Art Conservation
Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future
Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future
Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future
Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future
Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future
Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future
Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future
Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future
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.
Why 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.
75%
of art conservation undergrads work in collections care post-graduation.
Graduates
of all three art conservation programs work in 44 states, Washington, D.C. and more than 30 countries.
Partnerships
we partner with 200+ museums, donors, and foundations to secure ongoing funding for our students.
Uniquely UD: Art Conservation
YouTube Link: Uniquely UD: Art Conservation: youtube.com/watch?v=aZEAR-UZHVQ
YouTube Link: Week In The Life Vlog || Art Conservation Grad Student: youtube.com/watch?v=DELZ9BUjeFQ
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Student Blog: Bristol Museum and Gallery
December 01, 2025 | Written by Taryn MonizeBefore moving on to her third-year internship placement at the Cleveland Museum of Art, WUDPAC Class of 2026 Fellow Taryn Monize spent her summer working with the diverse collections of the Bristol Museum and Gallery. Her research on the gallery’s paintings by Aubrey Williams gave Taryn the opportunity to travel home to Guyana to learn more about the artist. -
Art conservation and fragile connections
November 21, 2025 | Written by Lisa ChambersWUPDAC Objects Major Sarah Lavin is working to reconstruct a fractured piece of marble sculpture while learning more about the ties modern artists maintain to their works -
Student Blog: Around the World Through Objects Conservation
October 28, 2025 | Written by Leah PalmerThis summer, WUDPAC Class of 2026 Fellow Leah Palmer took part in on-site archaeological conservation at the University of Pennsylvania’s Gordion Project in Ankara, Türkiye, and has now started her third-year internship at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Lunder Conservation Center in Washington, D.C. Leah shares her experiences in this blog post.
