The purpose of the Master of Science in Architecture Heritage Conservation (MS.Arch HC) program is to educate students in the preservation of the built environment as part of a comprehensive ethic of environmental, cultural, and economic sustainability. The curriculum is holistic in its approach to problem-solving within an integrated environment of natural and cultural resources, drawing on the disciplines of anthropology, archaeology, architecture, art history, history, landscape architecture, materials science, and planning.
The learning outcomes of the Heritage Conservation concentration balance theory and practice, as well as research and outreach in a non-studio based curriculum. They foster awareness of geographic, cultural, technological, economic, and political factors that shape the built environment and the building traditions of cultural groups and historic periods that define the Greater Southwest. They also build understanding of heritage conservation terms, concepts, and philosophical foundations; of legal, regulatory, and economic development tools; of treatment standards for historic properties; and of cultural resource management business and ethical principles. Students learn to conduct research using primary and secondary information resources; to survey, document, and communicate cultural artifacts, buildings, sites, districts, and cultural landscapes according to professional (Secretary of Interior) standards; to analyze building construction systems, components, and materials to make conservation treatment recommendations; and to interpret the meaning of built environments.