Masters of Heritage Conservation (MHC)

2 Years On Campus Masters Program

University of Southern California

Program Overview

The Master of Heritage Conservation (MHC) at the University of Southern California prepares students to work across heritage conservation and related fields by combining the study of historic places, cultural heritage, conservation practice, policy, planning, and research. The program is particularly suited to students interested in preserving and interpreting the built environment, with USC’s Los Angeles location providing a rich setting for examining diverse architectural, cultural, and urban heritage.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish a foundation in heritage conservation through ARCH 549 Fundamentals of Heritage Conservation, ARCH 552 Introduction to Historic Site Documentation, and ARCH 553 History of American Architecture and Urbanism. They then progress to ARCH 550 Heritage Conservation Policy and Planning and ARCH 551 Conservation Methods and Materials, building knowledge of conservation policy, regulatory contexts, materials, building forensics, documentation, and conservation techniques.

Year 2: The second year provides greater flexibility for specialized electives while students undertake ARCH 691abz Heritage Conservation Thesis Preparation and Thesis, allowing them to develop and complete substantial independent research. Students can also explore subjects such as ARCH 555 Global Perspectives in Heritage Conservation, ARCH 556 Readings in Heritage Conservation Theory, and ARCH 557 Sustainable Conservation of the Historic Built Environment, depending on course availability and their interests.

Focus areas: Heritage conservation, historic preservation, conservation policy and planning, conservation methods and materials, historic-site documentation, architectural and urban history, global heritage practice, sustainability, cultural heritage, research, and thesis development.

Learning outcomes: Students develop the ability to investigate, document, interpret, research, and conserve significant buildings, sites, and communities while understanding the economic, political, cultural, regulatory, environmental, and social dimensions of heritage conservation.

Professional alignment (accreditation): USC identifies the MHC as a graduate degree within the USC School of Architecture; a professional accreditation specific to the MHC is not stated on USC’s official accreditation page, which distinguishes the school’s accredited professional architecture and landscape architecture degrees.

Reputation (employability rankings): USC states that its School of Architecture has over 600 students and 100 faculty members and describes the MHC as one of only two programs of its kind on the West Coast and the only one of its kind in California. USC also notes that the program engages with the history of Los Angeles, Southern California, and the Pacific Rim.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Master of Heritage Conservation (MHC) at the University of Southern California uses Los Angeles as a living laboratory, allowing students to study cultural and intangible heritage, historic places, underrecognized communities, and the built environment within a city with a diverse architectural and cultural history. Practical learning is built around research, historic-site documentation, conservation methods and materials, policy and planning, and the required thesis, with students benefiting from the interdisciplinary environment of the USC School of Architecture and opportunities to work across related fields.

Historic Site Documentation: ARCH 552 – Introduction to Historic Site Documentation develops practical approaches to investigating and documenting historic places, directly connecting students with the documentation work central to heritage conservation.
Conservation Methods & Materials: ARCH 551 – Conservation Methods and Materials gives students focused study of the materials and methods used in conserving historic buildings and sites.
Research Training: ARCH 543 – Research Methods provides dedicated research preparation, supporting the investigation and analysis required for professional conservation work and the program's thesis.
Thesis Project: ARCH 691 – Heritage Conservation Thesis Preparation and Thesis gives students an extended opportunity to investigate a heritage-conservation topic through independent research and faculty guidance.
Los Angeles as a Laboratory: Students use Los Angeles as a laboratory for examining cultural and intangible heritage, the relationship between underrecognized communities and the built environment, and modernism and the recent past.
Interdisciplinary Learning: The MHC can be combined with Architecture, Landscape Architecture + Urbanism, Urban Planning, and Building Science, allowing students to connect conservation with design, planning, landscape, and building-performance perspectives.
Professional Experience: USC's School of Architecture identifies internships and employment as part of its assessment of Heritage Conservation student outcomes, providing a direct connection between academic preparation and professional practice.
Small Program Environment: USC's heritage conservation program has a close faculty-student structure, with the university noting significant interaction and frequent feedback because of the program's small size.
USC School of Architecture Resources: Students study within Watt Hall and the broader USC School of Architecture environment, which integrates heritage conservation with architecture, landscape architecture, and building science education.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Master of Heritage Conservation (MHC) prepares graduates for professional work involving the preservation, interpretation, management, and adaptive reuse of historic places and cultural heritage. USC’s program is particularly connected to Los Angeles, Southern California, and the Pacific Rim, while addressing contemporary issues such as climate resilience, cultural and social equity, intangible heritage, and emerging technologies.

Typical career roles: Historic Preservation Planner, Heritage Conservation Specialist, Cultural Resources Specialist, Architectural Conservator.

Career development and progression:

USC Career Center: Students and alumni have access to career advising, resume support, networking, employer events, internship opportunities, and targeted job-search resources through USC’s Career Center.
Handshake: USC provides access to Handshake, its university-wide career platform, where students can explore employment and internship opportunities.
Trojan Network: USC’s professional networking and mentorship platform connects students and alumni with members of the wider Trojan community for career advice and professional connections.
Industry connections: The USC Career Center works with employers to connect students with professional opportunities and provides access to architecture, construction, and design industry employment and internship listings.
Heritage Conservation professional environment: USC states that the MHC program engages directly with the history and heritage of Los Angeles, Southern California, and the Pacific Rim, giving students a regional context for professional conservation practice.
Employment statistics: USC does not publish a specific MHC graduate employment rate or program-level placement percentage on the official sources reviewed, so no unsupported employment figure is provided.
Salary figures: USC does not publish a specific salary range or median salary for MHC graduates on the official program/career sources reviewed. Therefore, a program-specific salary figure is not stated.
Professional and long-term value: The program's focus on cultural heritage, climate resilience, community stewardship, equity, rehabilitation, and emerging technologies provides preparation for evolving heritage-conservation practice. USC also describes the MHC as one of only two programs of its kind on the West Coast and the only one in California.
Graduation outcomes: Graduates can apply their conservation knowledge across professional settings involving historic preservation, cultural-resource management, heritage planning, conservation practice, research, and related fields; USC's current heritage-conservation faculty recruitment also identifies Heritage Conservation/Historic Preservation, Architectural History, Public History, and Urban Planning as related professional fields.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the MHC, students can pursue further graduate or doctoral-level study in related areas such as heritage conservation, historic preservation, architectural history, public history, urban planning, or another related research field. Within USC's School of Architecture, graduates can also explore advanced study through programs such as the Master of Advanced Architectural Research Studies (M.AARS), while USC offers interdisciplinary opportunities through its other academic schools.