Master of Science in Historic Preservation

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

Clemson University

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Historic Preservation at Clemson University is a two-year, 60-credit professional program based entirely in Charleston, South Carolina, where students learn to document, interpret, preserve, and manage historic buildings, landscapes, objects, and cultural resources. Designed for students interested in the conservation and stewardship of historic places, the program combines architectural history, research, documentation, conservation science, preservation planning, and hands-on professional practice through Charleston’s historic environment.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: The first year builds core preservation knowledge and practical documentation skills through HP 8080 History and Theory of Historic Preservation, HP 8070 American Architecture, HP 8090 Historical Research Methods, and HP 8190 Investigation, Documentation and Conservation. Students then advance into HP 8050 Preservation Studio, HP 8330 Cultural & Historical Landscape Preservation, and HP 8100 Conservation Laboratory Science, developing digital recording, landscape analysis, project-based preservation, and conservation science skills.

Year 2: The third semester focuses on implementation and intervention through HP 8030 Building Technology and Pathology, HP 8020 Historic Preservation Research Seminar, and HP 8010 Preservation Law and Economics, alongside approved electives that allow students to align their studies with professional interests. The final semester centers on the HP 8910 Thesis in Historic Preservation, supported by electives related to the student's career goals and culminating in original preservation research.

Focus Areas

Architectural history and cultural significance, documentation and interpretation, historic building materials and treatments, contextual design and planning, conservation science and material analysis, preservation policy and cultural resource management, sustainability and economics of rehabilitation.

Learning Outcomes

Documentation and analysis of historic resources, conservation and material assessment, cultural landscape analysis, preservation planning and policy, digital recording, research, professional preservation practice, thesis-based investigation.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

The curriculum is endorsed by the National Council for Preservation Education (NCPE) and was developed with guidance from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), NCPE, and preservation and design professionals.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

No current official Clemson source located for a QS, Guardian, or comparable employability ranking specifically for the Master of Science in Historic Preservation. Clemson does state that the program has a nearly 20-year legacy of educating preservation leaders.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The M.S. in Historic Preservation at Clemson University is built around hands-on learning in Charleston, where students use the city and the wider Lowcountry as a living laboratory for preservation practice. Students work directly with historic buildings, landscapes, objects, and community partners while developing technical skills in GIS, digital photogrammetry, 3D laser scanning, ground-penetrating radar, conservation, and materials analysis. The program also places an active conservation laboratory at the center of its curriculum, giving students opportunities to apply preservation techniques through real-world projects and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Practical learning opportunities include:

Community-based projects: Students collaborate with organizations and agencies including the National Park Service, Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission, City of Charleston, Charleston County Parks and Recreation, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Historic Charleston Foundation, and Preservation Society of Charleston on preservation projects.
Digital documentation: Students receive practical experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), digital photogrammetry, and 3D laser scanning for documenting and analyzing historic structures and sites.
Advanced investigation tools: The curriculum incorporates ground-penetrating radar and other non-invasive investigation techniques for examining historic structures and materials.
Conservation laboratory: The program has dedicated architectural conservation and microscopy laboratories at the Clemson Design Center in Charleston, supporting hands-on investigation of historic materials.
Materials analysis: Students can use the Warren Lasch Conservation Center, where preservation students work with XRF, XRD, and SEM technologies to investigate the properties and deterioration of historic building materials.
Microscopy and imaging: The microscopy laboratory includes digital imaging equipment and a CRAIC photospectrometer for examining historic materials.
Real-world conservation research: Students have collaborated with Drayton Hall on research using photogrammetry, 3D laser scanning, X-ray, surface-penetrating radar, and thermography to investigate historic plaster conditions.
Community conservation training: MSHP students have participated in conservation work with the Sol Legare settlement community, including cleaning and documenting museum objects and supporting collections management and emergency-planning activities.
Historic documentation: Students develop practical skills in documenting and interpreting landscapes, buildings, interiors, and objects, alongside conservation science, material analysis, contextual planning, and cultural-resource management.
Research resources: Students have access to facilities and resources across Clemson University and the College of Charleston, including the Avery Research Center and other laboratories and research facilities.
Clemson Design Center: Program studios and laboratories are housed at the Clemson Design Center in The Cigar Factory, Charleston, where all MSHP classes are held.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The M.S. in Historic Preservation prepares graduates for professional work in preserving, documenting, interpreting, and managing historic buildings, sites, objects, and landscapes. Clemson’s hands-on curriculum and professional internship provide experience with government agencies, nonprofits, museums, and private cultural-resource firms, while alumni have moved into planning, preservation, project, and conservation-related roles.

Typical career roles: Historic Preservation Specialist, Historic Preservation Planner, Cultural Resources Specialist, Project Coordinator

Career progression and opportunities:

Professional experience: Students complete an intensive summer Historic Preservation Internship with professional practitioners, gaining hands-on experience and career networking. Past placements have included the Historic American Building Survey (HABS), International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), National Trust for Historic Preservation, museums, foundations, and preservation practitioners in the U.S. and Europe.
Employer connections: Clemson’s School of Architecture hosts a Career Expo connecting architecture, landscape architecture, historic preservation, and planning students with employers; the 2026 event had 110 firms committed to attend.
Career services: Graduate students have access to Clemson’s Center for Career and Professional Development, including career counseling, professional workshops, job-search strategies, résumé and cover-letter guidance, and the Graduate Peer 2 Career advising program.
Graduate employment: Clemson reports that approximately 90–95% of graduates have been hired by preservation employers, including federal, state and local government agencies, nonprofit institutions, and private architectural and cultural-resource management firms. This figure is from a Clemson program publication rather than a current annual placement report, so it should be treated as historical program-reported data.
Graduate destinations: Recent alumni include a Director of Planning and Development, Historic Preservation Specialist, Project Engineer, Traditional Building Trades professional, Historic Preservation Planner, and Preservationist.
Industry and community partnerships: Students work with organizations including the National Park Service, Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission, South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, Charleston County Parks and Recreation, City of Charleston, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Historic Charleston Foundation, Preservation Society of Charleston, and Lowcountry Land Trust.
Professional recognition: The program is endorsed by the National Council for Preservation Education (NCPE), providing long-term professional value through alignment with a national preservation-education organization.
Salary figures: Clemson’s official career-outcomes system provides starting-salary and labor-market data that can be filtered by program and occupation; however, Clemson’s publicly available MSHP materials do not state a specific current salary figure for MSHP graduates, so no program-specific salary amount is stated here.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the M.S. in Historic Preservation, graduates can pursue further graduate or doctoral study in related areas such as architecture, landscape architecture, city and regional planning, history, public history, archaeology, conservation, or design and the built environment. Clemson itself offers related graduate pathways including the M.Arch., Master of Landscape Architecture, Master of City and Regional Planning, Master of Resilient Urban Design, and Ph.D. in Design and the Built Environment.