Conservation and restoration training

This is a listing of training schools for the field of art conservation.

There are a variety of training and entry routes into the profession of conservation; for many the first step is a full-time academic course. Whereas training in Conservation has traditionally taken the form of an apprenticeship, in more recent years training in a recognized conservation course at a University has become the norm. Today it is more common for professional conservators to have taken a University course combined with a period of time as an intern.

"The scope of conservators' work has widened in recent years, and is no longer dominated by hands-on conservation. Conservators now expect to be involved with exhibitions, conservation science, preventive conservation, project management and advocacy work".

Within the various schools that teach conservation, the approach differs according the educational and vocational system within the country, and the focus of the school itself.

Many of the Conservation Associations and Professional Organizations also provide additional information about the schools in their respective fields and locations.

Canada

Algonquin College

• Algonquin College
  • Applied Museum Studies (3 Year Diploma) which "provides students with a sound background in museum work and the technical areas common to all museums. These include: collection management, exhibit preparation, conservation, educational programming, and museum management".

• Fleming College previously known as Sir Sandford Fleming College.
  • Collections Conservation and Management Diploma

Queen's University Main Campus, behind Gordon Hall

• Queen's University, Ontario
  • MAC (Master of Art Conservation). Established in 1974, Queen's University is the only university in Canada that offers a graduate degree in art conservation and one of four in North America that offer a graduate degree in this discipline. Promiment conservators instrumental in the establishment of the MAC program include Ian Hodkinson, Mervyn Ruggles, Henry Hodges, and James Hanlan.

• Ryerson University
  • MA Photographic Preservation and Collections Management

France

• Seine Saint-Denis: Institut National du Patrimoine, Département des Restaurateurs

• Avignon: Ecole supérieur d'art d'Avignon

Germany

• Berlin: Conservation-Restoration / Field Archaeology University of applied science Berlin

• Dresden : Hochschule für Bildende Künste Dresden|Hochschule für bildende Künste - Dresden Studienrichtungen Kunsttechnologie, Konservierung und Restaurierung von Kunst- und Kulturgut.

• Erfurt: Fakultät Bauingenieurwesen und Konservierung/Restaurierung der University of applied science Erfurt

• Hildesheim: Faculty Preservation of Cultural Heritage Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft und Kunst HAWK Hildesheim

• Cologne: CICS - Cologne Institute of Conservation Sciences at Cologne University of Applied Sciences

• Munich: Chair for Conservation, Art Technology and Conservation Science, Institute for History of Architecture, History of Art and Conservation at Technical University Munich

• Potsdam : Conservation/Restoration at University of applied science Potsdam / Studiengang Konservierung und Restaurierung an der Fachhochschule Potsdam

• Stuttgart : Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design

Greece

• Thessaloniki: University Ecclesiastical Academy of Thessaloniki, Management and Preservation of Cultural and Ecclesiastical Relics Department

Iran

Iran has a conservation, restoration, and architectural preservation program at the Isfahan University of Art. The university offers B.A. and M.A. degrees in the restoration of historical objects.

• Isfahan University of Art, Isfahan, Iran

Israel

Despite its rich archaeological heritage, Israel has only begun to develop conservation education. The Israel Antiquities Authority recently established a training program in 2009 in the Old City of Akko (Acre), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, utilizing the expertise of the Israel Antiquities Authority, and the relationship with the Italian municipality of Rome.

• International Conservation Center - Citta di Roma, Akko

Italy

Since 1944 there has been a state school for art conservation training in the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro (formerly the Central Institute of Restoration) in Rome. The institute and the school were founded by the art historian Cesare Brandi. The other state conservation school, with a similar training program, is the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence.

Since 2006 their diploma is equivalent to a degree course, similar to a master's degree in the US. The courses are limited: to access one must pass an appropriate public contest announced by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture. The training lasts five years and the diploma is subject to the acquisition of 300 credits.
The list of the schools accredited to carry out the Training of Restorers is defined by a Commission composed by Ministry of Heritage and Culture and Ministry of Education, Universities and Research.

Private schools (not accredited) also exist, such as the Istituto per l'Arte e il Restauro "Palazzo Spinelli" in Florence or the Istituto Italiano Arte Artigianato e Restauro in Rome.

Qatar

• University College London
  • MSc Conservation Studies http://www.ucl.ac.uk/qatar/programmes
  • Specialist short courses in Conservation
• UCL, in partnership with Qatar Foundation and Qatar Museums Authority has created UCL Qatar, a center of excellence within the Gulf region for the study of cultural heritage, conservation, archaeology and museum studies. The two-year MSc Conservation Studies programme allows for a number of specializations including objects (metals, stone, ceramics), textiles and archaeological sites.

South Africa

South Africa enjoys a national conservation training resource, with a research and training campus located in Twee Riviere, Langkloof, Eastern Cape. At this location, The South African Institute for Objects Conservation maintains a training programme in three specialisms of conservation, namely Metals Conservation, Paper Conservation and Ceramics Conservation. Internships are also occassionally extended, to accommodate students from formal, foreign conservation study programmes.

• The South African Institute for Objects Conservation
  • Introductory Level Courses
  • Mid-career Level Short Courses
  • Modular Graduation Programme
  • Internships (3 - 12 months)

United Kingdom

There are numerous training facilities for conservators in the United Kingdom, whereas training in the United States tends towards an overview of the conservation profession as a whole, in the UK each institution tends towards their own area of specialism.

• Camberwell College of Arts University of the Arts London
  • BA (Hons) Conservation
  • MA Conservation
  • Postgraduate Diploma Conservation
  • FdA Book Conservation
• Hamilton Kerr InstituteUniversity of Cambridge
  • Postgraduate Diploma Conservation of Easel Paintings - three years

• Cardiff University
  

  Cardiff University main building
  • BSc Conservation of Objects in Museums and Archaeology
  • MSc Care of Collections
  • MSc Professional Conservation
  • Msc Conservation Practice
• City and Guilds of London Art School department of Conservation offers several conservation courses including:
  • Conservation Studies BA - Three years
  • Postgraduate Diploma: Conservation Studies 2 years
  • Postgraduate Diploma: Comparative Studies in Conservation Cleaning, techniques in relation to laser cleaning

• Courtauld Institute of Art
  • Conservation of Easel Painting Postgraduate Diploma
  • MA Conservation of Wall Paintings

• The Centre for Textile Conservation and Technical Art History at the University of Glasgow, previously known as the Textile Conservation Centre.
  • Making & Meaning: Approaches in Technical Art History (MLitt)
  • Textile Conservation (two years, MPhil)

• Institute of Archaeology at University College London
  

  The Institute of Archaeology building UCL
  • M.A. in Principles of Conservation
  • M.Sc in Conservation for Archaeology and Museums

• University of Lincoln
  • BA (Hons) Conservation & Restoration
  • MA Conservation of Historic Objects
  • Graduate Diploma Conservation Studies

• Northumbria University The Conservation Unit
  • MA Conservation of Fine Art
  • MA Preventive Conservation

• Royal College of Art
  • MA Conservation

• West Dean College
  • MA Conservation Studies

West Dean also offers a series of Diplomas & Professional Development Courses

• The London School of Picture & Frame Restoration
  • Part-time City & Guilds verified courses in Picture and Frame Conservation / Restoration and in Gilding

United States of America

Columbia University "College Walk" provides a public path between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, cutting through the main campus quad.

• The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
  • Master of Science in Historic Preservation

• Buffalo State College
  • MA and CAS (Certificate of Advanced Studies) degrees in art conservation

• Columbia University
  • Certificate in Historic Preservation: Conservation of Historic Architecture

• New Mexico State University
  • Museum Conservation Bachelor Degree

• New York University
  • MA in Art History and an Advanced Certificate in Conservation.

• Scripps College
  • BA in Art Conservation http://www.scrippscollege.edu/academics/department/art-conservation/index.php

• Tulane University School of Architecture
  • MPS Masters in Preservation Studies

• University of California, Los Angeles/Getty
  • MA in Conservation of Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials

Winterthur Museum Building

• University of Colorado Denver
  • MS in Historic Preservation

• The University of Delaware (in association with Winterthur Museum)
  • MS in Art Conservation and a Certificate in Conservation.
  • BA in Art Conservation
  • Ph.D. in Preservation Studies

• The University of Oregon Historic Preservation Program
  • MS in Historic Preservation
• The University of Pennsylvania Graduate Program in Historic Preservation
  • MS in Historic Preservation
  • Advanced Certificate in Architectural Conservation

• The University of Texas at Austin
  • Certificate of Advanced Study in the conservation of library and archival materials as part of its Master of Science in Information Studies program. The program is no longer accepting applications for the degree and will be closing.

• The University of Mary Washington
  • BA in Historic Preservation

• The University of Arizona
  • Heritage Conservation Graduate Certificate – stand alone certificate or in conjunction with MS Architecture, M. Landscape Architecture, MS Planning, MA Applied Archaeology http://www.capla.arizona.edu/heritage