Historic preservation seeks to find effective and artful ways of maintaining and reusing significant buildings, landscapes, and communities. Central to the discipline is the attempt to preserve cultural identity in the face of the threats of urban sprawl and loss of social diversity.
The Historic Preservation Program at The University of Texas at Austin exposes students to multiple fields in the discipline of historic preservation—architectural conservation and documentation, historic site management, and preservation planning and development. The coursework is practical, technical, and theoretical in scope, encompassing the study of history, research techniques, materials conservation, documentation and interpretation of historic resources, restoration methodologies, and sensitive design for adaptive reuse.
Students explore a wide array of historic properties, from rural vernacular sites to significant works of the Modern Movement, from interior furnishings and buildings to landscapes and urban centers. The special emphasis of the program is on works of the later nineteenth and twentieth centuries, especially on examples of Modernism. International travel is strongly supported by the program. Recent students have studied in Italy, Mexico, Turkey, and Ukraine, and there are also programs currently under development in China, France, and the Dominican Republic.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Preservation in the Americas—Finding Our Shared History
Work with the National Park Service
Historic preservation
DEGREES + PROGRAMS
The Historic Preservation Program at the University of Texas as Austin offers a graduate-level degree program and a doctoral-level degree in Historic Preservation, which can be achieved through the lens of Architecture or Community & Regional Planning.
| GRADUATE | PH.D. |
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@utsoaMebane Lounge by Jeanette Chen @harpnut, Jen McClelland @jenjenmcclelland, Erin Murphy @erkamu, and Stephanie Belov for Igor Siddiqui’s @isssstudio Interior Design Core I // 2023-2024 Design Excellence Award Winner
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As alumni, supporters, and friends, your perspective is invaluable to us. Consider letting us know how you feel about the school and how we can better engage with members of our extended community at the link in our bio.
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@utsoa“Fashion Flagships” by George Lipe @_georgelipe_ for Patrick Danahy’s @pdanahy Design V Studio // 2023-2024 Design Excellence winner
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@utsoaThis summer, insect habitats designed by first-year interior design students will be on display @brooklynbotanic in New York City.
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@utsoaSummer looks good on you ☀️
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@utsoaThis summer, two Community & Regional Planning students @vickierbelcher and @arfar.razi (second from left and right) competed in the final round of the Nature-based Future Challenge competition.
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@utsoaIn the most recent issue of @txarchitects Magazine, SOA alumnus and contributing writer Cole Von Feldt @cole_v profiled several of SOA’s design-build studios which “serve as a bridge between academia and practice, better preparing students for architecture beyond the academic setting.”
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@utsoaCongratulations to Assistant Professor of Practice @juanasalcedoo, who received a 2024 @grahamfoundation grant to fund her exhibition “Jaguar Lens.”
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@utsoaCongratulations to Master of Interior Design student Winnie Lin @winnlin (MID ’25) who was recognized by @asid_hq as one of only three 2024 Student Portfolio Competition award winners selected from submissions across the US and Canada!