Art Conservation

Welcome


The Department of Art Conservation at the University of Delaware offers world-class programming dedicated to training future conservators of artistic and cultural heritage. Our interdisciplinary curriculum combines hands-on studio work with advanced study in chemistry, material science, art history, and conservation theory. Students gain extensive experience treating a wide range of artifacts including paintings, sculptures, textiles, books, photographs, and archaeological objects. With state-of-the-art instructional laboratories and strong ties to major museums, the Department of Art Conservation produces leaders in the field who go on to prestigious positions preserving the world's cultural treasures for generations to come. Whether your passion is modern and contemporary art or ancient artifacts, our program provides the comprehensive training needed to become an expert in this highly specialized profession.

Wh​y Art Conservation?

 

  • Unique Undergraduate Experience: The University of Delaware is the only university in the nation to offer courses taught by multiple conservators at the undergraduate level, providing an unparalleled mentorship experience with an average of six conservation professors per student.
  • World-Class Master's and Doctoral Programs: The Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation (WUDPAC) is renowned for its three-year graduate curriculum designed to educate and train conservation professionals in the examination, analysis, stabilization, treatment, and sustainable preservation of heritage collections through specialization in eight conservation disciplines. The Preservation Studies Doctoral Program (PSP) is an interdisciplinary course of study in the philosophies, research methodologies, and policies informing the preservation of art and cultural heritage — distinct in its approach combining cross-field expertise toward doctoral study in preservation.
  • Exciting Internship Opportunities: Students in the Art Conservation program have opportunities to intern at a wide variety of institutions around the world, gaining specialized knowledge and skills in the arts, sciences, and other fields, and developing the valuable hand, communication, and critical-thinking skills necessary to be responsible custodians of cultural heritage and cultural exchange.

YouTube IconUniquely UD: Art Conservation

The University of Delaware's Art Conservation Department holds the unique distinction of offering the only undergraduate degree in art conservation taught exclusively by professional conservators. This program equips students for careers in museums and further studies in fields like material culture conservation, historic preservation, and museum studies, among others.

YouTube Link: Uniquely UD: Art Conservation: youtube.com/watch?v=aZEAR-UZHVQ

Latest News
  • Students walking on campus

    UD continues to produce influential leaders

    December 09, 2024 | Written by Jamie Washington
    TIME ranks UD among nation’s ‘Best Colleges for Future Leaders’
  • Modern Tech Sees Through Ancient Mummies

    November 20, 2024 | Written by CAS Staff
    WUDPAC Class of 2024 alumna Mackenzie Fairchild is part of a team at Chicago's Field Museum that is using modern technology to understand ancient civilizations."
  • Student Blog: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

    November 20, 2024 | Written by CAS Staff
    In this blog post, WUDPAC Class of 2025 Fellow Lila Reid talks about her third-year internship in the Furniture and Frames Conservation department at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, working with eagles, architectural panels, and a 19th-century lacquered sewing table.

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