Master of Historic Preservation

Preserve the Past. Shape the Future.

Since 1982, our Master of Historic Preservation (MHP) program has been equipping students with the skills to manage and interpret the world around them. Our dedicated faculty prepare graduates to play pivotal roles in the dynamic fields of cultural resource management, preservation planning, and preservation advocacy.

We welcome students from diverse backgrounds, including history, anthropology, landscape architecture, agriculture, interior design, art history, and classics.

We also offer a minor and both graduate and undergraduate certificates to complement your educational journey in historic preservation studies. If you’re a prospective student eager to make a difference in preservation, we invite you to connect with us to discuss admission and funding opportunities.

What is Historic Preservation?

According to the National Park Service, “Historic preservation is a conversation with our past about our future. It provides us with opportunities to ask, ‘What is important in our history?’ and ‘What parts of our past can we preserve for the future?’ Through historic preservation, we look at history in different ways, ask different questions of the past, and learn new things about our history and ourselves. Historic preservation is an important way for us to transmit our understanding of the past to future generations.”

The MHP program at CED teaches students to revitalize our built and natural environments by managing them as they change. Our goal is to nurture passionate professionals who see preservation as an opportunity to protect and integrate historic resources into the vibrant life of their communities. We’re building on the strengths that have made the University of Georgia a hub for preservation education, attracting students from Georgia, the Southeast, and beyond.

Here’s what you can expect from our curriculum:

Hands-on, community-focused experiences that balance academic learning with professional training.
A deep understanding of the role and importance of historic resources.
Practical knowledge of the principles and techniques for protecting and revitalizing historic resources in both urban and rural settings.
Preparation for meaningful careers in preservation planning with various public organizations, private firms, or government agencies.
The foundation to develop your personal philosophy of cultural heritage and its management
The tools and confidence to emerge as leaders in the preservation field.

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About

Admissions

Curriculum

Career Information

Career Outcomes

2023 MHP Career Outcomes

Careers at a Glance

Federal Government

Federal agencies have preservation-related jobs in a wide variety of agencies. In addition to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the National Park Service, you find preservationists throughout the federal government. In particular, there is employment in the Department of the Interior (National Park Service and other divisions), the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the departments of Agriculture, Transportation, National Endowment for the Humanities, Smithsonian, National Archives, Housing and Urban Development, General Services Administration, and Defense.

State Government

Preservation-related jobs are found within a variety of agencies of state government. In addition to the State Historic Preservation Offices, jobs are available in departments of transportation, economic development, parks and historic site, community affairs, tourism, and agencies administering Main Street programs.

Local Government

Historic preservation commissions and planning offices provide the majority of local government jobs, but other positions may also be found in other departments such as economic development, convention and tourism, and Main Street programs.

Private Non-Profit Preservation Groups

There are a wide variety of non-profits that employ professionals trained in historic preservations. Local preservation organizations, historical societies, museums, land trusts, environmental organizations, or other organizations that help manage historic properties.

Private For-Profit Consultants and Consulting Firms

Companies that do preservation consulting such as environmental reviews, National Register nominations, preservation planning, tax incentive assistance, and historic resource surveys frequently hire preservation graduates. There are also opportunities for individual consulting work.

Rehabilitation Architects, Contractors, Artisans, and Craftspeople

Preservations with design, buildings, or craft knowledge and skills are in demand by architectural, engineering, and construction firms specializing in rehabilitation or restoration.

Preservation Education

The Master of Historic Preservation is a terminal professional degree and individuals holding the degree have opportunities for teaching and administrative positions.

Funding + Scholarships

The University of Georgia Bursar‘s webpage has the most up-to-date information about tuition and fees for the current and past school years. Be sure to note that the MHP program falls under Specific Graduate Rates and not the Standard Graduate Rate. In addition to tuition, there are mandatory fees that give students access to the Athens and UGA bus system, the Ramsey Student Center for recreational sports, and more.

The University of Georgia and the College of Environment and Design (CED) offer various scholarships, fellowships, tuition waivers, and assistantships to help MHP students defray the cost of graduate school. In the second year of the MHP program, students are eligible for scholarships and fellowships from the CED itself. These programs support various combinations of tuition, travel, and individual research. The program coordinator can assign MHP students graduate assistantships based on funding from the CED, the University of Georgia Graduate School, and outside granting agencies. Finally, some students from outside Georgia are eligible for out-of-state tuition waivers, which can be acquired based on state of residence, academic merit, or a change of residency. While every attempt is made to seek funding for graduate students, it is not guaranteed.

In addition to funding available through UGA, each year a variety of organizations, such as the Georgia Trust, The Garden Club of Georgia, and the Daughters of the American Revolution offer scholarships to alleviate the cost of tuition and support research. Many summer internships come with a stipend to defray living expenses. It is also possible to maintain a part-time job while in the MHP program, though time management and prioritization are crucial to balancing work with studies.

Academic Common Market

If you are a resident of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, or West Virginia, you may be eligible to enroll in the MHP program for the same price as a Georgia resident. The SREB Academic Common Market is an agreement among some states to share uncommon academic programs at both the baccalaureate and graduate levels. To participate in this program, you must be admitted into the MHP Program and obtain certification of residency from your home state’s Common Market coordinator. Use this link for further information.

Graduate Assistantships

There are two main types of Graduate Assistantships: Graduate School Assistantships and CED Departmental Assistantships. The Graduate School awards University-wide assistantships to entering students on the basis of academic merit and other criteria. To be eligible, students must complete their graduate school applications by February 1st and be sponsored by the College. University-wide assistantships require 13 hours of work each week, in addition to an academic load requirement of 12 semester hours. The stipend is available each month for the nine months of the academic year. The College of Environment and Design awards departmental assistantships on the basis of academic achievement and job skills required. These assistantships are open to all students. Courseload and work requirements are the same as for university-wide assistantships, but departmental assistantships are assigned on a semester-by-semester basis.

For both types of graduate assistantships, no special application is required; all entering students who meet the criteria and apply by February 1 are considered.

For more information regarding funding options for the MHP program, please contact Annelie Klein.

CED Scholarships

Apply for scholarships directly from the College of Environment + Design! Learn More

MHP Student Resources

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Student Handbook

MHP Student Handbook

Join the Student Historic Preservation Organization (SHPO)!

The Student Historic Preservation Organization (SHPO) at The University of Georgia is a club run by MHP students for all grads and undergrads interested in historic sites and landscapes.

SHPO at UGA aims to provide supplemental instruction catered to the interests of students, opportunities to engage in preservation activities in Athens and the surrounding areas, and a community of those with a mutual passion for heritage conservation. Examples of extracurricular sessions provided in the past include lectures, workshops, career enhancement seminars, alumni networking opportunities and social events.

Undergraduate Opportunities in Historic Preservation

Minor in Historic Preservation

The minor in Historic Preservation will be helpful for students pursuing a career in history, architecture, landscape architecture, geography, engineering, interior design, urban and regional planning, and conservation. Students will develop a solid base knowledge of the tools and practices necessary for the conservation or sensitive adaptation of historic buildings and landscapes.

Learn more about the Historic Preservation Minor

Certificate in Historic Preservation

The Certificate in Historic Preservation provides students with a working knowledge of the theory and practice of historic preservation. The program also provides a solid knowledge base for students who wish to pursue their education further through graduate studies, as well as opportunities to focus their studies on aspects of the field that are of particular interest to them.

The program provides a broad introduction to the theory and techniques of historic preservation. Students who successfully complete the requirements for the certificate are expected to have:

An awareness of the contribution that historic resources make to the quality of life and human environments.
An understanding of the needs, problems, and opportunities associated with historic preservation.
An appreciation of the role that individual citizens can play in the protection and perpetuation of historic resources.
Knowledge of key concepts that are essential for serving as volunteer members of citizen preservation organizations and/or government commissions and for providing informed leadership to these and other community preservation efforts.
An appreciation of how historic preservation relates to their major academic program of study.

The program is open to all undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students at the University of Georgia. The undergraduate Certificate in Historic Preservation requires a minimum of 18 semester credit hours, including a 3-hour required course and at least 15 hours of approved elective courses. All applicants must submit a formal application to the program, which may be obtained here. The application also has a list of all accepted elective courses.

Introduction to Historic Preservation

The HIPR4000/6000 – Introduction to Historic Preservation class introduces students to historic preservation theory, its evolution and practice, and its relationship to the concept of environmental quality. With the campus and community as their lab, students learn firsthand practical skills and real-life applications. Visit the UGA Bulletin to learn more.

Additional Graduate Opportunities in Historic Preservation

Accelerated MHP

The Accelerated MHP degree is open to applicants who hold an undergraduate degree in historic preservation and 5 years of experience in preservation or a closely-related field, or applicants who hold a graduate degree in a related discipline (e.g. history, architectural history, archeology, planning, interior design) and 3 years of experience in preservation or a closely-related field. Admission is subject to approval by the MHP Coordinator and execution of an approved program of study agreement tailored to the individual student. The minimum number of credit hours required for the Accelerated MHP is 39, which includes 9 hours of thesis research and writing.

Accelerated MHP + MUPD

Historic Preservation and Urban Planning and Design go hand in hand in many aspects. Earn an MHP and MUPD more quickly by taking advantage of this accelerated option. With approval of the MUPD Coordinator, a signed and approved program of study is developed for those who qualify for a waiver consideration.

Dual JD + MHP

Policy and law are critical to the historic preservation field. This program allows a student to earn the JD and MHP degrees in just four years, eliminating approximately one year of academic work. UGA’s School of Law was recently named the “best value in legal education in the United States” by National Jurist.

To be admitted, students must apply to and be accepted by both UGA Law and the Graduate School. GRE exemption is available for candidates who submit satisfactory scores from the LSAT or have already been admitted to UGA Law.

For information about applications to the Juris Doctor program contact the Law School Admissions Office (706-542-7060); for historic preservation applications and information, contact the MHP Graduate Program Coordinator, Professor Scott Nesbit.

Double Dawgs

UGA’s Double Dawg program allows students to earn an undergraduate degree in conjunction with a graduate degree. The CED has a number of Double Dawg programs involving the MHP including AB History and AB Classics.

Certificate Programs

UGA offers a variety of Undergraduate and Graduate Certificates relevant to CED studies that allow students to develop a specialty, such as Native American Studies, Museum Studies, or Geographic Information Systems while pursuing their degree. Students in the MHP program may use their electives to work towards these certificates. Some programs, such as the Historic Preservation Studies Certificate, offer special tracks for undergraduate students and those who have already completed their master’s degree.

Many certificates require a formal application. Be sure to read full descriptions of the certificates and their requirements by visiting their pages here.

For information on all graduate certificates offered by the University of Georgia, please visit the certificate directory on the Graduate School website.

Have more questions about the MHP program at the College of Environment + Design? Contact the MHP Program Coordinator.

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