Students have been trained in conservation at the UCL Institute of Archaeology since it first opened in 1937.
The Institute is recognised globally for the excellence of its teaching and student experience. It is one of the largest centres for archaeology, conservation, cultural heritage and museum studies in Britain. It has an established and widely recognised strength in providing academic and professional training in the practice of conservation and many of its graduates are now employed in key posts around the world.
Courses offered
- MA Priniciples of Conservation (one year)
- MSc Conservation for Archaeology and Museums (two years)
- MSc Conservation of Contemporary Art & Media (two years)
The first conservation training programme in the UK to specialise in the Conservation of Contemporary Art & Media will open in UCL East, UCL’s new campus in London’s Olympic Park, in September 2023. Led by Professor Pip Laurenson, this interdisciplinary, problem-led, vocational programme aims not only to train the next generation of contemporary art conservators but also produce professionals ready to address the challenges of caring for the art of our time within a rapidly changing world. The degree focuses on the conservation of contemporary sculpture, installation, time-based media works of art and design including conceptual, performance, digital and mixed media works.
The content of the programme will reflect current debates that are impacting the way in which we conserve, steward and care for contemporary art, design and media, thinking about the values and histories that underpin conservation practice, and urgent challenges facing the sector more broadly. This thinking underpins a programme that is fundamentally grounded in hands-on training for real-world situations.
