Undergraduate Certificate in Historic Preservation

The Undergraduate Certificate in Historic Preservation lets students explore how the protection and reuse of historic environments can help to address many complex modern challenges.  Whether you are interested in environmental sustainability, the adaptive reuse of historic buildings, intangible cultural heritage, making the stories of marginalized people visible in the landscape, or other pressing issues, historic preservation is worth knowing about.  

The certificate requires twelve credit hours to complete, and can easily fit within a typical undergraduate course sequence. At least six hours must be at the 300-level or above, and the certificate courses may be taken in any order.

Admission Requirements

Applications for the certificate programs are accepted on a rolling basis, with opportunities to start in spring, summer, or fall.

Undergraduate students who wish to pursue the certificate must have a minimum 2.75 grade- point average and must maintain a 3.0 grade-point average in certificate courses. Course work taken more than four (4) years before admission to the certificate may not be applied to the certificate.

Students must meet all prerequisite requirements for certificate courses. Students may apply to the certificate upon completing HP 101, which does not count toward certificate requirements but provides foundational knowledge.

Historic Preservation Core

(3 hours)

HP 200 Historic Preservation: History, Heritage, and the Built World (UK Core – Social Sciences)

Historic Preservation Guided Electives

Any two courses from this group (6 hours)

HP 252 Adaptive Reuse and Treatments for Historic Buildings
HP 300 Sustainability and the Built World
HP 301 World Heritage
HP 352 Kentucky Architecture and Landscapes
HP 501 Selected Topics in Historic Preservation 
HP 510 Cultural Landscapes and Historic Preservation
HP 511 Sustainable Development and Heritage
HP 583 Introduction to Public History

General Electives

Any one course from this group (3 hours)

ANT 342 North American Archaeology
ANT 545 Historical Archaeology
ARC 511 History and Theory Seminar: Pre-20th Century
ARC 512 History and Theory Seminar: Modern
ARC 513 History and Theory Seminar: Contemporary
ARC 514 History and Theory Seminar: Theory and Criticism
ARC 515 History and Theory Seminar: Urban Forms
ARC 584 Design of Timber and Masonry Structures
ENS 201 Environmental and Sustainability Studies I: Humanities and Social Sciences
GEO 220 U.S. Cities
GEO 285 Introduction to Planning
GEO 485G Urban Planning and Sustainability
HIS 240 History of Kentucky
HIS 260/AAS 260 African American History to 1865
HIS 261/AAS 261 African American History 1865-present
HP 352 Kentucky Architecture and Landscapes
ID 283 The American House and its Furnishings
LA 205 History of Landscape Architecture
LA 307 Cultural Landscape Preservation

*or other courses with the approval of the Certificate Coordinator

Total Credit Hours: 12

Course descriptions and class schedules can be found on UK's Office of the University Registrar website.