Preserving Global Heritage

The Department of Art Conservation is an international leader committed to educating professional conservators skilled in the examination, analysis, treatment and care of cultural heritage. The department consists of an undergraduate and master’s program in art conservation, the latter in collaboration with Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library, and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Preservation Studies.

Connecting the arts, humanities and sciences, an undergraduate degree in art conservation prepares students for graduate-level study in the preservation of material culture, historic preservation, museum studies, library science and other related fields. This program, one of only five in the nation, offers students the opportunity to work with leading conservators and scientists while studying a range of cultural materials from archaeological to indigenous and contemporary from the UD Special Collections & Museum and collecting repositories worldwide.  Since 1971, our graduates have preserved iconic treasures from the Declaration of Independence to the Emancipation Proclamation, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the decorative interiors of the Forbidden City and most recently the George Floyd Memorial. Their work engages communities, strengthens cultural understanding and fosters knowledge and joy.