Historic Preservation Related Degree and College Programs in West Virginia

The content on this page includes information for students, teachers, and individuals looking to pursue a higher education degree in historic preservation. This list is provided as a service, and is published with the understanding that the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia does not in any manner recommend, endorse or assume responsibility for the quality of work of any individual or firm on this list.  This list is not inclusive. ​

Belmont College - St. Clairsville, OH

Building Preservation/Restoration

The Building Preservation/Restoration (BPR) program at Belmont College is one of the oldest and most recognized programs of its kind in the nation. The program’s emphasis on “hands-on” learning has established its curriculum as a national model for traditional trade’s education.

The BPR program is designed to teach students the basic trades that are used to preserve and restore historic structures. Classroom education provides a foundation in preservation theory and history along with an in-depth technical analysis of why buildings and materials fail, and explores traditional and modern approaches used to stabilize and repair them. Curriculum is taught by instructors with a wide range of knowledge and experience in the field of historic preservation.

Program Information: http://www.belmontcollege.edu/current-students/programs-of-study/building-preservationrestoration/

Shepherd University - Shepherdstown, WV

History Bachelor's Degree with Concentrations in Historic Preservation or Public History

​Shepherd University offers a BA in history with a concentration in historic preservation and public history. Shepherd features small classes, a combination of lecture and hands-on activities, and experienced faculty, all in a historic and beautiful setting. Minutes away from 5 national parks, Shepherd University is also less than 90 minutes away from Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD.

• Program Information: http://ww.shepherd.edu/history
• Shepherd University Historic Preservation and Public History on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HPatSU
• For more information or questions, contact Keith Alexander (Historic Preservation) or Julia Sandy (Public History).

West Virginia University - Morgantown, WV

Cultural Resource Management Certificate
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The Cultural Resource Management Program is a unit of the Eberly College of Arts & Sciences School of Applied Social Sciences offering a graduate certificate in Cultural Resource Management (CRM). The program is interdisciplinary in nature and is committed to the research and service missions of the University, and strives to make significant contributions in history, recreation, tourism, public administration, design, geography, and art history.  Students may earn their CRM certificate while pursuing other degrees.

• Program Information: http://culturalresourcemanagement.wvu.edu/
• For more information and questions, contact Jenny Boulware. 

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School of Design and Community Development

Degree programs include Design Studies, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture.
​Program Information: http://designcomm.wvu.edu

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Master of Arts in History with Public History Area of Emphasis
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The public history program trains historians who work in the public sector by grounding them in traditional research methodology learned in seminars and through public history courses designed to give students practical experience conducting client-based research. The work of public historians often requires a distinct set of research skills that moves beyond traditional archival research and historiographical argumentation. All students in public history learn to incorporate visual and material culture into historical narratives, use place as the center of historical analysis, and develop written and digital narratives that convey historical complexity that can engage public audiences.

• Program Information: http://history.wvu.edu/students/graduate-students/m-a-in-history-with-an-area-of-emphasis-in-public-history
• WVU Public History Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Public-History-at-WVU/148550158576882