The Master of Heritage Conservation course at the University of Southern California (USC) provides students with urban planning, cultural heritage and research and documentation knowledge.

The Master of Heritage Conservation programme envisions the future through the lens of the past. Offering the only master's degree of its kind in California, the programme features cultural and intangible heritage, under-recognised communities and modernism and the recent past.

Students have a range of backgrounds and interests, but they share a love of history and want to strengthen communities using existing places and the stories they tell. Faculty are leaders in the field who push boundaries and grapple with issues in real time.

The curriculum spans topics including social and architectural history, preservation policy and urban planning, social justice and equity, climate action and sustainability, global conservation and site and material assessment.

Heritage conservation relates to virtually all aspects of the built environment. Embedded in the School of Architecture, heritage conservation students join a highly multidisciplinary community.

They can expand their academic inquiry to include topics like spatial sciences, urban planning, real estate and American studies and ethnicity.

School: University of Southern California School of Architecture
Course: Master of Heritage Conservation
Type: Postgraduate
Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Course dates: September 2026 to May 2028
Application deadline: 5 January 2026

Find out more about the course and apply ›

What will I learn during this course?

– The curriculum encompasses social and architectural history, preservation policy and urban planning, social justice and equity, climate action and sustainability, global conservation, site and material assessment and more

What are the requirements?

– Individuals who have completed a four-year Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree are eligible for admission

What facilities and resources are available?

– Each space is equipped with cutting-edge tools and technology to support every stage of the creative process
– With 24/7 studio access and a personal workstation for each student, the environment is designed to foster continuous exploration, collaboration and innovation

What career prospects can I expect upon graduating?

Careers in heritage conservation range widely, from architectural history to preservation policy and planning, grassroots organising, architecture, documentation and more.

These can include:

– Civil service: within government, typically local or statewide. Graduates can shape and delivers programmes in planning, preservation and/or community development

– Consulting: preservation services ranging from research and documentation to the design, navigation, and monitoring of adaptive reuse and other projects

Who teaches this course?

– Trudi Sandmeier, programme director

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