Master of Science in Historic Preservation

Some examples are listed below. Several other CAP and History Department courses may also qualify.

Historic preservation students typically choose electives from the following departments: Historic Preservation (HIPR), History (HIST), Geography (GEOG), Public Administration (PUAD), Architecture (ARCH), Landscape Architecture (LDAR), and Urban Planning (URPL).

These departments typically offer elective courses that have ties to preservation or allow students to make their education more interdisciplinary. This list is not exhaustive, and several other departments have courses that may qualify.

The capstone portion of the MS in Historic Preservation gives students the chance to dive deeper into a topic of your choice, whether it’s through a professional project or through a research thesis. The capstone allows for students to gain real-world experience while completing unique preservation projects.

During the 2019/2020 school year, three historic preservation students worked on a professional project as a team that focuses on the adaptive reuse of the historic motels on Colfax Ave. What started as a class project turned into something much more, where they did a survey analysis of the motels, attended community meetings, created design proposals, and presented the work at multiple preservation conferences.

1. Understand the field of historic preservation as it relates to civic engagement and public policy.
2. Analyze complex heritage situations and formulate a strategy for preservation.
3. Communicate acquired historic preservation expertise to diverse stakeholders.
4. Assess the significance of the built environment and cultural landscapes.
5. Possess the ability to perform fundamental professional activities such as: cultural resource surveys, historic designation nominations, resource management plans, preservation, and restoration project plans.

• Online Application​
• Statement of Purpose: The statement of purpose should be a 750-1000 word essay that describes your interest in historic preservation and CU Denver, as well as your academic and professional goals.
• Writing samples, and optionally, graphic work and a professional resume are strongly recommended. Please upload of PDF to the online application.
• Transcript(s):
  • Domestic transcripts: One official copy of your transcript from each institution you have attended, except for study abroad courses, should be sent to the following:
    • Electronic Transcripts: cap-admissions@ucdenver.edu
    • Mailing Address:
      College of Architecture and Planning
      University of Colorado Denver
      Campus Box 126
      P.O. Box 173364
      Denver, CO 80217-3364
  • International transcripts: Do not submit transcripts from foreign (non-US) institutions to CU Denver. You must provide a course-by-course evaluation report from Education Credential Evaluators to complete your application. You will send your transcripts to ECE, and ECE will send their evaluation report to CU Denver. After you submit your CU Denver application, you will receive an email with a link to the landing page where you can order your report for CU Denver’s use. For more information, please visit our International Admissions office.

Visit our Historic Preservation Admissions webpage for application deadlines and details. 

Please contact  Jodi Stock to inquire about space availability. 

Our bachelor's degree course work substantively equivalent to an MSHP-required course may be accepted as a substitution for that course at the program director’s discretion. Still, such substitution will not reduce the total number of credit hours required for the degree.

 Students admitted into this program must have completed an undergraduate degree before they can begin this program. The university requires an official conferred degree transcript. For additional information, please see Graduate School Policies and Procedures.