Master of Science in Historic Preservation
WHAT YOU’LL STUDY
Learn preservation by doing preservation with Charleston’s foremost experts in architectural conservation, architectural history, landscape preservation and urban/preservation planning. Historic Preservation is a field that studies, interprets and protects the past as it is materialized in buildings and landscapes. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, the School of Architecture offers a two-year course of study that leads to the Master of Science in Historic Preservation (MSHP) degree.
This unique program will teach you about the cultural relationships between people, buildings and landscapes. Additionally, you’ll learn how to preserve the fabric of historic buildings and landscapes and the stories that give those places meaning. The curriculum is built around hands-on learning because we aim to produce students with the knowledge and experience they need to succeed in our field.
MSHP students apply their skills all over the city of Charleston, which is the program’s living laboratory. This unique home provides incredible opportunities to explore first-hand, world-class architecture, museums and history spanning four centuries.
POINTS OF PRIDE
• Engaged community learning – we use class assignments and projects to work with community members who are preserving and interpreting important historic places. Students learn preservation thinking and analysis and deploy their developing skills in service to real projects that benefit from our dedicated efforts.
• We are one of a very few programs that have an active conservation laboratory at the center of their curriculum.
• We train our students in the most cutting-edge preservation technology and techniques including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), drone photography, digital photogrammetry, 3D laser scanning, 3D modeling, ground penetrating radar, architectural and object conservation and mortar and paint analysis.
• The program’s studios, as well as its architectural conservation and microscopy laboratories, are located within an adaptively reused building: The Cigar Factory.
“I chose this program specifically because I loved this idea of studying Historic Preservation in a really historic place. I think this program offers some of the most hands-on work — we produce work for real clients”
Riley Morris MSHP Class of ‘22 Clemson University
“One of my favorite parts of Historic Preservation is the interdisciplinary nature of it, and this program really highlights that! I love getting to experience all aspects of the field, from conservation to engineering and everything in between. I feel like I have really been given the chance to find my niche and develop a diverse knowledge base that I can take with me into my future career.”
Chloe Martin MSHP Class of ‘24 Clemson University
PLAN OF STUDY
The 60-credit MSHP curriculum is structured in layers, beginning with an initial core semester devoted to the acquisition of skills in the analysis and documentation of historic buildings, landscapes and sites. The second semester is structured around an advanced preservation studio and a conservation laboratory course, both devoted to the development of preservation projects. The second year highlights advanced analysis and conservation studies, historic preservation law and economics, elective courses in historic interiors, project administration and other topics, and completion of a thesis.
SEMESTER I (CORE SKILLS)
Documentation and Analysis: This semester presents the “core” curriculum in historic preservation with a focus on developing a deeper understanding of historic architectural fabric through a connected series of NCPE mandated courses. (15 credits)
• History and Theory of Historic Preservation (3 credits)
• American Architecture (3 credits)
• Historical Research Methods (3 credits)
• Investigation, Documentation and Conservation (6 credits)
SEMESTER II (ADVANCED SKILLS)
This advanced semester centers on acquiring advanced skills in digital recording, pursuing a preservation project through a studio, investigating and analyzing cultural landscapes and broader assemblages of historic resources, and taking a conservation laboratory science class. (15 credits)
• Preservation Studio (6 credits)
• Cultural and Historical Landscape Preservation (3 credits)
• Conservation Laboratory Science (6 credits)
HISTORIC PRESERVATION INTERNSHIP (SUMMER)
• This required internship is offered through a variety of organizations and foundations, including the Historic American Building Survey (HABS), the National Park Service, the International Committee on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the National Trust, and local museums and foundations, as well as with preservation practitioners in America and Europe. (3 credits)
SEMESTER III (IMPLEMENTATION)
This semester focuses on the application of advanced analytical skills. At this point in the curriculum, students begin their theses. (15 credits)
• Building Technology and Pathology (3 credits)
• HP Research Seminar (3 credits)
• Preservation Law and Economics (3 credits)
• Approved Elective such as Historic American Interiors (3 credits)
• Approved Elective such as Vernacular Places and Spaces (3 credits)
Contact Us
We hope you’ll consider the excellent opportunites available to you with a degree in Historic Preservation from Clemson University’s School of Architecture. If you’d like additional information, please contact the program director for the degree you are interested in:
Amalia Leifeste
Director of Historic Preservation Programs
Email: aleifes@clemson.edu
SEMESTER IV (THESIS)
This final semester focuses on completion of the thesis with additional opportunities to pursue elective courses related to career goals. (12 credits)
• Thesis in Historic Preservation (6 credits)
• Approved Elective such as Preserving Modernism (3 credits)
• Approved Elective such as Preservation Engineering (3 credits)
