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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HISTORIC PRESERVATION NEWS
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@utsoaOn April 3-4, the school will convene “Landscape First: Unearthing the Benefits of Nature-Based Solutions.”
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@utsoaOpening this week: “Jaguar Lens” a public exhibition by Assistant Professor of Practice @juanasalcedoo, on display through Apr. 11.
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@utsoaThanks to all who joined us for the opening of Celebrating 100 Years of John S. Chase, including members of the Chase family and colleagues from across the School of Architecture and UT Austin campus.
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@utsoaOur Spring 2025 public programming lineup is here! This semester’s exhibitions and lectures represent a broad cross-section of disciplines of the built environment — including architects, urban planners, landscape architects, interior designers and urban designers.
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@utsoaToday marks 100 years since the birth of John S. Chase (1925-2012)—one of the first Black graduate students to enroll at @utaustintx, the first African American to graduate from the School of Architecture, and the first Black licensed architect in Texas.
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@utsoa“Chess Board” by Jenna Hussain (@jenna.hussain) for Mark Macek’s (@moondragon_macek) Wood Design // 2023-2024 Design Excellence winner
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@utsoaHappy studio lottery day! This semester, we're excited to welcome visiting faculty member Daniel Escotto, a professor of architectural theory and history from @unam_mx, who will be teaching an advanced studio on the architectural and urban conditions in the Yucatán Peninsula.
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@utsoaIntroducing “Micropolitan America,” a public exhibition by Assistant Professor of Practice @KyriakosKyriakou and @sofia_krimizi on display from Jan. 9–Feb.14.
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@utsoaNew year, endless horizons at UTSOA. Here’s to a 2025 filled with growth, creativity and excellence.💡🤘