UMKC is the only University in the region with a Historic Preservation program. The certificate program draws on the Kansas City region’s rich built environment heritage, dedicated preservation community, and institutional resources. Kansas City’s rich history of parks and boulevards, neighborhood development, and unique landmarks provides an incomparable urban laboratory for the practice of historic preservation and neighborhood conservation.
The certificate is designed to be added to any graduate degree at UMKC, such as History, Art History, Real Estate, Law, Engineering, and Public Administration. Students not enrolled in a graduate program at UMKC may pursue a certificate-only option if they have earned a bachelor’s degree and meet the UMKC School of Graduate Studies’s admission criteria. The program seeks to create leaders in business and public policy who will address future challenges for cities and regions by revitalizing communities through the conservation of the state’s built heritage. The next generation of leaders will need multidisciplinary training to tackle complex urban redevelopment challenges.
The curriculum, designed in accordance with the National Council on Preservation Education standards, is anchored in planning. Such a focus is unique among preservation programs, which are typically aligned with architecture or architectural history. Grounding preservation education and training in planning not only follows the recent and future trajectory of preservation practice but also broadens the perspective and possibilities for preserving and adapting historic places for the twenty-first century.
Curriculum
The curriculum consists of six 3-credit courses:*
Required Core:
UPD 5743: Introduction to Historic Preservation
UPD 5744: History of the Built Environment
UPD 5745: Historic Preservation Methods
UPD 5700: Advanced Planning Theory & Practice
Choose One Practicum:
UPD 5710: Historic Preservation Studio
UPD 5790: Historic Preservation Internship
Choose One Urban Planning or Other Approved Elective
Course descriptions are available through the UMKC catalog.
*Students must enter the program with one course in the history of the designed environment. If students do not meet this prerequisite, they must take a second course in addition to the one required as part of the curriculum.
How to Apply
Already a student enrolled at UMKC? Contact Dr. Stephanie Frank.
New to UMKC? Please visit the graduate admissions website for the College of Arts & Sciences and follow the instructions. All applicants must submit an essay of 500 to 1,000 words describing their interest in pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation to aupd@umkc.edu. Essays should be submitted in PDF as attachments to emails that indicate they are part of the application for the Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation.
Questions?
Please contact Dr. Stephanie Frank at franksb@umkc.edu with any questions or for more information. The template for gainful employment can be viewed here.