Picture of a student conserving 15th Century wall paintings in Cyprus


Candidates are normally expected to have an undergraduate degree in an appropriate subject in the arts, humanities or sciences. Appropriateness is interpreted broadly, since diversity of prior training is highly desirable in this multidisciplinary field, which involves so much teamwork. Previous conservation experience is not required, though some understanding of the nature of wall painting conservation is desirable. Knowledge of more than one language is an advantage, given the nature of conservation literature and the amount of foreign fieldwork. Applicants should have good manual dexterity and normal colour vision. The Department is always glad to advise potential applicants on the types of preparatory work which they might most usefully undertake. 

If you have an overseas qualification, please feel free to contact the Academic Registry; however, please be aware that our staff are unable to confirm whether you will be invited to interview, as candidates are judged on the strength of their applications as a whole.

English Proficiency Certificate
All applicants are expected to have an effective knowledge of English, both spoken or written. For applicants whose first language is not English, we require proof of English proficiency.

We will accept:

  • IELTS (International English Language Testing System) with an overall bandwidth of 7.0 or above.
  • TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) with a score of at least 100 on the Internet-based test (IBT) or a score of at least 600 on the paper-based test (PBT) with a score of at least 5.0 on the Test of Written English
  • CAE (Cambridge Advanced English) with a minimum grade of B
  • IGCSE with a minimum grade of B
  • Pearson Test for English (PTE) Academic with a score of 75 or above

    Please note that we will not accept institutional test results or any test not listed above (including ESOL qualifications).

    If you have studied at an institution for three or more years where English is the language of instruction you may be considered without an English proficiency result at the discretion of the course leader. (If such an institution is based in a non-English speaking country, a letter from the institution confirming the language of instruction should be submitted.)

    If you are unable to book a test at a centre in advance of the application deadline, you may submit your application without an English proficiency result and it will be passed on for consideration. You should send your test result when it becomes available to you.


Our admissions procedures are constantly under review to promote fairness. Please see our Admissions Policy webpage for more details.