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Curriculum

The curriculum, offered by faculty drawn from the larger College of Built Environments (CBE) along with visiting lecturers from the preservation community, is designed to provide students with knowledge of the historic preservation field to include history, theory, law and policy and to give them the ability to apply that knowledge in contemporary preservation practice. They will be able to examine historic sites using learned research methods and prepare documentation for a range of historic properties in both domestic and international settings.

The required curriculum consists of 18 to 19 credits including core requirements, an immersive course, and a capstone experience. Depending upon student selection of core and capstone courses, students may need to complete additional credits. Credits may be unrestricted electives in students’ home degree programs.

CORE (10 credits): History/Theory; Practice; and Methodology. Expected to be completed in Year 1.

i. History/Theory
URBDP 585: Introduction to Historic Preservation Planning (3 credits, offered in Autumn Quarter). This course is a broad overview of the profession of HP in the US, its history, theoretical underpinnings and diverse contemporary threads of practice.

ii. Practice (Prerequisite: URBDP 585)
URBDP 586: Implementation in Preservation Planning (4 credits, offered in Winter Quarter). Course covers the multiple threads of historic preservation practice across primarily design and planning disciplines.

iii. Methodology (Prerequisite: URBDP 585)
ARCH 579: Technical Issues in Preservation (3 credits, offered in Spring Quarter). This course covers preservation techniques across multiple property types to accommodate landscape and planning students as well. 

Other courses that would be acceptable substitutes for the methodology requirement are:

  • ARCHY 469: Cultural Resource Management in Practice
  • ARCHY 473: Historical Archaeology Laboratory
  • ARCHY 495: Quantitative Archaeological Analytic Techniques
  • ARCHY 573: Indigenous Archaeology
  • MUSEUM 520: Learning in Museums
  • MUSEUM 570: Research Design and Museology Practice

IMMERSIVE (3 credits). Should be completed before Capstone. Select one elective (3 credits) from the following:

  • ARCH 538: Building Reuse Seminar (3 credits, offered in Autumn Quarter)
  • ARCH 557: History & Theory of Historic Preservation (offered in Spring Quarter)
  • ARCH 590: Urban and Preservation Issues in Design (3 credits, offered in Autumn Quarter)
  • L ARCH 552: History of Landscape Architecture (5 credits, quarter TBA)
  • L ARCH 553: History of Modern Landscape Architecture (5 credits, offered in Winter Quarter)
  • URBDP 527: History, Ethics, Form, & Theory I (3 credits, offered in Autumn)
  • Other courses with historic context may be appropriate for your course of study—contact the program for course approval

CAPSTONE (5-6 credits).

The capstone is meant to be a preservation-related project that builds on the intellectual background you have gained through the required coursework. This is meant to be a discrete project, though it can be incorporated into thesis work, if appropriate. The 5 credits can best be done as an 600 independent study with someone from your home department and a Preservation Program faculty member (see the Program Faculty tab on the main Historic Preservation Program page).

Any one from the following list with faculty approval:

  • Studio: Enroll in a studio with preservation content that is offered in any department within CBE, and submit a report about the preservation aspect of your work in the studio.
  • Project: Develop a capstone project on any preservation topic. Work with two faculty members (one from your home department and the other a College of Built Environments preservation faculty member). This may be related to your degree capstone/thesis/professional project for your degree.
  • Research Paper: Conduct in-depth research into historic preservation topics to evaluate how they were applied in specific case studies. Work with at least one HP core faculty member.
  • Thesis: If a thesis is a requirement of your degree program, develop a preservation topic as a component of your thesis. Work with two faculty members (one from your home department and the other a CBE preservation faculty member). Credits additional to those required for your degree may be necessary.

    • Here is the Historic Preservation Certificate Course Checklist.

    The program sends out quarterly lists of applicable courses. Sign up for the mailing list to receive this and other preservation-related messages.

    Grading/Assessment and Minimum Standards

    Successful completion of the GCHP requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 for core certificate courses and a grade of 2.7 or higher for each course counted toward the certificate. Students are required to enroll in all courses and receive a grade rather than requesting to take the course on a satisfactory/non-satisfactory basis.
     
    Questions about the Historic Preservation Program? Email histpres@uw.edu.