News and Announcements

Dean Mark Wigley of the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation is pleased to announce that effective July 1, Andrew S. Dolkart will serve as the Director of the Historic Preservation Program

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Admissions

Applications are due February 15. Applicants for admission to the MS degree in the Historic Preservation Program must first hold a professional degree in Architecture or a Bachelor's degree in Art History, American Studies, Civil Engineering, History, Urban Studies, or another related field. All applicants are required to take the Aptitude Test of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Information may be obtained from the Graduate Record Examination, Educational Testing Service, Box 955, Princeton, NJ 08540 (www.gre.org/atglance.html). Letters of recommendation and the applicants' statement of intent are also considered important parts of the application materials. Portfolios are not required, but any supplemental information in the form of drawings, photographs, articles, books, etc. is welcome to support the applicants' credentials. No submitted materials will be returned.

Applicants may enter only in the fall term.

Preparation

The program is interdisciplinary and expects all students to engage preservation in depth from the perspectives of all its sectors. Students will develop an ability to read buildings through drawing and in that connection, it is required that they have a background in drawing, hand drafting or computer-aided drafting. Coursework in these areas does not need to appear on an official transcript. For those without prior experience in drafting and drawing, courses are generally available at vocational schools and community colleges. They do not carry credit towards the MS degree.

Work will require basic computer proficiency (Word, Excel, Photoshop, PowerPoint). Studio experience will be enriched by a greater proficiency with graphic programs. Students in the conservation sector will be aided by prior experience in chemistry, biology, and earth sciences. Design sector students will generally be expected to have a professional or other degree in architecture.

All students should have an undergraduate-level survey in architectural history.

Registration

Students must attend the program on a full-time basis, registering for at least 12 credit points per semester. In unusual circumstances, the director will consider petitions for leaves of absence.