Future Students
Interested in studying conservation? Read the following frequently asked questions.
- What is 'cultural materials conservation'?
'Cultural materials conservation' refers to the conservation (or restoration, as it is sometimes known) of works or items of cultural, historical or scientific significance. Conservation isn’t just about restoring paintings - thisis probably the most widely publicised aspect of conservation, but it is an image that doesn’t convey the breadth of work that conservators actually do. The term "cultural material" refers to all types of objects, made by humans in every form of endeavour. It encompasses all items of historic, aesthetic, scientific, sentimental and monetary value. The conservators at this University have worked on pieces ranging from architectural drawings, tapestries, oil paintings, old or rare books and manuscripts, architectural interiors, Greek antiquities, photographs, and some interesting museum pieces such as a stuffed polar bear.
Conservators are concerned with the long-term preservation of cultural heritage material. In everyday practice they apply conservation technologies in order to preserve material objects – be they paintings, textiles, ceramics or old boots – as long as they’re significant in some way! But they also strive to understand the role cultural material plays in the growth of social capital and community identity – it is about preserving themeaning as well as the physical object. Day-to-day conservation work involves the scientific and technical detail of conserving pieces, and inherent in this work is a much broader awareness of the philosophical, intellectual and scientific aspects of professional practice.
- What kind of career outcomes are there after studying conservation?
Students who complete courses at the Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation generally go on to work in museums, galleries, libraries, archives, archeological sites, and many other specialist areas. Conservators generally specialise in certain areas, ie. paper, paintings, objects. - What kind of conservation courses are available?
The Centre offers a number of professionally recognised courses at different levels: The Postgraduate Diploma (Cultural Materials Conservation), the Master of Arts (Cultural Materials Conservation) by Coursework and Minor Thesis, the Master of Arts (Cultural Materials Conservation) by Research, and the PhD. There is more information about these qualifications on the Courses page of this site. - I'm an art history graduate and I don't have much chemistry knowledge. Is there a course I can do to catch up?
A chemistry bridging course may be run on demand for applicants who don't have the chemistry prerequisite. This course will only be offered if there is sufficient demand. Contact Dr Petronella Nel (email pnel@unimelb.edu.au to register your interest. - How do I apply?
All applications and enrolments are done through the Faculty of Arts. If you have any queries, please contact the Academic Programs Manager in the School of Historical Studies. - I'm interested in studying to be a conservator. Are there any other universities in Australia that offer undergraduate degrees in cultural material conservation?
To the best of our knowledge, there is no longer an undergraduate degree offered in conservation anywhere in Australia. The University of Canberra used to offer a conservation course, however this closed a couple of years ago. The CCMC's Master of Arts (Cultural Materials Conservation) program is the only course of its kind in Australia which leads to a professional qualification in conservation.
This enquiry is often related to the stated prerequisite for the CCMC's Postgraduate Diploma in Conservation. The PGrad Dip is targeted at those who completed the undergraduate degree at Canberra and who may wish to upgrade their qualifications.
Our coursework Masters is targeted at people seeking a professional qualification in conservation. An undergraduate degree in conservation is not required for entry to the MA - applicants with undergraduate degrees in a range of areas are encouraged to apply. Conservation is an interdisciplinary field, combining both arts and sciences. Students have entered our program with previous studies in fields as diverse as art history, chemistry, and metallurgy.
A knowledge of chemistry is a fundamental to professional conservation practice. Students who have not studied chemistry at tertiary level are strongly encouraged to do so before enrolling in the MA in conservation. Depending on demand, the CCMC may offer an intensive chemistry bridging course. This course can be highly beneficial, as the content has been developed to be specifically relevant to conservation.