Master of Architectural History

Admission

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Students in the Master of Architectural History (MArH) program hold a wide variety of undergraduate degrees from accredited colleges or universities. Recently these have included architecture, art history, English, history, biology, French, American Studies, engineering, and historic preservation, as well as architectural history. Students may be asked to take a diagnostic Placement Exam or other assessment of their knowledge of architectural history for advising purposes before the beginning of their first semester. Students normally begin the MArH in the fall semester although exceptions are possible with departmental approval. Students applying from within the University of Virginia to the Fifth Year Master of Architectural History program should consult the requirements detailed in the 5^th Year Master of Architectural History program.

Curriculum

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The Master of Architectural History is a 2-year graduate degree with a minimum of 36 credits at the graduate level. Typically students take credits beyond the 36 required during their four semesters of residency, generally attaining 48 credits by the end of the program. The graduate program offers three different tracks:

1. Master of Architectural History;
2. Master of Architectural History with Historic Preservation Certificate;
3. Master of Architectural History with Urban Design Certificate.

Each track will give students an opportunity to refine the course of study that enables them to gain distinctive knowledge and experience for different career prospects. Our graduates work in a variety of capacities, including as architectural historians in the public realm or in academia, historic preservation and cultural heritage specialists, public historians, architectural critics, editorial and research consultants, or curators and educational outreach specialists in leading cultural institutions.

Thesis

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The thesis is a major piece of independent work completed under the close supervision of a faculty member who is the director of the three-member thesis committee that oversees the project. This committee may consist entirely of faculty from the Department of Architectural History or it may include one person from outside the Department. It is possible to explore the thesis topic in greater depth through an independent study course taken prior to the thesis semester.

Language Qualification

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Candidates are required to demonstrate a reading knowledge of one foreign language appropriate to the student’s major field of study. This requirement may be satisfied by earning the grade of B or better in an intermediate-level university course in the language within two years prior to admission to the University of Virginia graduate program. Alternatively, the student can take the ETS Graduate School Foreign Language Test and pass with a score of at least 550, receive a passing grade in a University of Virginia language courses at the intermediate level, or pass the language departmental reading test. Architectural History students should fulfill the language requirement before or shortly after entry into the program.

Typical Program of Study

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The typical course of study offers a curriculum focused on the critical understanding of architectural history. Combining core competencies with an individually tailored course of study, this curriculum focuses on the development of rigorous research and analytical skills that will allow students to develop an area of expertise along with the ability to engage broadly in historical interpretation as a critical practice that takes many forms. 

Course Distribution

Each student must have at least nine credits, or three courses at the 8000 or 9000 level. Fifth-year MArH students should consult with the Director of the Graduate Program concerning their requirements.

Historic Preservation Certificate Program

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The interdisciplinary program in Historic Preservation offers master’s degree candidates in architecture, architectural history, landscape architecture, and urban and environmental planning the opportunity to expand their professional studies through specialized training in the theory, practice, and ethics of historic preservation. Preservation has grown increasingly important, both nationally and internationally, in defining a civic sense of place, buttressing sustainable communities, conserving urban neighborhoods, protecting rural and scenic areas, and enriching public understanding of social, cultural, and architectural history. The program provides the opportunity for graduate students to develop the skills and expertise of the preservation practitioner within their own discipline, while at the same time studying the breadth of preservation work in related fields. Faculty from all four disciplines in the School of Architecture and distinguished visiting practitioners teach the preservation courses.

Admission   Students wishing to enter the Historic Preservation program must first be admitted to one of the graduate departments in the School of Architecture. In order to ensure proper academic advising and program coordination, students interested in the Historic Preservation program should attend the program meeting at the start of the fall semester. Upon arriving at the Architecture School they should also file a program application form with the Architecture School’s Registrar. Students who complete the required 15 credits of preservation course work receive a Certificate in Historic Preservation, in addition to their department’s master degree. There are individual courses that fulfill the requirements of the historic preservation certificate curriculum that also fulfill requirements within a student’s departmental curriculum. Thus, students normally complete the course work for the historic preservation certificate during the same period in which they complete their degree program.

Historic Preservation Certificate Curriculum 

Work in the Historic Preservation Program is grouped into four general categories: Theory, History, Field Methods, and Specialized Components.  Students must complete 15 credits in the distribution outlined below.

Theory (3 credits):

• ARH 5601 (required) Historic Preservation Theory and Practice, Credits: 3  

History (6 credits):

One class of student’s choice from the two below:

• ARH 5602 - Community History Workshop, Credits: 3  

• ARH 5500 – The Cultural Landscape of Virginia, Credits: 1-3  

One class of student’s choice on a topic of architectural or built environment history.  Courses may be chosen from the list below, or other history course with director approval.

• ARH 7704 - Twentieth-Century American Architecture, Credits: 3  
• LAR 6100 - History of Landscape Design I, Credits: 3  
• LAR 6120 - Adv History of Landscape Design II, Credits: 3  

Field Methods (3 credits)

One class that includes documentation and recording techniques used in preservation and archaeology.  Courses may be chosen from the list below, or other course with director approval.

(Students with previous experience in this topic may place out of the field methods requirement with the director’s permission and instead add an additional Specialized Component or History course to meet the required credits).

• ARH 5604 - Field Methods I: Reading and Recording Historic Buildings Credits: 3  
• ARH 5610 – Field Methods II: Representing Historic Architecture Credits: 3   

Specialized Component (3 credits)

One class in a specialized component of preservation practice.  Examples include design, technology, materials science, planning, law, curation or others with director approval.

• PLAN 5300- Preservation Planning, Credits: 3  
• LAR 5230- Advanced Cultural Landscape Preservation, Credits: 3  
• ARH 7612- Theory & Practice in Rural Preservation, Credits: 3  
• ARH 5500- UNESCO and Architectural Heritage, Credits: 1-3   
• ARH 5618- Materials and Culture, Credits: 3  

Internship

An internship is not required for the Certificate.  However, internships are encouraged and many students undertake them.  Opportunities for internships and guidance in planning for them can be discussed with the program director, and the Architecture School’s Internship Office.

Inquiries should be addressed to the Director, Historic Preservation Program, School of Architecture, P.O. Box 400122, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4122.