MA in Historic Preservation Careers

Careers

Earning a master's degree in historic preservation is the entry requirement for most professional preservation positions. These positions include working for a variety of non-profit organizations; for-profit cultural resource management firms with preservation-related missions; local, county, and state governments, especially in planning; and the federal government. The demand for professional preservationists has expanded as preservation has come to play a more important role as a contributor to larger community and economic development and revitalization efforts. The emphasis on computer skills such as GIS and AutoCAD in the concentration and proposed Master's program has proven an important credential for securing employment and helps insure that UD graduates can interact technically and form effective teams with other practicing professionals such as planners.

The Federal government requires certification of preservationists in order for them to be eligible to work on and direct federally-funded preservation projects. A Master's degree in historic preservation is the preferred degree for this certification.

Advertisements for professional preservationist are found in the National Trust for Historic Preservation magazine Preservation and on the web site PreserveNet, maintained by NCPE. Current advertisements show a wide range of available positions.