Emerging Conservation Professionals (ECPs) of all levels are facing unexpected challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the situation continues to change, the ECPN Professional Education and Training (PET) Officers have worked to compile a three-part series focused on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim is to provide resources that may help answer some questions currently being raised by ECPs.
For Part I of the ECPN COVID-19 Response series, PET reached out to the directors of each school in the Association for North American Graduate Programs in the Conservation of Cultural Property (ANAGPIC). Their responses, summarized below, are intended to highlight recent changes to each program’s admissions process or coursework as a response to the challenges COVID-19 has created for pre-program and current students.
ANAGPIC members’ COVID-19 response is constantly evolving. The changes reported here capture those implemented as of September 2020. The program websites provide a comprehensive list of requirements, but for clarification or other questions, ECPs are encouraged to reach out directly, using the following contacts:
SUNY Buffalo State College: Anne Hoehn hoehnam@buffalostate.edu; https://artconservation.buffalostate.edu/
Columbia University’s Historic Preservation Program: arch_admissions@columbia.edu; https://www.arch.columbia.edu/programs/7-m-s-historic-preservation
The Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, NYU: Kevin Martin km88@nyu.edu; https://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/fineart/conservation/
Queen’s University Art Conservation Program: artcon@queensu.ca; https://www.queensu.ca/art/art-conservation
UCLA/Getty Program: Shaharoh Chism schism@ioa.ucla.edu; https://conservation.ucla.edu/
University of Pennsylvania Graduate Program in Historic Preservation: pennhspv@design.upenn.edu; https://www.design.upenn.edu/historic-preservation/
Winterthur/University of Delaware Program (WUDPAC): Theresa Slusser tslusser@udel.edu; https://www.artcons.udel.edu/
Changes to Admission Requirements
Internship and Coursework Requirements
All of the programs acknowledge the difficulties pre-program students are facing to complete in-person prerequisite coursework and on-site internships. Please note that Columbia, NYU, Penn, and Queens have never required pre-program internships.
- Buffalo is in the process of reviewing their internship requirements.
- UCLA/Getty will not require internships for the 2021 admissions cycle and will examine the outcomes.
- WUDPAC will accept online internships or remote experiences to count towards their existing 400-hour conservation experience requirement.
Course Prerequisites
Many programs will also accept online coursework for classes that were previously required in person.
- Buffalo will now accept online chemistry lectures and labs that were taken during the spring, summer, and fall of 2020. They will also accept pass/fail grades for all courses taken during this time period.
- NYU accepts advanced placement (AP) science credits, as well as online art history and science lectures and labs taken during the spring, summer, and fall of 2020. NYU has also modified their language requirement (tested once enrolled in the program) to any one modern research language other than English.
- Queen’s University has not explicitly changed admissions requirements due to COVID-19, but they have noted that any issues can be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
- UCLA/Getty will accept online coursework, including classes for the science prerequisites.
- WUDPAC will also accept online science prerequisites. They have also amended their studio art requirements to clarify that they will now accept studio art classes taken at museums or other community centers.
Graduate Record Examinations
- Columbia will waive the GRE for the 2021 admissions cycle.
- NYU will waive the GRE for 2021 with two additional years under consideration.
- Penn does not require the GRE.
- Queens does not require the GRE.
- UCLA/Getty has suspended its GRE requirement for 2021 and will examine the outcome.
- WUDPAC will waive the GRE for 2021 with additional years under consideration.
Admissions Interviews
Due to the pandemic, a number of programs conducted their interviews virtually in spring 2020. Please note that Columbia and Penn do not hold interviews.
- Buffalo will likely hold their interviews virtually.
- NYU will hold their 2021 interviews virtually.
- Queens will hold their 2021 interviews virtually.
- UCLA/Getty will hold their 2021 interviews virtually.
- WUDPAC will make a decision in October 2020.
Changes for Enrolled Students
All ANAGPIC programs have adopted a hybrid model, primarily with lectures online and hands-on treatment and seminars being completed on site. In many instances, such as at Columbia University’s Historic Preservation Program, this has required the restructuring of lab spaces to allow for proper distancing.
For additional resources, we encourage you to explore this preprogram resource compiled by the ANAGPIC members and view the ECPN Town Hall with ANAGPIC President Ellen Pearlstein. We wish all Emerging Conservation Professionals good health and the best of luck in all stages of their conservation journeys.
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