M.A.H.P Frequently Asked Questions
What is historic preservation?
Historic preservation is the endeavor to document, protect, interpret, and revitalize historically and culturally significant places and the intangible values that are associated with them.
We aim to conserve historic places in collaboration with those who care about them today and in anticipation of those who will care about them in the future.
Why do people study historic preservation?
People study historic preservation for a wide range of reasons.
Many of our students share an interest in history, architecture, and culture. Increasingly, those who choose Goucher’s M.A.H.P. do so because they are interested in how historic places can build community and contribute toward goals of a more inclusive and just society; how memory, storytelling, individual identity, and ancestral ties relate to place attachment; and how conservation of our built environment can contribute to larger sustainability goals in a time of climate change. The Goucher M.A. in Historic Preservation program will prepare you to work for the sustainable longevity of the places that you care about.
How do I know if this program is right for me?
This program may be right for you if:
- You are a working professional and want to keep working full-time from where you are.
- You love historic places, how they relate to people, and the stories they tell.
- You want to explore the many ways you can blend your interests in places, people, and history.
- You want to work with historic places but don’t necessarily want to be an architect, designer, engineer, or materials conservator.
- You want to learn from experts in the field.
- You want to share your experience with, and learn from, classmates who are also working professionals.
- You want both the convenience of online learning and the academic rigor of a master’s degree.
- You want to learn primarily online, with a brief on-campus residency each year.
- You’re ready for a change but aren’t sure what you want to do.
- You’ve never taken the GRE and/or don’t want to take it.
- You need preservation credentials to advance your career.
What types of people attend this program? Will I be the oldest one in the class?
The M.A.H.P. students are typically working professionals, about half of whom are already working in preservation or an allied field.
The other half are looking to make a career change or may be early in their career. The average age of students in our program is about 38. Because students live all over the country, everyone brings their own backgrounds and experiences that make for an enriching learning environment for all. This program appeals to people who are voracious learners, who are willing to take on the big questions about why we do what we do but also who are up for the challenge of creatively proposing solutions to the dilemmas of our time.
How does this program differ from other online learning programs?
Founded in 1995 as the nation’s first low-residency program in the field, we have more than a quarter century of successfully producing thoughtful, knowledgeable, and well-connected leaders.
Our professors are all professional practitioners. Our innovative curriculum offers coursework in community partnerships, ethnography, sustainability, and cultural landscapes - areas of knowledge increasingly needed for more just and inclusive preservation outcomes – as well as policy, documentation, architecture, law, technology, planning, and economics.
How does low-residency work?
Students in the M.A. in Historic Preservation Program spend eight to ten days on campus in July and early August each year for in-person learning.
This is an opportunity to meet and sustain relationships with the professors and peers you remotely collaborate with during your studies. The rest of the year is remote and rooted in your community, with courses designed to be completed online during the 12-week summer and 16-week fall and spring semesters. The Goucher format means that you attend evening classes that meet online just once a week; complete coursework projects focused on your own community, interests, and desired specialties; and learn from and develop relationships with professional practitioner faculty who are recruited from all over the country and who bring real-life, current experience and regional and national perspectives.
How long will it take to get my degree?
You can pace your courses based on your needs.
Complete the program in as little as 2.5 years or take up to 5.
Do I need to take the GRE to apply?
Do you offer financial aid and scholarships?
Yes!
The M.A.H.P. program offers students several different scholarships to which they can apply based on merit and need. These awards exist to reward academic and professional potential and to support personal initiative and responsibility. In addition, financial aid is available through the Federal loan program.
Do you offer a payment plan?
Yes!
A monthly payment plan is available, which may be helpful for students who do not qualify for or do not wish to take advantage of the Federal loan program.
“ [I like] how Goucher is very dedicated to a more diverse historic preservation field and movement, and this change in terms of being more people-centered rather than just focusing on the actual buildings. I like the whole philosophy of it. It seemed, especially in talking to the director, that the program was really embracing the changes happening rather than clinging to the past. ”
First year student
M.A. in Historic Preservation