MSc in Historic Preservation in New York United States | Columbia University

The Master of Science in Historic Preservation curriculum prepares students to develop innovative, forward-looking roles for architectural heritage that foster equitable and sustainable communities. Emphasizing climate adaptation and social equity, the program combines humanities, scientific, and technological methods to equip students for transforming the field. This includes building adaptive reuse, climate-responsive design solutions, policy development, historical analysis, material science applications, and digital tools for heritage documentation, evaluation, and conservation. The program approaches preservation as both a creative practice and a collaborative endeavor grounded in ethical reasoning, demonstrated societal value, and cutting-edge technologies. We frame preservation as an integrative process that addresses social, material, and environmental dimensions – a methodology for enhancing culturally significant structures and spaces to benefit communities and improve living environments. The curriculum demonstrates our dedication to anti-racist institutional reform, as outlined in our official anti-racism mission statement.