Historic Preservation

The 44-credit M.S. in Historic Preservation offers a focus different from that of other programs, concentrating on heritage, public policy, and building an in-depth understanding of the issues preservationists so often grapple with beyond the physical preservation and restoration of important structures. We encourage students to understand preservation policies and methods as part of a broader historical and social context while providing the range of skills that practitioners need in today's professional environment.

Examples of our core courses beyond the basics include Concepts of Heritage, Adaptive Re-use, Architecture and Urban Form, and the Preservation Colloquium.

The program offers electives in areas such as Main Street Revitalization, Green Buildings, and Public History as well as the resources of both the School of Architecture and the School of Art and Design.

We also seek to foster a critical approach to the field. Historic Preservation is in the midst of many changes as the profession grapples with the integration of environmental, sustainability, and livability issues. Our urban focus, using New York City as a laboratory, allows our students to interact not just with preservation professionals but also with the residents and community groups of historic neighborhoods, experiencing as students the world they will work in.

The faculty is drawn from preservation professionals who bring the real world of preservation practice­-that of the architect, the designer, the historian, of the private sector, the government, and the not-for-profit into the classroom. Students intern at the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, at preservation organizations, and in architects' offices, working at the cutting edge of our field.

The Historic Preservation program resides within the Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment in the School of Architecture. GCPE's mission is to create and sustain a learning community of students, faculty and alumni that is characterized by innovative professional practice and that emphasizes planning and preservation approaches rooted in the principles of sustainability, equity and public participation.

For information contact program coordinator Eric Allison at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or at 212.647.7532