A Unique Collaboration:
Interdisciplinary approaches to Historic Preservation and Museum Studies
Historic Preservation and Museum Studies are intertwined in their focus on the interpretation and preservation of our cultural heritage - from the small scale of a hand-held artifact to the large scale of a historic neighborhood. These inter-related and multidisciplinary fields make meaningful contributions to contemporary communities by helping them protect and understand tangible evidence of the past.
Historians and designers offer different but complementary approaches to the fields of Historic Preservation and Museum Studies: From the historian's perspective, a career in preservation or museum settings offers exciting opportunities for researching, preserving, and interpreting the past to reach a broad public audience beyond the traditional classroom. The opportunity to achieve a deeper understanding of the past through the preservation and study of material culture, broadly defined to include objects, buildings, landscapes, and other cultural artifacts, is one of the chief attractions for historians drawn to these fields.
Approaching preservation from the designer's perspective offers a range of opportunities to identify, document, evaluate, restore, rehabilitate, and adapt the historic built environment. As preservationists work with historic buildings, neighborhoods, urban downtowns, and rural districts, they directly impact the quality of life for local communities as they protect and enhance their sense of place. Working in a museum context offers designers special opportunities for telling a story visually and graphically through exhibit design or historic interiors.
The graduate concentrations and post-baccalaureate certificates in Historic Preservation and Museum Studies at UNCG embody the interdisciplinary nature of these fields by drawing on the resources of two strong departments: History and Interior Architecture. The creative collaboration between these two departments offers unique educational opportunities, combining the art of historical research methods and interpretation with the theory and skills of design practice. Together, these two departments are the first in the state of North Carolina to offer graduate concentrations in Historic Preservation and Museum Studies.
Cultural Resources
Located in the Piedmont Triad, UNCG is uniquely positioned in the state of North Carolina to draw on a wealth of cultural resources including Old Salem, the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA), Greensboro Historical Museum, Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, as well as several historic districts, house museums, and preservation organizations. Such diverse resources offer a variety of avenues for students to gain practical experience through field-based course work and internships. UNCG has a strong record of collaboration with cultural institutions in the region. For example, since 1976, the Department of History has offered a nationally-recognized summer institute focusing on the history and material culture of the American South at MESDA, and summer courses at Old Salem provide field-based training in preservation technology and archaeology. Going beyond local and regional resources, guest lecturers, internships, and special programs connect students to national opportunities.
Professional Training for Competitive Career Choices
Students benefit from the practical experience and theoretical perspectives of a diverse faculty, practicing museum and preservation professionals, and guest lecturers. The interdisciplinary curriculum offers graduate students training and credentials to pursue careers in history museums, historic preservation, cultural resource management, management of historic sites, specialized design practice, and related work. In order to prepare students for the competitive job market, courses in historic preservation theory and practice are designed to support four areas:
- preservation-related design and planning
- architectural survey
- architectural conservation
- history of buildings and landscapes
Likewise, the curriculum for Museum Studies provides professional training in the following areas of history museum theory and practice:
- museum administration and collections management
- museum interpretation
- exhibit design
- history and theories of material culture
Interior Architecture students have opportunities to explore specialized issues related to Historic Preservation or Museum Studies in graduate design studio courses. The History curriculum emphasizes the connections between the academic practice of history and the practical aspects of presenting the past to a broad public. Students in both concentrations go beyond the classroom to put theory into practice in field-based courses and internships. Most classes will include graduate students from both departments.
Graduate Degrees
You may pursue professional certification in either concentration in the following graduate programs:
- Earn an M. A. in History with a concentration in either Museum Studies or Historic Preservation.
- Earn an M. S. in Interior Architecture with a concentration in either Museum Studies or Historic Preservation.
Either degree will require 36 semester hours to complete, so a full-time student could complete the degree in two years. If your undergraduate degree is in History or a related field, you should apply through the History Department. If your undergraduate degree is in Interior Design, Architecture, or a related field, you may apply through the Department of Interior Architecture. If there is not a clear fit with your undergraduate coursework, some prerequisite coursework may be necessary.
Post-Baccalaureate Certificates
in Historic Preservation and Museum Studies
Earn a post-baccalaureate certificate in either Museum Studies or Historic Preservation by completing the required 15-hour course sequence. These certificates enable non-degree candidates and graduate students in related fields, as well as graduate students in History or Interior Architecture, to earn professional certification in Historic Preservation or Museum Studies.
How to Apply
If you are interested in applying to either department request an application packet from UNCG's Graduate School (Tel: 336.334.5596 or via the Web site: http://www.uncg.edu/grs/).
This packet also includes information on UNCG, housing options, and financial aid. A variety of graduate assistantships are available to qualified students. For full consideration for an assistantship, be sure to submit your application by February 1.
Note for History applicants only: The application deadline for the M.A. in History's Museum Studies and Historic Preservation programs and the post-baccalaureate certificate program in Museum Studies is February 1, 2008. Your complete application package, including all components listed on this page, must arrive at the Graduate School by February 1, 2008.
The History department no longer accepts applications for the spring semester. History graduate programs are full for Spring 2007.
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