Master's Program

Our Mission

The Historic Preservation Program at the University of West Florida provides graduate students the necessary foundation for a professional career in historic preservation, first by offering them a curriculum that exposes them to a broad education in the field, second by providing them coursework that concentrates on a specific area, and third by enhancing their education with applied experience through practicums and grant projects.  The objective of our program centers on preparing graduate students, through intensive coursework and effective field experience, not only for a professional career in historic preservation, but to serve ultimately as the next generation of professional preservationists.

The graduate program in historic preservation offers students a solid foundation, both academic and applied, for a successful and rewarding career in one of the most popular and promising fields – the preservation of our nation’s history and heritage.  The program is interdisciplinary, with courses offered in archaeology, history, with the core courses offered in archaeology and history, and elective courses spread throughout these fields and additional areas (e.g. environmental studies, anthropology, art history).  While the degree is a Master of Arts in History, students may specialize in any of these three disciplines, and will write a thesis or complete a practicum in their chosen area of emphases. 

The historic preservation program not only provides students with a comprehensive knowledge of the field, combined with the opportunity to develop an area of specialty, but it also offers students invaluable skills and extensive experience through practicums and grant projects.  As an applied program, emphasizing field experience, students will have the opportunity to work as research assistants on various grant projects conducted and supervised by faculty members. 

Grant projects cover a wide array of themes and areas of interest, and are funded through various national programs such as the National Park Service, NASA, U. S. Coast Guard, General Services Administration, Department of Transportation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.  Ongoing projects include American Battlefield Protection Program grants, lighthouse preservation efforts under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000, and heritage corridor planning and development through transportation enhancement funds (TEA-21).  Students also gain experience through various regional and statewide initiatives, programs, and agencies, such as the Florida Division of Historical Resources, Florida Public Archaeology Network, West Florida Regional Planning Council, and partnerships with local communities in the Gulf South region. 

In addition, many of the courses for this interdisciplinary program are taught in Historic Pensacola Village by both practitioners and professors.  The University of West Florida owns and operates Historic Pensacola Village, and maintains an active partnership, mandated by state legislation, with West Florida Historic Preservation, Inc.  This close-working relationship offers students regular access to additional hands-on projects, educational programs, and heritage resources, thus providing them with expanded skills and experience.