There are currently more than 30 undergraduate, postgraduate or diploma courses in conservation taught in the UK
Icon does not endorse any particular conservation course. However, we do advise which academic courses teach our Professional Standards in Conservation. Our Professional Standards are grounded on National Occupational Standards and are designed to ensure professional conservators abide by the Code of Conduct and are suitably qualified, skilled and competent for the tasks they undertake.
Higher Education Institutions
Cardiff University
Founded in 1883, Cardiff University is established as one of Britain’s leading universities. We are an innovative and internationally recognised centre of excellence in research and teaching. Conservation is set in the School of History Archaeology and Religion which is devoted to the study of the past and beliefs from prehistoric times to contemporary societies. As a conservation student you will combine theoretical knowledge with your developing practical skills, in a laboratory setting, to preserve the past. With alumni working in the sector across the globe, conservation at Cardiff has an enviable reputation for courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level and for links with the heritage sector at home and abroad. Our students become skilled in the care, repair and protection of cultural and heritage artefacts and adept at selecting the appropriate approach from the full toolkit taught to maintain our past for future generations.
Any changing, binding restrictions in force due to Covid pandemic may impact on the ability to deliver face to face teaching.
Courses offered
BSc Conservation of Objects in Museums and Archaeology
MSc Care of Collections
MSc Conservation Practice
MSc Professional Conservation
Contact
Jane Henderson on [email protected]
This institution has confirmed that they teach the Professional Standards in Conservation.
Updated September 2021
City & Guilds of London Art School
The Art School has been providing high-quality conservation courses for over 50 years, developing an outstanding reputation within the heritage sector. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in conservation, as well as an individually-tailored postgraduate diploma program. They specialise in the conservation and ethical restoration of three-dimensional cultural objects made from stone, wood, plaster and the treatment of decorative surfaces, and books and paper-based objects.
Central to the Art School’s mission is the commitment to preserve and foster historic craft skills alongside contemporary practices. As such, the conservation courses offer hands-on engagement with the craft skills employed in historic manufacturing processes combined with leading-edge scientific analysis and treatment procedures, contemporary conservation practice, humanities and the ethics, laws and regulations of conservation. Students benefit from small class sizes, expert tutors (all leading industry professionals) and specialist lab facilities including state-of-the-art laser technology.
Extensive links with leading museums and private collectors provide students with high-profile live projects, placements and a professional network. In the last five years, 100% of graduates have been employed in conservation within six months of graduation, including an annual funded internship in Venice.
All Conservation courses are validated by Ravensbourne University London.
Courses offered
BA (Hons) Conservation: Stone, Wood & Decorative Surfaces (3 years full time)
BA (Hons) Conservation: Books & Paper (3 years full time)
MA Conservation (specialising in either Stone, Wood & Decorative Surfaces or Books & Paper - 1 year full time or 2 years part time)
Graduate Diploma Arts: Conservation (usually 1 year full time)
Contact
This institution has confirmed that they teach the Professional Standards in Conservation.
Updated August 2020
Durham University
Archaeology has been taught and studied at Durham University since 1931, which makes our staff and students part of a long tradition of learning. Throughout the years, the department has grown to become what it is today: one of the largest archaeological departments in the world and the national leader for archaeological research. Conservation training has been part of the department’s offerings since 1977 and our alumni hold diverse and exciting positions in museums around the world.
We benefit from our proximity to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the most incredible examples of medieval architecture, our nearness to some of the country’s premier archaeological sites (such as Hadrian’s Wall and the Saxon monastery at Jarrow) and our closeness to wonderful museums (such as the Bowes Museum and the Oriental Museum). Students on the conservation course develop a well-grounded theoretical approach that is paired with practical skills and an understanding of the ethical environment within which conservators work.
Courses offered
MA Conservation of Archaeological and Museum Objects
Contact
This institution has confirmed that they teach the Professional Standards in Conservation.
Updated September 2021
Hamilton Kerr Institute
The Hamilton Kerr Institute is a department of the Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge and is one of the world’s leading centres for teaching and research in the conservation of easel paintings. It undertakes the conservation of paintings and polychromy in the Fitzwilliam Museum's collections as well as for other clients. It also carries out research into conservation techniques, materials and techniques of paintings.
Courses offered
Postgraduate Diploma in the Conservation of Easel Paintings delivered over three years.
Contact
This institution has confirmed that they teach the Professional Standards in Conservation.
Updated September 2018
Northumbria University
Northumbria is a research-rich, business-focused, professional university with a global reputation for academic excellence. It is based in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne, which is regularly voted the best place in the UK for students. There are two distinct programmes at Northumbria: Conservation of Fine Art and Preventive Conservaiton. The Conservation of Fine art Programme has two parthways, Works of Art on Paper and Easel Painting. Both specialisms are taught in Burt Hall, a Grade II listed building purposely adapted for conservation training. This historic 1890s building provides well equipped, flexible studios and laboratories for the needs of the graduate. The Preventive programme is taught by distance learning and will immerse you in the world of preventive conservation and collections care by engaging you with the complexities and challenges of professional practice.
Courses offered
MA Conservation of Fine Art (full time over two years)
MA Preventive Conservaiton, distance learning (full time or part time)
Contact
Dr Jane Colbourne [email protected]
This institution has confirmed that they teach the Professional Standards in Conservation.
Updated September 2018
The Courtauld Institute of Art
The Courtauld Institute of Art is an independent college of the University of London and one of the world’s leading centres for the study of the history and conservation of art and architecture. The Institute engages collaboratively with conservation projects across the globe and its Gallery houses one of Britain’s best-loved collections. Through its unique integration of activities, facilities and resources, The Courtauld provides an exceptional environment for research, learning and professional development. Postgraduate courses in the conservation of Wall Paintings and of Easel Paintings are offered.
Courses offererd
PGDip(Cons) Postgraduate Diploma in the Conservation of Easel Paintings (3 years duration)
MA Conservation of Wall Painting (3 years duration)
Contact
This institution has confirmed that they teach the Professional Standards in Conservation.
Updated August 2019
University College London
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.
Contact
Pip Laurenson [email protected] (Professor of Conservation and Director of the MSc in the Conservation of Contemporary Art and Media)
This institution has confirmed that they teach the Professional Standards in Conservation.
Updated December 2022
University of Lincoln
Lincoln is home to the largest centre for Conservation studies in the UK and, with more than 40 years’ experience, is a leading authority in the field.
The University offers Conservation programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate level. These courses link the practical skill of preservation with scientific investigation and analysis. There is an emphasis on gaining hands-on experience in purpose-built laboratories using historical material provided by museums and private collections.
Lincoln Conservation operates as a commercial arm of the University of Lincoln, undertaking a range of heritage and conservation projects, including 3D scanning and digital replication and visualisation, the study, conservation and reinstatement of historical decorative schemes, and the conservation of historic objects. Through Lincoln Conservation we offer short CPD courses to conservators and heritage professionals.
Courses offered
BA Conservation of Cultural Heritage, 3 years full time / 6 years part time
Graduate Diploma in Conservation Studies, 1 year full time / 2 years part time
MA Conservation of Cultural Heritage, 1 year full time, 2-3 years part time (Blended learning option available)
MA Heritage Conservation, apprenticeship degree, 4-5 year part-time
MA by Research Conservation, 1 year full time, 2 years part time
MPhil / PhD Conservation of Cultural Heritage, approximately 3 years full time, 6 years part time
Contact
Christie Johnson, course administrator, on [email protected]
This institution has confirmed that they teach the Professional Standards in Conservation.
Updated September 2018
University of Glasgow
Textile Conservation is a multidisciplinary subject which combines academic knowledge with cultural awareness, aesthetic sensitivity and technical skill. This MPhil is both an academic programme and professional training; it will give you a framework of theoretical knowledge and a range of practical experience which will enable you to contribute to the understanding and preservation of culturally significant textile artefacts.
Courses offered
MPhil Textile Conservation programme runs over 24 months full time or 48 months part time.
Contact
Karen Thompson, Convenor MPhil Textile Conservation, [email protected]
This institution has confirmed that they teach the Professional Standards in Conservation.
Updated August 2020
University of York
Our Masters in Stained Glass Conservation and Heritage Management will give you practical experience with up-to-date conservation techniques, and an opportunity to work with leading conservation studios, museums and heritage institutions.
Courses offered
MA Stained Glass Conservation and Heritage Management
Contact
Administrator, Gillan Galloway [email protected]
Updated August 2020
West Dean College of Arts and Conservation
Internationally recognised for excellence in conservation. Students can expect an interdisciplinary environment with a forward thinking approach, professional connections and a rich heritage. Access to live conservation projects, small classes, extended workshop access, expert tutors and exceptional facilities offer an immersive study experience. Courses are validated by the University of Sussex.
Courses offered
MA Collections Care and Conservation Management, 2 years, part time.
MA Conservation Studies, 1 year (46 weeks), full time - Pathways for MA Conservation: Books and Library Materials, Ceramics and Related Materials, Clocks and Related Objects, Furniture and Related Objects, Metalwork.
Graduate Diploma Conservation Studies, 1 year (36 weeks), full time - Pathways for Graduate Conservation - Books and Library Materials, Ceramics and Related Materials, Clocks and Related Objects, Furniture and Related Objects, Metalwork.
Contact
[email protected] +44 (0)1243 818291
This institution has confirmed that they teach the Professional Standards in Conservation.
Updated August 2020