Interdepartmental Program
College of Letters and Science
A210 Fowler Building
Box 951510
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1510
Conservation of Cultural Heritage
310-825-9407
E-mail contact
The UCLA/Getty Conservation interdepartmental program provides an excellent platform for education and research in the conservation of material culture. It supports discovery and innovation through research that transcends the boundaries of traditional disciplines. It uniquely trains cultural property professionals in the best practices and methods of cultural heritage conservation through various pedagogical approaches including, but not limited to, core teaching and learning, independent research, and laboratory experience in museums and in the field. Finally, it positively impacts the community by engaging with a more informed public that would seek to protect cultural heritage from imminent threats.
The program offers two degree options: a practice-focused three-year Master of Arts (MA) degree in Conservation of Cultural Heritage, and a research-focused Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Conservation of Material Culture. Though the two degrees share a scholarly approach to the discipline and strong commitment to the advancement of the conservation profession, they provide distinctive competencies, preparing students for different careers in the cultural heritage section and beyond.
The aim of the program is to train the next generation of multidisciplinary researchers, heritage practitioners, and cross-cultural leaders in the theoretical and experimental developments and policy of conservation and sustainable preservation of material culture. Through this training, graduates will bring innovative, cutting-edge methods and holistic approaches to the conservation profession. More specifically, these degree programs aim to provide students with integrated, comprehensive curricula to foster the next generation of conservation professionals and leaders with strong research, theoretical, and applied qualitative and quantitative skills; rigorous training in conservation theory, praxis, ethics, policy, and research; substantive research training in a specific domain of application in conservation; and experiential learning and mentoring in communication, scientific writing skills, and the ability to work in multidisciplinary teams.
The objectives of the program are to provide students with a solid educational base and practical training in the conservation of both archaeological and ethnographic materials, as well as an appreciation of the often complex issues related to significance, access, and use of these materials that can be very different from the criteria for conservation of fine art or historical materials. The special focus of the program and its interdisciplinary curriculum serves the archaeological, scientific, native, and cultural minority communities alike and offers a nexus at the boundaries of conservation, archaeology, ethnography, the natural sciences, and engineering.
The partnership between UCLA and the Getty in establishing the program ensures that both a major research university and an institution with a principal mandate for conservation of world cultural heritage are working to create rich and vibrant conservation training opportunities. The program helps students develop working relationships with a wide array of colleagues in the Getty Conservation Institute, the J. Paul Getty Museum, other local museums and cultural organizations, and different departments and programs at UCLA.
