Preservation Practices (M.S.)

The M.S. in Preservation Practices program at RWU prepares students for careers stewarding the historic built environment through adaptive reuse, cultural resource management, community and environmental planning, and publicly-engaged history. Housed in the Cummings School of Architecture, the program offers students a lively interdisciplinary environment to explore issues of community revitalization, preservation design, and sustaining cultural heritage.

Format

On Campus (Bristol)

Full-time

Part-time

Schedule

Fall or Spring start

Day and evening coursework

Credits Required

34-53 (depending on undergraduate background)

Time Commitment

1 to 2 years

Cost

Spring 2025
$1,136/credit

Fees

Spring 2025
$475/semester (full-time students)
$160/semester (part-time students)

Ways to Save

Scholarships above 3.0 GPA

Guaranteed paid assistantship or internship for all students

Apply By

Fall: March 1 (Priority), April 1 (Regular), August 15 (Final)

Spring: November 1 (Priority), December 15 (Final)

M.S. Preservation Practices

The Master of Science in Preservation Practices engages students in the fundamentals of cultural resource management, from individual sites to large-scale development and infrastructure projects, and of place- and people-based community planning, revitalization, and redevelopment. 

Our Model: Field-Based, Community-Engaged, Interdisciplinary

RWU students participate in the interdisciplinary, team-based work of historic preservation practice through engagement with local municipalities, nonprofits and the private sector on preservation planning and rehabilitation projects through field-based workshops, studios, and a paid internship. Students complete the program with an intensive two-semester sequence of a planning workshop and collaborative studio with design students focused on a major historic rehabilitation or revitalization project. Students may also opt to pursue a thesis under the advisement of program faculty. 

What Will You Learn?

Gropius House

Cultural Resource Management and Planning 

Examine practices for managing and intervening in the historic built environment as part of environmental and urban planning and design practices. Learn how preservation laws and regulations designate, manage, and affect stewardship of the historic built environment at the federal, state, and local levels. 

History of the Built Environment and Cultural Landscape Studies

Gain a strong foundation in the history of the built environment and the dynamics of cultural landscapes through work in the field and in the classroom. Engage in a landscape approach to preservation encompassing consideration of design, technological, historical, and cultural and social significance. Explore the complexity of the historical development of the southern New England region and learn to “read the landscape.”

Rough Point

History, Philosophy, and Ethics of Historic Preservation

Explore changes in the values and ethics of preservation and urban conservation as well as the frameworks for judgements and choices made in preservation projects. Assess practical and ethical issues related to historic preservation such as heritage tourism, governmental and NGO roles, diverse cultural perspectives on the past, and responses to natural disaster and war.

Historic Construction Materials and Methods

Engage with the historic materials, art, and technology of building construction spanning selected culture regions of what is now the United States. Learn how to use historic material to trace the evolution of building activities. 

adaptive reuse and revitalization strategiesHistoric Building Documentation, Evaluation, and Research Methods

Participate in hands-on learning about methods for documenting existing conditions and the historical development of buildings and sites for design, planning, and preservation-related interventions. Learn the skills needed to complete a variety of due diligence and planning documents, including historic structure reports, historic designation or evaluation documentation, and existing conditions reports. 

Adaptive Reuse and Revitalization Strategies

Learn about the planning and financial aspects of preserving and rehabilitating historic buildings, public and private financing strategies, place-based revitalization, and issues of shrinking cities, gentrification, and displacement.

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Path One provides a continuous sequence from undergraduate to graduate study leading to the Master of Science in Preservation Practices professional degree, for students who have completed Roger Williams University's B.S. in Preservation Studies program. Path One students normally complete this 150-credit sequence in 5 years from the beginning of their undergraduate studies.

Undergraduate Degree Requirements

Required Core

ARCH 101 Foundations of Architecture 

ARCH 281 Architectural Analysis I 

ARCH 325 History of Modern Architecture 

ARCH 327 History of American Architecture, Urbanism, and Landscape 

HIST 100 Making Global History 

MATH 124 Basic Statistics 

PRES 101 Introduction to Preservation Studies 

PRES 320 American Cultural Landscapes 

PRES 331 Historic Construction Materials and Assemblies 

PRES 341 Building and Site Documentation Research Methods 

PRES 421 History and Philosophy of Historic Preservation

Required AMST Courses (Choose One)

AMST 370 Topics in Race, Gender, and Sexuality in America 

AMST 371 Topics in Ethnicity, Class and Region in America

Required HIST 200 Series (Choose Two)

HIST 240 Colonial and Revolutionary America 

HIST 241 Securing the American Republic, 1800-1914 

HIST 242 The United States in the American Century

Required Advanced PRES Elective (Choose One)

ARCH 462 The Villa and the Garden 

PRES 371 Architecture and Preservation Abroad 

PRES 430 Special Topics in Preservation Studies 

PRES 471 Museum Studies 

PRES 572 Preservation Law and Regulation 

PRES 573 Preservation Economics 

PRES 430 Special Topics in Preservation Studies 

PRES 471 Museum Studies 

PRES 572 Preservation Law and Regulation 

PRES 573 Preservation Economics

Graduate Degree Requirements

Core Requirements

ARCH 543 Project Development and Finance 

ARCH 517 Collaborative Revitalization Studio 

PLAN 501 Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning 

PRES 501 Fundamentals of Preservation Practice 

PRES 532 Building Materials and Technology Workshop

Graduate Electives (Choose five)

ARCH 522 Environmental Design Research 

ARCH 524 Evolution of Urban Form 

ARCH 529 History of Landscape Architecture 

ARCH 530 Special Topics in Architecture 

ARCH 577 The Skyscraper 

ARCH 593 Sustainable Paradigms 

ARCH 594 Urban Ecology 

ARCH 561 Landscape Architecture: Theory and Practice 

ARCH 572 Urban Design Theory from the Industrial Revolution to the Present 

ARCH 573 Modernism in the Non-Western World: A Comparative Perspective 

ARCH 574 Regionalism in Architecture 

ARCH 575 Contemporary Asian Architecture & Urbanism 

ARCH 576 Theoretical Origins of Modernism 

PRES 530 Special Topics in Historic Preservation 

PRES 571 Museum Studies 

PRES 572 Preservation Law and Regulation 

PRES 573 Preservation Economics

To read more about our academic offerings, or to view full course descriptions, please refer to our University Catalog.

Path Two

Path Two provides advanced entry to the Master of Science in Preservation Practices degree for students from other universities who have completed a four-year undergraduate degree in Historic Preservation. Individualized placement occurs following an evaluation of the student's undergraduate transcript. Path Two students normally complete a 34-credit, full time sequence over two semesters of study and a summer internship.

Path Three

Path Three provides entry to the Master of Science in Preservation Practices degree for students who have completed a four-year undergraduate degree in fields other than historic preservation. Students normally finish this 53-credit full-time program in two years.

Degree Requirements

Required Core

ARCH 281 Architectural Analysis I 

ARCH 543 Project Development and Finance 

ARCH 517 Collaborative Revitalization Studio 

PLAN 501 Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning 

PRES 501 Fundamentals of Preservation Practice 

PRES 520 American Cultural Landscapes 

PRES 521 History and Philosophy of Historic Preservation 

PRES 531 Historic Construction Materials and Assemblies 

PRES 532 Building Materials and Technology Workshop 

PRES 541 Building and Site Documentation Research Methods

Architectural History Lecture Course (One)

AAH 321 Art and Architecture in the Classical World 

AAH 322 Art and Architecture in the Medieval World 

AAH 323 Art and Architecture in the Islamic World 

AAH 324 Art and Architecture of the Italian Renaissance 

ARCH 325 History of Modern Architecture 

ARCH 327 History of American Architecture, Urbanism, and Landscape

Architectural History Seminar Course (One)

AAH 530 Special Topics in Art + Architectural History 

ARCH 529 History of Landscape Architecture 

ARCH 530 Special Topics in Architecture 

ARCH 573 Modernism in the Non-Western World: A Comparative Perspective 

ARCH 574 Regionalism in Architecture 

ARCH 575 Contemporary Asian Architecture & Urbanism 

ARCH 577 The Skyscraper

Graduate Electives (Choose up to five)

ARCH 522 Environmental Design Research 

ARCH 524 Evolution of Urban Form 

ARCH 529 History of Landscape Architecture 

ARCH 530 Special Topics in Architecture 

ARCH 577 The Skyscraper 

ARCH 593 Sustainable Paradigms 

ARCH 594 Urban Ecology 

ARCH 561 Landscape Architecture: Theory and Practice 

ARCH 572 Urban Design Theory from the Industrial Revolution to the Present 

ARCH 573 Modernism in the Non-Western World: A Comparative Perspective 

ARCH 574 Regionalism in Architecture 

ARCH 575 Contemporary Asian Architecture & Urbanism 

ARCH 576 Theoretical Origins of Modernism 

PRES 530 Special Topics in Historic Preservation 

PRES 571 Museum Studies 

PRES 572 Preservation Law and Regulation 

PRES 573 Preservation Economics

Cultural Resource Survey: Steep Brook - Fall River, MA

Prepared for Fall River Historical Commission in PRES 341/541 Building & Site Documentation and Research Methods

Historic Structures Report: Wind Hill - Bristol, RI

Prepared for Roger Williams University Office of Facilities Management based on work completed in PRES 341/541: Building & Site Documentation and Research Methods

Historic American Building Survey Documentation: Townsend-Greene House - Newport, RI

Prepared for the Newport Restoration Foundation in PRES 341/541 Building & Site Documentation and Research Methods

Adaptive Reuse Feasibility Study: Rochambeau Avenue Fire Station - Providence, RI

Prepared for the Providence Redevelopment Agency in HP 525 Preservation Economics Course

Neighborhood Revitalization Study: Riverside Square - East Providence, RI

Riverside Square Revitalization Assessment in PRES 341/541 Building & Site Documentation and Research Methods

Adaptation Without Loss: Newport’s Point Neighborhood - Newport, RI

Developing Design Solutions and Guidelines for Elevating Historic Buildings in Newport's Point Neighborhood in ARCH 517 Collaborative Revitalization Studio

Reimagining Sacred Spaces: St. Teresa of Avila - Providence, RI

Sacred Spaces - Preserved, Adapted, Added Onto Rather Than Abandoned in ARCH 517 Collaborative Revitalization Studio

Master's Degree Application Requirements

Applicants to the M.S. Preservation Practices program should submit the following items to the Office of Graduate Admission to be considered for admission. Materials do not have to be submitted together in one package. 

  1. Completed online application form accompanied by the $50 application fee
  2. Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework
  3. Letter of Intent (two double-spaced pages maximum) describing your interest in the Preservation Practices program, relevant past experiences, and career goals
  4. Two letters of recommendation attesting to your potential to succeed in graduate school
  5. Academic writing sample with sources cited employing a conventional style
  6. If your first language is not English, an official report of TOEFL or IELTS results

Certificate Application Requirements

Applicants to the Preservation Practices Graduate Certificate program should submit the following items to the Office of Graduate Admission to be considered for admission. Materials do not have to be submitted together in one package. 

  1. Completed online application form accompanied by the $50 application fee
  2. Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework
  3. Letter of Intent (two double-spaced pages maximum) describing your interest in the Preservation Practices program, relevant past experiences, and career goals
  4. All University required fees

General Information

The Graduate Records Examination (GRE) is not required for admission. International applicants should also read additional requirements for non-U.S. residents.

Where appropriate, documents should be submitted online through the applicant portal or via email to gradadmit@rwu.edu. Any official documents that must be mailed (i.e. transcripts) should be sent directly to:

Office of Graduate Admission
1 Old Ferry Rd.
Bristol, RI 02809

Have questions about the application process? Visit the How to Apply page from the Office of Graduate Admission.

Financial Aid

All accepted Historic Preservation students will be awarded a guaranteed paid assistantship or internship grant through the Career Investment Program. Full-time students will receive $3,000 per year, paid at $18 per hour, and part-time students receive $1,500 per year. Students who fall below full-time status during the year will be pro-rated. 

Meet our faculty

Elaine Stiles

Dr. Elaine Stiles
Associate Professor of Historic Preservation and Program Director

Dr. Ginette Wessel

Dr. Ginette Wessel
Associate Professor of Architecture

Gail Fenske

Dr. Gail Fenske
Professor of Architecture

Alyssa Lozupone

Alyssa Lozupone
Adjunct Professor of Historic Preservation
Alyssa has served as the Newport Restoration Foundation’s Director of Preservation since May 2019. In this role, she oversees the preservation, stewardship, and property management of the non-profit’s 80 historic buildings in Newport, Middletown, and Portsmouth, Rhode Island. She’s held previous positions at the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office; The Preservation Society of Newport County; and Roger Williams University’s Cummings School of Architecture, where she’s served as an Adjunct Instructor since 2016. Alyssa currently serves on the Board of Directors at Landmark Trust USA (Dummerston, VT) and Preservation Action (Washington, D.C.). She holds an M.S. in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA) and a B.A. in Cultural and Historic Preservation from Salve Regina University (Newport, RI).

Benjamin Haavik
Adjunct Professor of Historic Preservation
Benjamin Haavik is Team Leader for Property Care at Historic New England, where he is responsible for the maintenance and preservation of the organization’s thirty-eight historic house museums and landscapes. Prior to joining Historic New England in 2004, he was deputy director of the Historic House Trust of New York City where he cared for twenty-four historic sites throughout the five boroughs of New York City. Mr. Haavik started his career at the Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after receiving his M.S. in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania. In 2004, Mr. Haavik was a participant in the Attingham Summer School Program in England. He is a Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation recognized by his peers as being a highly qualified Architectural Conservator.

John Tschirch

John Tschirch
Adjunct Professor of Historic Preservation
John Tschirch is an architectural historian, writer, and teacher. His latest books include America’s Eden: Newport Landscapes through the Ages (2022) and Newport: The Artful City (2020), focused on the history of Newport’s urban plan and streetscapes, which received the Victorian Society of America Book Award in 2021. John received his M.A. (1986) in Architectural History and Historic Preservation from the School of Architecture at the University of Virginia. His thirty-year career in the preservation led him on treks across the globe to study historic landmarks and landscapes from Newport “cottages” and Croatian fortresses to Cotswold villages. He currently teaches courses in the history of ornament and design at Rhode Island School of Design and historic preservation at Roger Williams University, and consults on historic preservation projects. From 1986 to 2013 he served as Director of Education and, later, as Director of Museum Affairs and Architectural Historian for the eleven historic house museums and landscapes of the Preservation Society of Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. He has lectured widely in the U.S. and abroad on architecture, landscapes and historic cities, from the Attingham Conference in London to Yale University’s Mellon Center Seminar on 18th Century French Design and the UNESCO sponsored conference on Architecture and Culture in Buenos Aires.

Marjorie Drew

Historic Preservation on St. Thomas

Marjorie Drew, RWU Class of 2019
Preservation Practices (M.S.)

After 19 years as a respiratory therapist, Marjorie Drew ’19 wanted a change. Graduating with a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from RWU, Drew set out in December of 2019 for a new adventure working as a Historic Preservation Specialist for FEMA in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands.

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