Architecture: Building and Heritage ConservationMA

Explore your passion for the heritage of historic buildings and sites and uncover the stories behind their structures with our MA Architecture: Building and Heritage Conservation Master's.

Accredited by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC), this course encourages you to engage creatively, theoretically, and research-wise with historic buildings and sites and explore conservation design on a conceptual and practical level. These methods will help deepen your understanding of the heritage and conservation process, especially the tangible and intangible factors that encompass our historic, contemporary, cultural, and social values. Our team of heritage and conservation experts will support you in sharpening your skills and bolstering your professional practice.

Through your explorations, you'll investigate the importance of retaining our heritage buildings and sites, the financial constraints and consequences of doing so, and the most effective management and restoration methods. Work with the interior, architecture, and urban scales and their interconnections, examine different historic and contemporary heritage buildings and sites to relate conservation thinking with various real-life challenges, and test out new technologies. You can also gain professional, legal, management, and administrative expertise.

When you complete our MA Architecture: Historic Building and Conservation Master's course, you'll have all the tools you need to pursue a career in the conservation of historic buildings and sites.

Accreditation

The course is professionally accredited and recognised by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) – the UK's leading body for building conservation practitioners and historic environment experts – and covers its areas of competence. The award also follows the education guidelines of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), UNESCO and Council of Europe requirements.

Graduates from MA Architecture: Building and Heritage Conservation can also apply for full IHBC membership after two years of relevant professional experience, as opposed to five years through the normal route.

Building and heritage conservation has several benefits, including preserving local cultures and traditions, strengthening individual identity, contributing to sustainable development, and creating jobs in communities. With a salary range of between £29,000 and £46,000 per year (Archjobs, 2023; Indeed, 2023), any emerging architect keen to contribute to the posterity, wellbeing, and urban growth of our world's societies and communities will feel at home in the conservation architecture and building heritage sectors.

You too can become a contributor when you graduate from our Building and Heritage Conservation degree course.

Careers this MA Architecture: Building and Heritage Conservation Master’s prepares you for

Upon completion, you'll have the specialist skills to pursue a career within the conservation, architectural and planning professions. You’ll also develop historical and technical knowledge, and understand research methodologies applicable to conservation.

The creative conservation design skills, professional competencies, and expansive learning environment on this course can lead you to work in:

• architecture, interior or conservation practices
• consultancy
• regeneration projects
• heritage management bodies—such as National Trust and Historic England
• conservation training centres

We recognise that you'll probably be juggling more demands when you do your Master's degree, as you may be working or you may have family responsibilities.

We'll give you as much indication here as we can of how much time you'll need to be on campus and how many hours you can expect to spend in self-directed study, but please note that these indications are always subject to change. You should receive your full timetable several weeks before you start with us.

Teaching

Master's study is deeper and more specialised than an undergraduate degree. This means you'll focus on something that really matters to you and your career as you work closely with academics committed to the subject.

You'll spend more time in independent study and research than you did for your undergraduate degree, but the majority of your teaching time will be in-person and face-to-face.

Teaching methods

Teaching on this course includes:

• lectures
• studio-based work
• independent study
• group-work

How you're assessed

You'll be assessed through:

• studio review of design work
• evidence based conservation design decisions and proposals
• research project

Term dates

September start

The Master's academic year runs from September to the following September. There are breaks at Christmas and Easter. Over the summer you'll be writing your project / dissertation.

January start

Courses that start in January have the same amount of teaching as September-start courses, but they normally run over a longer time period.

January-start courses normally run between 14–18 months, beginning in January and ending in the spring / summer of the following year. There are breaks at Christmas, Easter and in the summer. In the last few months you’ll be writing your project / dissertation.

See key dates

Master's study is more focused on independent learning than undergraduate study, but you'll get lots of support via video, phone and face-to-face from teaching and support staff to enhance your learning experience and help you succeed. You can build your personalised network of support from the following people and services:

Tuition fees (September 2023 / January 2024 start)

UK, Channel Islands, and Isle of Man students

• Full-time: £8,500
• Part-time: £2,830 in year 1 and £5,670 in year 2 (may be subject to annual increase)

EU students

(including Transition Scholarship)

• Full-time: £8,500
• Part-time: £2,830 in year 1 and £5,670 in year 2 (may be subject to annual increase)

International students

• Full-time: £17,200
• Part-time: £5,730 in year 1 and £11,470 in year 2 (subject to annual increase)

Funding your studies

Explore how to fund your studies, including available scholarships and bursaries.

If you're a UK student, you may be eligible for a Government Postgraduate Master's Loan, which you can use to help with course fees and living costs.

If you're a UK student who achieved a first in your undergraduate degree you may be eligible for a £3,000 University of Portsmouth scholarship.

Additional costs

These course-related costs aren't included in the tuition fees, so you'll need to budget for them when you plan your spending. Additional costs could include:

• Accommodation: Accommodation options and costs can be found on our accommodation pages.
• Recommended reading: You can borrow key texts from the library and if you choose to purchase these texts they may cost up to £60 each.
• General costs: Such as photocopying, memory sticks, printing charges, binding and specialist printing. We suggest budgeting £75 per year.
• Final project transport or accommodation: where necessary, which related to your research activities. The amount will depend on the project you choose.

Read more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.

To do this degree, you need to apply for the MA Architecture course. This is because it's a ‘pathway’ degree.

You’ll study Architecture in depth and choose modules required for the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) accreditation. You’ll graduate with a MA Architecture: Building Heritage and Conservation degree when you finish the course.

These are the entry requirements for the MA Architecture course.

Unlike undergraduate applications, which go through UCAS, applications for this Master's course are made directly to us.

There's no deadline for applications to this course. We accept applications right up until the start dates in September and January, as long as there are places available. If you wait until your start month to apply, you may find that the course is full. 

If you're applying as an international student, remember that you'll need to leave plenty of time to get your visa organised.

You can find more advice about applying in our Master's application checklist. International students and current students and recent graduates of the University of Portsmouth also have some different application options, which are detailed below.

Ready to apply?

To do this degree, you need to apply for the MA Architecture course. This is because it's a ‘pathway’ degree.

You’ll study Architecture in depth and choose modules required for the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) accreditation. You’ll graduate with a MA Architecture: Building Heritage and Conservation degree when you finish the course.

After you apply

Once we receive your application, we may ask you for further information. We will then either make you an offer or suggest alternatives if your application is unsuccessful.

You'll usually get a decision within 10 working days, so you shouldn't have to wait too long. Some courses have an interview stage – we'll let you know if you need to prepare for one.

Learn more about how we assess your application.

Admissions terms and conditions

When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.