Ribbon cutting for historic museum in McKenny Hall.Founded in 1979 with funding from the Preservation Education Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the EMU Historic Preservation Program:

  • Is certified by the National Council for Preservation Education, the national certifying body for educational programs in historic preservation.
  • Has 80–100 graduate students enrolled annually and is typically the nation’s largest graduate program in Historic Preservation.
  • Offers evening and weekend graduate classes so that students can work full or part-time while pursuing their degree.
  • Offers nationally-recognized tenured and adjunct faculty who oversee rigorous coursework in the MS and certificate in Historic Preservation.
  • Is the recipient of multiple state awards, including the “Education/Institution Award” from the Michigan Historic Preservation Network, and the "Lucy Hamilton Education Award" from Preservation Detroit, Detroit’s leading preservation organization, both for contributions to historic preservation in Michigan.
  • Is the recipient of national awards including the American Association of State and Local History's (AASLH) coveted "Certificate of Commendation" for ten years of nationally-recognized performance within the field of historic preservation education.
  • Established a Digital Heritage Preservation Laboratory in 2014.
  • Offers unique hands-on and service-learning civic engagement opportunities through coursework and internships with local and state not-for-profit organizations and governmental agencies.
  • Collaborates with the Michigan Historical Center, Michigan Department of Transportation, the Ypsilanti Historical Society and the Historic Ford Estates (Eleanor and Edsel Ford House and Henry Ford’s Fair Lane Estate) to offer funded fellowships and assistantships exclusively for our graduate students.
  • Requires all students to participate in a week-long, off-campus, hands-on field school at a historic site in Michigan.
  • Has a Northern Michigan component which offers coursework for both up and downstate students leading to a certificate or full degree.
  • Maintains unique relationships with our professional colleagues across the region, including the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office, providing opportunities for networking and part-time work for students.

Explore this Program

Program at a Glance

Read some facts on the Historic Preservation Program, which was founded in 1979.

Program History

Read about the history of the Historic Preservation Program and the accolades it has received.

Alumni Job Placements

Historic Preservation Program alumni work in a myriad of places.

Detroit Detroit Area Art Deco Society (DAADS) Scholarship Competition

Awarded annually since 2001.