urban Affairs within Metropolitan College, the University's school for continuing education. Its joint JD/MA program, offered in association with the University's School of Law, was the first in the nation.

Critical and distinctive to the Preservation Studies Program is the integration of traditional coursework with extensive opportunities for practical and professional experience through classwork and internships. Boston and New England have long been at the center of the preservation movement, as home to many of its founders and to practitioners and institutions that continue to be in the vanguard of developments in the field. Class projects take advantage of the tremendous scope of preservation activity in the region, from large-scale initiatives across the state and region to grassroots neighborhood efforts in cities and towns. The Program also draws on that community for its adjunct faculty, for internships, and for employment after graduation.

The Preservation Studies Program has educated over 200 preservation professionals, most of whom continue to pursue these careers in communities across the nation. Graduates of the Program have gone on to distinguished leadership positions in preservation, particularly in Boston and New England. The Program's network within these communities, through its faculty and alumni, is among its greatest strengths.

If you have any questions or are planning to be in Boston and would like to arrange a campus visit, please call 617-353-2948 or send us an email. I would be happy to meet with you and arrange for you to speak with other faculty and students in the program.

Sincerely,
 
Claire W. Dempsey
Director of Preservation Studies

• Introduction
• MA Requirements
• JD/MA Requirements
• Admissions
• Financial Aid & Tuition
• Courses
• Current Students
• Visiting Experts
• Internships
• Preservation Practice
• Recent Major Projects
• Alumni