Program Information

The UCLA/Getty Interdepartmental Master’s Program in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage is a practice-focused degree, rich in scientific content, scholarly approach, and research methodology.  The program is a cooperative effort between UCLA and the Getty Conservation Institute. Administered through the Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, the program grants a three-year MA degree in Conservation. The mission of the program is to educate and train students in the highest standard of conservation practice and decision-making and to prepare them to work as professionals in the preservation of archaeological and cultural materials.

The program provides a multidisciplinary education drawn from collaborations within the university, and with conservation specialists at both the Getty Conservation Institute and Getty Museum, as well as other regional museums. It is distinguished by its emphasis on materials, technologies, and cultural preservation closely associated with archaeological and cultural objects, found both in collections as well as on site, including indigenous materials, rock art, wall paintings and mosaics. Stressing the importance of working within a cultural context and as part of an interdisciplinary team, the program emphasizes the collaborative nature of conservation. Program goals include enhancing the standards of conservation treatment and research through the application of both cultural understanding and scientific methods of documentation, examination, analysis, and practice.

The preparation of the students is based on a three-year intensive curriculum consisting of two years of coursework, electives within the university, independent study opportunities, and internships in museums and archaeological sites. Students complete a master’s thesis, which includes a component of innovative research in any of the fields of conservation covered in the program.