The University of New Mexico

Curriculum and Admissions

Curriculum

          The Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation and Regionalism (HPR) requires the completion of a minimum of 18 credit hours.  Students may request that up to nine hours in the certificate also be used to satisfy graduate degree requirements.  Most courses are offered in the late afternoon, evening, or weekends.

          Course requirements include:

1.  Introduction to Preservation and Regionalism (LA/ARCH/CRP 591, 3 credit hours): introduces the approaches and issues of the program

2.  Three Elective Courses chosen from the list below (9 credit hours): allows students to gain expertise in the practice of preservation and regionalism in their professional field, and knowledge of Southwest and U.S. architecture, planning and landscape history

3.  Historic Community Research (LA/ARCH/CRP 590, 3 credit hours): an interdisciplinary-team-based field research seminar.  The research and local contacts developed by the Historic Community Research course lays the groundwork for many students’ capstone projects.  The Historic plaza research project led to one architecture thesis (Monticello) and three DPAC studios (Doña Ana, Santa Rosa and Portales) which each focused on the economic, physical and social revitalization of a historic community space. 

4. A Capstone Project working with a New Mexican community carried out through an internship, problems course, or design and planning studio (3-6 credit hours). (A student who satisfies this final requirement with a 6-hour studio will total 21 hours for the certificate.)

Elective Courses:

Preservation Technologies and Adaptive Reuse (Arch 512)

Cultural Landscape Planning (LA 512)

Preservation, Tourism, and Community Development (CRP 570)

Alternative Construction Methods and Materials (Arch 512)

Gardens in the Sand: New Mexico’s Historic Landscapes (LA 562)

Southwest Architecture and Cultural Landscapes (Arch 562)

Photography and the Built Environment (Arch 512)

Contemporary Design in Historic and Regional Context (Arch 512)

Infill Urbanism (Arch 512)

Assessment and Preservation Planning for Adobe Buildings (ARCH 512)

Acequias: Their Culture and Future (LA 512)

Urban Design Theory (CRP 525)

Planning Issues of Native American Reservations (CRP 573)

Planning Issues in Chicano Communities (CRP 586)

Museum Practices (Anthro 582, Art 507)

Intercultural Field Research (C&J 573)

Public History (Hist 510)

Note: Students select their electives in consultation with, and with the approval of, the Program Director to insure that at least one elective course gives an overview of the history of design and planning in the Southwest or U.S., including vernacular and regional traditions, and that the other electives chosen introduce the student to the professional techniques, practices and issues that will best prepare them for their desired career direction.

 

Admissions

          To be eligible for admission to the Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation and Regionalism, it is expected that the applicant will satisfy one of the following:

          1. Hold a graduate degree in architecture, planning, landscape architecture, history, American studies, anthropology, architectural history, communications and journalism, environmental studies or other related field, OR

          2. Be admitted to or be currently enrolled in a graduate program at the University of New Mexico in one of these disciplines, OR,

          3. Hold a bachelor’s degree in one of these disciplines, and demonstrate in a resume and the letter of intent, experience or accomplishment such as professional licensing, publications, professional practice, or professional, non-profit or government work with responsibilities in preservation, heritage tourism development, regional design or planning, or related fields that indicate ability to complete this program.

          All applicants must demonstrate the capacity to successfully complete the course of study.

To apply, submit: 

          1. A letter of interest explaining your reasons for seeking admission to the program, and your expected time line for completion of the certificate, and noting the criteria above that you satisfy, your social security number, mailing address and email address.

2. Two letters of recommendation from people who know your educational or work accomplishments and abilities,

          3. A resume, and

          4. Academic transcripts for all higher education course work 

          To insure consideration for a fall semester admission, completed applications are due no later than March 1; for a spring semester admission, no later than November 1.  Depending on space availability, applications received after those dates may be considered.

Application Tracks:

          1. If you are not now a UNM graduate student, your application goes through the UNM Office of Graduate Studies.  See OGS application procedures at: http://www.unm.edu/grad/

          2. If you are already a UNM graduate student, you can ask your current program to submit copies of items 2 and 4 from your previous application files directly to the HPR program director.  You will also submit items 1, and 3 directly to the HPR Program Director along with a completed Add a Transcripted Graduate Certificate Form, which you can download at:

http://www.unm.edu/grad/eforms/TranscriptedCertificate.pdf

          

Submit applications to: School of Architecture and Planning, Attn: Graduate Advisor, University of New Mexico, MSC04 2530, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131-0001.