This program is designed to develop an appreciation for and a working knowledge of the issues and techniques involved in historic preservation. The certificate is awarded upon the successful completion of the required courses and an internship, studios, or projects required by particular departments.
Those enrolling in the program pursue the certificate from a home department within the UC College of Arts and Sciences, or the UC College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning. Since its founding in 1981, the historic preservation certificate program has offered undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to earn the certificate while completing the requirements for an academic or professional degree, as well as giving non-matriculated students or those already holding a bachelor's degree the opportunity to earn the certificate. The certificate is not an accredited degree by itself, but offers a specialization to those earning other accredited degrees.
The certificate program requires an internship to complete. The internship represents either a paid co-op with a firm or organization that engages in historic preservation work, or a volunteer effort with a non-profit preservation-oriented organization that amounts to 90 hours of service. Qualified students may substitute professional service for the internship.