University of Southern California Heritage Conservation Program

The University of Southern California Heritage Conservation Program offers a Master of Heritage Conservation (MHC), a Graduate Certificate in Heritage Conservation, and an intensive summer course in Heritage Conservation. The program is located within the University of Southern California (USC) School of Architecture.

Partnerships
Both the Gamble House by Greene & Greene and the Freeman House by Frank Lloyd Wright are owned by USC's School of Architecture.

Specialties
USC's MHC program, housed in the School of Architecture, is designed to be multidisciplinary. Focuses range from materials conservation, policy and planning, conservation theory, global conservation efforts, architectural history, resource documentation, sustainability, and historic site management. Students are encouraged to use their elective credits in different schools, such as planning or real estate development.

Master of Heritage Conservation
The MHC has a required 48-units, including:
 * 18 units of core classes
 * 8 units of thesis preparation and thesis
 * 22 units of electives

Core Courses

 * Topics in Modern Architecture in Southern California (3 units)
 * Research Methods (1 unit)
 * Fundamentals of Heritage Conservation (3 units)
 * Heritage Conservation Policy and Planning (3 units)
 * Conservation Methods and Materials (3 units)
 * Introduction to Historic Site Documentation (2 units)
 * History of American Architecture and Urbanism (3 units)

Thesis Course

 * Heritage Conservation Thesis Preparation and Thesis (8 units)

Graduate Certificate in Heritage Conservation
This 16-unit Certificate is aimed at working professionals in fields related to heritage conservation, as well as graduate students from related programs such as planning, real estate development, architecture, landscape architecture, public art administration, geography, and anthropology.

Heritage Conservation Summer Course
The USC School of Architecture holds an annual two-week intensive summer course designed to introduce the public and working professionals to the heritage conservation field. The School of Architecture says that most of the courses can be taken for AICP or AIA continued education credits. Site visits typically include the Freeman House and the Gamble House, due to USC's affiliation with the projects.

Faculty

 * Trudi Sandmeier (Director, Graduate Programs in Heritage Conservation)

Adjunct Faculty

 * Jay Platt (preservation planning)
 * Kathryn Horak (architectural history and preservation planning)
 * Peyton Hall (materials conservation and preservation consulting)
 * Kenneth Breisch (architectural history)
 * Vinayak Bharne (global preservation planning)