What sort of background do I need?
All applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. There is no restriction on the applicant's previous field of study and our students enter the program with a variety of previous experiences.
What are the admission requirements? Do I need to take the GRE?
Students are evaluated on a comprehensive basis that takes into account a variety of factors. Students are evaluated on a comprehensive basis that takes into account a variety of factors. This is why we ask students to provide a statement of purpose, resume, transcripts, and letters of recommendation. A GRE score is only required for the dual master's degree in Historic Preservation and History (HIHP).
Why Preservation at Maryland?
The Historic Preservation Program draws on multiple disciplines, perspectives and practices to prepare you for a career preserving our nation’s tangible and intangible heritage and finding inspired uses for these resources in today’s world.
With so many preservation organizations and agencies—local, state and federal—in the metropolitan D.C. region, you’ll learn from well-connected faculty and challenging internships that will allow you to expand and apply your knowledge and skills. Plus, you’ll find two great urban laboratories in Baltimore and Washington; places and spaces where you can explore gentrification, sustainability and other pressing issues; and a broad cultural landscape, from the Atlantic coast to the mountains of Appalachia.
The Historic Preservation program also offers seven dual-degree options for students looking to explore historic preservation in conjunction with architecture, real estate development, community planning, applied anthropology, landscape architecture, American studies, or history. The dual degrees, four of which can be completed with just one extra semester of study, allow students to build knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in an increasingly competitive and changing global market.
How long is the course of study for the Historic Preservation Programs?
Students may pursue their master’s degree on a full or part-time basis. Full-time students are able to finish in two years. Full-time dual degree students in Historic Preservation and Community Planning, Real Estate Development, Applied Anthropology, can finish in two-and-a-half years. The dual degree with Architecture takes three or four years depending upon the applicant’s background in architecture. The dual degree with Landscape Architecture takes two to three years depending upon the applicant’s plan of study.
What are the foci of the Preservation curriculum?
The core of the program focuses on the basics of history, theory, and practice including history and theory, law, materials conservation, research methods, architectural history and documentation. In addition, course work includes policy, planning, economics, management and practice. The Social and Ethnic Issues of Preservation course, a unique component of the UMD program, teaches students to understand the broader social impacts of preservation in a multicultural society. Each student must complete 36 credits of required course work. Students may focus the remaining 9 credits in elective coursework specific to their area of interest.
What does the final graduate project for master's students entail?
HISP students complete a Final Project rather than a traditional thesis. This project enables students to complete a product that correlates with the professional nature of typical Historic Preservation practice. The first semester final project course develops a research project proposal and literature review. The second semester final project course focuses on independent research, writing, and group seminars working toward the final presentation and defense of student’s final project document. Selection of the final project is determined in coordination with your advisors.
How many hours is the master's degree?
The MHP s a 45-hour degree program.
Do I get hands-on training?
Virtually every class, from the introductory course to the final project, gets you out in the field and connects you to preservation issues and practice in communities and neighborhoods. You may be pressing your case on Capitol Hill as part of National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week, attending a local historic district commission meeting for your law class or visiting one of hundreds of historic properties to start a project in your historical research methods or vernacular architecture class.
You can combine your coursework with invaluable research and field-based professional training in documentation, policy and interpretation. With our partners, such as the National Park Service, Maryland Historical Trust and local, county and city agencies, we provide unique ways to get experience in decision-making, management and conservation.
Here’s just a sample:
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Bostwick House: This 18th-century house and its 10-acre property in nearby Bladensburg, Md., provide a living classroom for the program.
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Studio Classes in Historic Neighborhoods: Using site analysis, historical research, geographic information system (gis) mapping and community outreach, teams of students have developed recommendations interweaving historical tradition and legacies with future needs in neighborhoods such as Old Goucher in Baltimore and the H Street Corridor and Georgia Avenue in D.C., as well as in nearby Hyattsville and Bladensburg.
What types of financial aid or scholarships are available?
Students at the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation finance their education through a wide variety of options. The University of Maryland Office of Student Financial Aid assists students in obtaining need-based aid. The Historic Preservation program provides a competitive amount of graduate assistantships each semester, each of which provides tuition remission and a stipend in return for 10-hour or 20-hour per week work assignments. Additionally, the Historic Preservation program provides a number of smaller scholarships on an annual basis.
Are there jobs in Historic Preservation?
Yes! 85% of students have a job in historic preservation within one year of graduation. Alumni go on to work in government, cultural resource management, architecture firms, museums, nonprofit agencies and historic sites. Many students go on to work for the same organizations they interned at.
What types of job opportunities are available for Preservation students on and off campus?
Historic preservation students are eligible for various office, research, and teaching assistantships. Additionally, all students complete a non-credit internship. Our 180+ graduates have interned at more than 80 different organizations, including The National Trust, National Park Service, US/ICOMOS, and preservation offices at the local, county, and statewide level. Many students pursue part-time work opportunities at local museums or non-profit organizations near campus.
Where do students live?
While currently there is no on-campus graduate housing at the University of Maryland, there are two all-graduate student housing options in close proximity to campus: Graduate Hills and Graduate Gardens. They are located on University property, but are managed by the private company, Southern Management Corporation. Many students choose to live in apartments closer to Washington or Baltimore and commute to campus.