The Master of Science in Building Conservation program is a two-year, part-time course designed for mid-career professionals who are or intend to be involved in the care, repair, restoration, and adaptation of buildings, urban environments, and rural landscapes.

Rensselaer is well positioned both academically and geographically to provide this course of study in historic resources conservation and management. The School of Architecture is noted for its technical emphasis and strong design concerns. For the Master of Science in Building Conservation, this foundation is buttressed by adjunct and clinical faculty drawn from a coterie of highly qualified preservationists in New York’s historic Capital District, which includes some of the country’s top preservation architects, planners, engineers, conservators, not-for-profit managers, and enlightened public officials. Institutional partners in the Building Conservation program include New York state agencies such as the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation and the Departments of State and Environmental Conservation; the Preservation League of New York State; the Hudson Mohawk Industrial Gateway; community-based organizations such as the Troy Rehabilitation and Improvement Program; Heritage corridor programs such as those in the Hudson and Mohawk River valleys; and local and county governments.

The Master of Science in Building Conservation program prepares students to assume responsible employment positions in the preservation, conservation, and management of historic resources. The program provides students with a thorough understanding of the theory and practice of historic preservation and building conservation. Students receive training in disciplines ranging from identification and analysis of specific building materials to structural stabilization, restoration, and reuse of historic structures to planning for wise development of entire urban and rural areas to the legal, economic, and political factors that make these endeavors possible. In addition, students will gain real-world, hands-on experience through generous amounts of fieldwork and from the program’s close affiliation with regional architectural and engineering firms and with not-for-profit, state and municipal, community-based, educational, and social service agencies.

The program is organized on alternate two-day weekend sessions of classes and fieldwork for two academic years (September-May) for a total of 30 weekends. It begins with a five-day and concludes with a three-day residency each year. This structure allows students to continue working, remain with their families, and pursue other interests while earning their degree. Students are generally expected to be architectural or engineering practitioners; however, the program welcomes graduated students with related degrees and professional experience.

The degree is completed in four semesters over two years. Candidates for the degree follow in sequence the curriculum template outlined below. Teamwork is encouraged on campus and students are required to complete 20-25 hours of home assignments between alternate weekend sessions.

Curriculum

The degree requires 32 credit hours.