Historic Preservation Program
Historic preservation focuses on maintaining, conserving, interpreting, and advocating for resources of historical significance. The Historic Preservation program acquaints students with a broad range of activities, methods, and theoretical perspectives in historic preservation. The program stresses research and analytical skills while substantial fieldwork, laboratory, or research assignments are woven into most courses. Students conduct architectural surveys; prepare diagnostic reports for local historic sites structures and districts; carry out archaeology projects; and develop museum exhibitions. Majors may emphasize historic architecture, building forensics, archaeology, preservation planning, or museums in their course work. After graduation, their employment options span public and private preservation organizations at the local, state, and national levels; cultural resource management firms; urban-planning departments; architectural or engineering firms specializing in restoration; museums, libraries, and heritage organizations.
Please consult the UMW Undergraduate Catalog for specific and up-to-date major requirements.
Graduate Data
Undergraduate outcome data is collected by the UMW Career Center each year. The data is then broken down by major in order to determine how many graduates in each major are employed, attending graduate school, or pursuing a different path within 6 months of graduation.
“Knowledge Rate” describes the percent of graduates for which the institution has reasonable and verifiable information concerning the graduates’ post-graduation career activities.
“Career Outcomes Rate” describes the number of graduates who have landed in any of the employment categories (full-time, part-time, internship) in addition to service, military, and continuing education divided by the total number of students for whom an outcome is known.
Historic Preservation Alumni (2018-2022)
Total Graduates: 156
Knowledge Rate: 81%
Career Outcome Rate: 83%
| Post-Graduate Activity | |
|---|---|
| Employed Full-time | 47% |
| Employed Part-time | 18% |
| Grad School | 19% |
| Seeking Employment | 8% |
| Volunteer Service | 2% |
| Waiting on Grad School | 6% |
| Not Seeking | 1% |
Where do our alumni land?
Companies
- National Trust for Historic Preservation
- National Park Service
- North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office
- Maryland State Highway Administration
- New Jersey Historic Trust
- Preservation Maryland
- Virginia State Parks
- Preservation Virginia
- Albemarle County
- Caroline County
Graduate Schools
- Boston University
- Clemson University
- College of William & Mary
- Colorado State University
- Columbia University
- East Carolina University
- George Washington University
- Johns Hopkins University
- SUNY—Cooperstown Graduate Program,
- Syracuse University
Alumni Success Stories
UMW alumni are excited to help current students and other alumni succeed in their fields. Below are stories from alumni about their experiences at UMW and after.
Historic Preservation – Alumni Bios & Advice: Interested in learning where our Historic Preservation grads land? Need some alumni advice? Read about our successful Eagle alums here.
Historic Preservation – Young Alumni Profiles: Collected by the UMW Historic Preservation Department, learn more about career outcomes for Historic Preservation grads AND young alumni profiles.