Historic preservation is something of a unique degree. It combines the historical knowledge of a history degree with the maintenance and repair knowledge more typical of a trade school degree. This gives students with a historic preservation masters a unique job outlook. So, what exactly can you expect to be doing and why should you consider a historic preservation degree?
Historical Knowledge
In order to appreciate the buildings and relics, you will be preserving you will need to have a healthy understanding of the history behind them. This means that history courses are going to be key to this degree and will offer you historical knowledge similar to what you would expect from a history degree.
Learn To Perform Repairs
Repairing historical artifacts is not the same as repairing something modern. This is because historical artifacts need to be preserved to prevent them from being damaged further due to their age. You will learn specialized repair techniques for repairing these items and buildings without making it obvious that a repair has been performed at all. This is important to keeping them looking as original as possible.
Curating
When you have a historic preservation degree, this puts you in a unique position to become a curator. This can be at a museum or a historic site, but these locations often require the services of a curator who will keep it from degrading further over time.
Curators are also responsible for procuring new artifacts for museums. This can include art pieces, historical artifacts, or any number of other pieces that may prove beneficial for the museum.
There are many reasons to pursue a degree in historic preservation. If you enjoy studying history and want to play a role in preserving history for future generations, then this is an excellent degree program that will give you the opportunity to be on the front lines of historic preservation. Visit the website at School of the Art Institute of Chicago to know more about this program.
