Name: Building Conservation & Adaptation, MSc/PGDip/PGCert
Price: £9,450 per year GBP

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Attendance

Campus

Start

Duration

1 year

Start

September 2025

Delivery

In-person

This course focuses on the repair, conservation and adaptation of historic buildings and sites, with the primary aims of conserving significance and sustaining active use.

You’ll examine the challenges involved in managing historic buildings and look at the role they play in the sustainable revitalisation of our towns and cities.

As well as exploring the techniques of conservative repair, adaptation, retro-fitting and extension in depth, you’ll also analyse the legislation involved in the protection of historic sites. You’ll gain an understanding of the challenges heritage experts encounter in finding viable uses for at-risk buildings in ways that are economically, environmentally and socially viable, while managing to conserve what makes them special.

This course offers the ideal foundation for a fascinating career working within the heritage sector and the historic built environment.

Why study with us

Accredited by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and fully recognised by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC).
Our industry connections provide you with the opportunity to gain valuable work experience with some of the biggest names in the heritage sector.
You’ll be taught by expert practitioners with extensive knowledge and experience working within the historic built environment.

Interested?

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What you’ll do

Through regular workshops and site visits, you’ll be able to network with industry professionals including many of our alumni, all enjoying successful careers in the heritage sector.
Opportunities to work on hands-on projects. Recent students have carried out research in partnership with Historic England, the Heritage Lottery Fund, local authorities, and others.
The course equips you with the skills necessary to flourish in the heritage sector, using real life case studies as the basis for analysis and skill development.

Modules

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information. However, our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may cause alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses. Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or revisions to subject benchmarks statements. As well as to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

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The best part about the course is the extremely high level of support and commitment from its lecturers who are leaders in their respective fields. My greatest achievement since graduating is gaining my consultant position at Capita and being accepted on to a funded PhD in Environment and Sustainability which I will begin later this year.

Melanie Campbell

Graduate, MSc Building Conservation and Adaptation

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Students attended the Heritage in High Street Regeneration conference at the magnificent Piece Hall, Halifax

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image overlay — The Library (Preston Campus)

students-library — The Library (Preston Campus)

Academic expertise

You’ll be taught by expert practitioners with extensive knowledge and experience working within the historic built environment. The course team, which includes Chartered Surveyors and Chartered Architects, has a long association with many heritage projects and excellent links with industry professionals, which enables ‘live’ projects to form the basis of our teaching, practical workshops and site visits. This ensures that your learning experience extends well beyond theory and deep into the realms of working practise.

Professor Champika Liyanage

Professor

Chris O'Flaherty

Course Leader

We have close links with organisations across the heritage sector who often contribute case study material, workshop visits and work experience opportunities for our students. These include:

Buttress Architects
Purcell Architects
Dickson Waugh Architects
Stanton Andrews Architects
PWA Planning
Growth Lancashire
Historic England
Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
RICS
Frank Whittle Partnership
Conlon Construction
National Lottery Heritage Fund
Jubb & Jubb Ltd
The Methodist Church in Britain
Liverpool Archdiocese
Preston City Council
Blackpool Borough Council
Chorley Borough Council
Wigan Council
Clitheroe Civic Society
Rossendale Borough Council
Wyre Borough Council
Southport MBC

Future careers

This course has been running for over two decades and has a successful track record of equipping students with the skills and experience they need to forge successful careers working within the heritage sector and the historic built environment.

Working with historic buildings and sites requires particular expertise and an understanding of the principles and philosophies that underpin the global drive to conserving our shared heritage. Developing such an expertise requires academic and practical experience, and these needs define the overarching aim of the course.

The knowledge and skills acquired on the course have proven highly desirable to employers.

Our alumni include:

Architects and technologists
Conservation officers
Heritage officers
Planning consultants
Project managers
Surveyors
Archaeologists
Craftspeople

Entry requirements

Applicants should have a minimum of a 2:2 Honours Degree preferably in a related subject such as Surveying, Archaeology, Architecture, Town Planning, History, Geography
Students with relevant and extensive industry experience will also be considered
A detailed admissions procedure will be forwarded on application

Not got the grades?

Our courses with a foundation year could be exactly what you're looking for. They provide an alternative route to study for this degree.

Find out more about our courses with a foundation year.

Fees and funding

2025/26

Full-time£9,450 per year

Part-time£1,050 per 20 credits

International

Full-time£17,900 per year

Scholarships and bursaries

We have a wide range of bursaries, scholarships and funds available to help support you whilst studying with us.

Select your country to see eligibility information and how to apply by selecting more info on the cards below.

Select your country/region

Dependants Bursary
Students with financially dependent children may be eligible for our Dependants Bursary as part of our financial support package. 
Find out more about Dependants Bursary
Carers Bursary
If you need extra support because you have unpaid caring responsibilities alongside your studies.
Find out more about Carers Bursary
Sports scholarships
We offer student athletes support and opportunities for their playing careers whilst they study a high-quality degree.
Find out more about Sports scholarships
Alumni Loyalty Discount
UK students with a previous award from us will receive 20% tuition fee discount.
Find out more about Alumni Loyalty Discount

Throughout the course you’ll attend classes and regular workshops which often include site visits and guest lectures.

You’ll be assessed in various ways, including written assignment work, group presentations and exams.

The core modules you’ll study include:

Urban Regeneration

You’ll explore the physical, environmental, social, political and economic dimensions of urban regeneration and consider the ways in which stakeholders can help to ensure a sustainable future for the human and built environment.

Adaptive Re-use

You’ll develop your knowledge and understanding of adaptive re-use in the built environment, focusing on traditional buildings and historically sensitive sites.

History of Buildings and Towns

Exploring the development of buildings and human settlement, including the development of urban morphology, architectural styles and the influence of traditional construction materials and technology.

Building Recording and Analysis

You’ll learn how to record and analyse historic buildings, including conventions in surveying and how to interpret their history through archival research and inspection of the building fabric.