Sustainable Heritage MSc

UCL's Sustainable Heritage MSc introduces you to the latest conservation policies, projects, methodologies and practices in the context of historic buildings, sites, landscapes and collections.

Programme highlights

Gain valuable insight into the latest heritage management policies, projects, methodologies and practices in the context of historic buildings, sites, landscapes, museums and collections.
Study novel and cross-disciplinary methods for sustaining heritage – and become a future heritage leader.
Examine fresh and leading frameworks in enabling heritage to drive sustainable development.
Work on real-life heritage projects as part of your training.
Be part of an interdisciplinary cohort of excellent students from across the world.

About the programme

Designed for a new generation of heritage leaders, this MSc provides the interdisciplinary skills needed to deliver the heritage projects of the future by approaching historic buildings, museums, collections, sites and landscapes with heritage management and conservation best practice.

Students are encouraged to take a long view of preservation and heritage management and challenged to define problems, set objectives and explore a range of sustainability issues and strategies. Concepts of value, sustainability, life expectancy, stewardship, ownership, vulnerability and risk are combined with the scientific study of historic materials, assemblies, technologies and systems.

One of the highlights of the programme is the study visit.

Key information

Entry requirements

See the entry requirements for this programme on the UCL Graduate Prospectus.

Duration

The programme can be studied full-time for one year, part-time for two years or on a modular/flexible basis from two to five years.
A Postgraduate Diploma route is available, with fees set accordingly.

Fees and funding

Tuition fee information can be found on the UCL Graduate Prospectus.
Scholarships available to successful applicants at The Bartlett can be found on the faculty website.
Scholarships available at the UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage can be found on the UCL ISH Scholarships and Funding page.
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, please visit the Scholarships and Funding section of the UCL website.

Applications are due to open at the start of November. Register your interest for the programme on UCL+ by following the link below and choosing 'Sustainable Heritage' as your subject of interest.

Apply now

Teaching and Learning

Course structure

MSc and PG Diploma students take the taught elements of the programme, which consist of compulsory and optional modules and an oral examination. Additionally, MSc students complete a dissertation.

Compulsory modules:

Introduction to Sustainable Heritage
Sustainability and Heritage Value
Heritage Materials and Assemblies (UK)
Heritage Management and Sustainable Development

Optional modules:

Strategies for Sustainable Heritage Landscapes
Strategies for Sustainable Heritage Buildings

Dissertation/report

All MSc students submit a 10,000-word dissertation on a topic related to the main themes of the programme. The topic can be chosen to enhance career development or for its inherent interest.

See detailed module information ►

Staff

The Sustainable Heritage MSc programme draws upon the full range of expertise offered by the UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage's extensive team of professors and lecturers working in the field.

Our staff are some of the world's most respected experts in the discipline of heritage. They produce both substantial scholarly work at the centre and highly innovative work at the leading edge of the field. As experienced teachers, they also lead seminars, give lectures, offer one-to-one tutorials and engage directly with students.

A wide range of external speakers from other academic departments and from prestigious heritage organisations such as English Heritage and the National Trust deliver a significant part of the teaching, enriching the student experience.

Key staff

Dr Katherine Curran
Programme Director and Senior Lecturer for Sustainable Heritage MSc
k.curran@ucl.ac.uk
View Katherine's profile

Professor Kalliopi Fouseki
Assistant Director for Sustainable Heritage MSc
kalliopi.fouseki@ucl.ac.uk
View Kalliopi's profile

Dr Alejandra Albuerne
Assistant Director for Sustainable Heritage MSc
a.albuerne@ucl.ac.uk
View Alejandra's profile

Dr Pakhee Kumar
Teaching Fellow in Sustainable Heritage and Data Analysis
View Pakhee's profile
Send Pakhee an email

Other staff

Professor May Cassar
Director, Institute for Sustainable Heritage
m.cassar@ucl.ac.uk
View May's profile

Professor Adam Gibson
Professor of Heritage Science
View Adam's profile
Send Adam an email

Professor Richard Sandford
Professor of Heritage Evidence, Foresight and Policy
Programme Lead
View Richard's profile
Send Richard an email

Dr Matija Strlic
Professor of Heritage Science
m.strlic@ucl.ac.uk
View Matija's profile

Dr Josep Grau-Bove
Lecturer in Science and Engineering in Arts Heritage and Archaeology
josep.grau.bove@ucl.ac.uk
View Josep's profile

Dr Scott Orr
Lecturer in Heritage Data Science
Assistant Programme Lead for Data Science for Cultural Heritage MSc
View Scott's profile
Send Scott an email

Student views

The programme promised something different and more than my previous studies. The holistic curriculum meant that I would be able to study heritage science along with the ideologies of socio-cultural sustainability. A multi-disciplinary faculty was a major attraction point for me.“

Sohini Nandi, Sustainable Heritage MSc student 2018-19

Read full interview ►

Thanks to the skills, knowledge and confidence I acquired through the Sustainable Heritage MSc, I’ve successfully incorporated my previous professional skills into a new and fulfilling direction...

Sally Sabbahy, Sustainable Heritage MSc student 2016–17

Industry links

Accreditation

This programme is accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and the Institute of Historic Building Conservation.

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Careers and employability

Students who have enrolled on our programme range from architects to surveyors and curators, and include many who have never previously worked in the heritage sector.

Students from this programme have gone on to work in a variety of renowned institutions, including The National Trust, English Heritage, the Office of Public Works in Ireland, Historic England and the UK Government Art Collection. Others have pursued a PhD in a related topic, going on to an academic career.

Why study at The UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage?

We are a world-leading centre of research and teaching excellence.
The QS World University Rankings (2021) places The Bartlett, our faculty, as the #1 for Architecture/Built Environment studies in the UK and #2 in the World.
Study at UCL's Bloomsbury campus in central London, close to world-leading architectural, engineering and creative practices, many of whom are partners.