Welcome Historic Preservation Students

The pre-semester Historic Preservation Institute will be held August 4-20, 2025 for all incoming MSHP students. The course fee is $500. The summer institute serves several purposes: it begins your orientation to Philadelphia and its history and architecture and introduces some of the important skills, questions, and issues that will be at the center of your first year's work. It will also allow the first-year cohort to get to know one another and provide a chance to begin working with the Program's faculty. A full program and schedule will be sent under separate cover. Micah Dornfeld (micahdor@design.upenn.edu) will issue permits and enroll the incoming class in this non-credit workshop.

Billing Information

Penn is transitioning to a new student records system, which affects billing. Information will be updated in April and detailed instructions will be shared with students via email.  

Current graduate students,  Sallishah Ali (MSHP '25), Dienabou Barry (MSHP '26), Louis E. Kuilan (MSHP '26) Ruby Nwaebube (MSHP/MArch '26), Daniel Saldaña (MSHP '25), Grace A. Ragosa (MSHP '26) Anna Veilleux (HSPV '25), Kate Whitney-Schubb (MSHP '25) and Selina Chuan-Zou (MSHP '26) are happy to answer questions you may have about the Department of Historic Preservation. Click on their names to check out their student profiles, or take a look at our Program Instagram! 

Learn more about the Department of Historic Preservation faculty on our People page.

All incoming students are required to have working knowledge of AutoCAD before enrolling for the fall semester. A foundation in the workings and applications of computer-aided drafting (CAD) is essential for getting maximum benefit from first-year core documentation, recording and site analysis courses. It is also an important professional skill in the preservation field.  If you have had no exposure to AutoCAD, you must get training before the fall semester. 
 
There are several options to consider. For those of you with working experience in CAD, creating and editing drawing sets, you probably don’t need any additional preparation. If you’re already somewhat familiar with CAD you might sit down with a friend or colleague who knows the program well and run through a refresher tutorial. For those of you new to CAD, AutoCAD is the standard software used at the School of Design. Local colleges, community colleges, and evening extension programs may offer courses over the summer/fall. You can investigate the online options, too. Students will receive an email in the summer with more information/resources on how to complete the AutoCAD requirement. 

Students planning to focus on Architectural Conservation must have a basic knowledge of chemistry fundamentals preferably before the fall semester and no later than the second year. Typically, a college-level general chemistry, geology, or biology course with lab will provide this base. An ‘online’ chemistry course may also satisfy this requirement. 

Detailed instructions on how to register for courses will be shared with students via email before the start of the fall semester, incoming MSHP students will be required to register for the following courses (5 CUs): 

HSPV 5210 American Architecture (1 cu)
HSPV 6000 Documentation, Research, Recording 1 (2 cus)
HSPV 6240 Digital Media for Historic Preservation 1 (0.5 cu)
HSPV 6600 Theories of Historic Preservation 1 (0.5 cu)
HSPV Elective based on your selected concentration (1 cu) 

Full MSHP & MSD Degree Requirements. 

Incoming Historic Preservation students are required to buy or bring a computer for your time as a student at Weitzman School. Please see the Computer Purchasing Guidelines provided by Weitzman School IT. Specific guidelines will be posted in early summer.

International students on F-1 or J-1 visas are required to check in with International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS). The check-in process includes an online tutorial, online arrival form, and an in-person document check upon your arrival into the US. Please plan to arrive in Philadelphia at least one business day before the start of Summer Institute to complete the in-person check-in. You are encouraged to make an appointment in advance.

Please visit the ISSS webpage for detailed information on Mandatory New Student Check-In Requirements.