Program of Study
The Master of Science degree in historic preservation is offered through the graduate program in historic preservation in the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities and the Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture. This professional degree program is designed for students specializing in working with historic buildings, landscapes, and the decorative arts.
The program, based in Charleston, South Carolina, is a joint program with the College of Charleston. The program uses Charleston and the historic environs of South Carolina as a living laboratory. Course work emphasizes studios, labs, and fi eld seminars that incorporate Charleston’s rich community of preservation specialists as well as distinguished visiting faculty members.
Students are admitted to the graduate program from a variety of undergraduate disciplines, including those related to the built environment as well as broader historical studies. A multimedia portfolio of sample work or documentation related to the built environment is recommended, and students of the humanities and sciences are encouraged to apply.
The 54-credit graduate program is structured in layers, beginning with an initial core semester devoted to the analysis and documentation of historic sites, followed by an advanced studio-focused semester organized around the development of a preservation project. The second year highlights advanced analysis and conservation studies, project administration, and individual research.
Thesis proposals are defended in the third semester and completed as a multimedia project in the fourth semester of the program. Thesis projects use original research and incorporate each student’s specifi c focus in the discipline of historic preservation.
The organizational structure of the degree program and the curriculum have been developed with the guidance of the National Council of Preservation Education (NCPE), the AIA, the ASLA, CSI, the regional professional community in preservation and design, as well as faculty from peer graduate programs.
Student Outcomes
Careers in historic preservation and its related fi elds are growing at a rapid pace. This is due, in part, to a move toward a restoration economy where much will be spent in future years on the restoration, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of existing structures and landscapes. The National Trust highlights careers in both the private and public sectors; for more information, students should go online to http://nationaltrust. org/help/careers.html.
Centers, Institutes and Facilities
The Clemson University Restoration Institute in Charleston brings together experts and researchers in design, planning, construction management, real estate, historic preservation, business, tourism management, health, education, materials science, engineering, environmental science, forestry, soils, hydrology, horticulture, wood technology, toxicology and other relevant areas. The program works in close collaboration with a number of Charleston-based initiatives including the sites and collections of the Charleston Museum, the Historic Charleston Foundation, the Preservation Society of Charleston, the American College of the Building Arts, and Drayton Hall, a National Trust site.
Students have access to both the Clemson and College of Charleston library systems. Lab and studio spaces in Charleston are available for educational and research purposes.
Financial Aid
Because the program is joint program with the College of Charleston, students pay a tuition rate separate and distinct from the University in general. This tuition differential allows for an array of student fellowships, several of which are available.
Cost of Study
Those entering the program in fall 2005 paid $16,000 per year for in-state students and $22,000 per year for nonresidents. Graduate fellowships and research analyst positions are offered on a per-student basis.
Location
Charleston is on the coast of South Carolina and offers a wide array of outdoor recreational activities. This city is the perfect location for the graduate program in historic preservation, because its rich history is still evident in the homes and other buildings in the area.
Living and Housing Costs
A variety of affordable private housing is available in the Charleston area. The cost of living in South Carolina is quite low compared to the national average.
Student Group
The program is highly selective. While there are no specifi c GPA or GRE cutoffs, faculty members look for the most outstanding students when those numbers and other criteria, such as the portfolio and telephone interviews, are considered.
The University
Clemson is classifi ed by the Carnegie Foundation as Doctoral/Research University-Extensive, a category comprising less than 4 percent of all universities in America. The University’s mission is to fulfi ll the covenant between its founder and the people of South Carolina to establish a “high seminary of learning” through its responsibilities of teaching, research, and extended public service. The University has identifi ed eight areas of academic emphasis that create collaborations that, in turn, help fulfi ll the University’s mission.
Applying
Applicants may apply on the Web at http://www.grad.clemson.edu/Admission.php. Applications, along with a $55 nonrefundable fee, should be received no later than fi ve weeks before registration, although interested students should contact the department for specifi c funding and admissions deadlines.
Faculty Listing
- Cari Goetcheus, Assistant Professor; M.H.P., Georgia, 1996. Planning and landscape architecture.
- Jennifer McStotts, Assistant Professor; College of Charleston; J.D., University of Georgia, 2003; preservation law.
- Ralph Muldnow, Professor; College of Charleston; MArch and MSHP, University of Pennsylvania, 1990. Architecture and historic preservation.
- Daniel J. Nadenicek, Professor and Department Chair; M.L.A., Minnesota, 1991. Landscape architecture.
- Ashley L. Robbins, Assistant Professor; M.Arch., Notre Dame, 1997. Architecture.
- Christa A. Smith, Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Tennessee, 2000. Geography.
For More Information
Daniel Nadenicek,
Program Director Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture
121 Lee Hall,
Box 340511
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina 29634-0511,
United States
Telephone: 864-656-3926
E-mail: dnadeni@clemson.edu
