The Courtauld launches new MA in Preventive Conservation
The Courtauld is extending its world-leading conservation teaching from Autumn 2026, offering a unique one-year full-time programme in preventive conservation.
The course will equip graduates with an understanding of the principles and practicalities of preventive conservation, give experience in identifying, measuring and addressing potential threats to objects.
Preventive conservation does not involve the treatment of damaged cultural heritage, but rather addresses the causes of potential damage before it happens. These threats can take many forms, some more obvious than others – fire and flood damage may quickly come to mind, but cumulative deterioration caused by higher light levels, or very dry or humid conditions, can require specialist monitoring equipment to detect.
The MA Preventive Conservation at The Courtauld is the only programme of its kind, offering face-to-face teaching, tuition, and mentoring in this fast-developing discipline. The degree is taught by in-house conservation and science specialists complemented by outside professionals with particular areas of expertise.
The Conservation Department at The Courtauld possesses cutting edge scientific equipment, allowing students to carry out imaging and analysis that helps them to understand the materials they will encounter in collections.
In addition to four taught Conservation programmes, The Courtauld also welcomes PhD researchers:
The Courtauld’s Department of Conservation is one of the very few specialist centres for training and research in fine art conservation and technical art, and dates back to the mid-1930s. In addition to specialist work on the collections displayed in The Courtauld Gallery, recent Courtauld conservation projects include sites in China, India and Bhutan, as well as collaborations with national bodies including the National Trust and English Heritage, the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, and Tate.
Applications for the Conservation courses taking place in the academic year 2026/27 will open in late October 2025. Prospective students can find out more about each programme at Open Days in the autumn and via The Courtauld’s website.