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Heritage Conservation Studies

German Master's Programme in Digital Technologies in Heritage Conservation (M.Sc.)

  1.  University of bamberg
  2. Faculties
  3. Humanities
  4. Institutes
  5. Archaeology, Heritage Conservation Studies and Art History
  6. Heritage Conservation Studies
  7. Chair of Heritage Conservation
  8. Studies
  9. German Master's Programme in Digital Technologies in Heritage Conservation (M.Sc.)
  10. Profile of the programme

Students' testimonies: What do students say about the M.Sc. program Digital Technologies in Heritage Conservation?

"The study of digital technologies in heritage conservation offers those, who want to learn modern methods of documentation, recording and visualisation of cultural assets, the opportunity to deepen their knowledge. Furthermore, the study programme offers the possibility of acquiring the handling and understanding of various software, which enables one to further educate oneself independently even after graduation. This allows you to expand your own range and expertise and opens up new career prospects that may have been rather limited before." Lea Puglisi, M.A. conservator on studying her second masters digital technologies in heritage conservation programme.

"By using the two scanners, the students were able to put the theoretical background they had learned into practice and were confronted with both the advantages and disadvantages of the technologies in the field of heritage conservation.  (...) The versatile applicability and intuitive operation as well as the very fast environmental recording with permanently constant accuracy and quality guaranteed by the technologies is already indispensable for the creation of precise building surveys or the monitoring of cultural assets." (Work report in module "Digital object recording" 2021 at Bamberg Cathedral - student Nikolas Schmidt)

Increasing digitalisation in the conservation of cultural heritage

Today, innovative methods of digitisation are being used in the preservation of historical monuments, museum studies and the protection of cultural assets. The digital recording of buildings and objects is now a standard part of heritage conservation alongside the monitoring of a building's condition with intelligent sensor systems. The goal is the digital synthesis of all data relevant to the heritage object. The Master's programme in Digital Technologies in Heritage Conservation, which is unique in Germany, offers you an overview of both the capabilities and limitations of current technologies and those under development. It allows the possibility of acquiring in-depth knowledge in the application of such technologies in relevant areas. The programme thus responds to the need for professionals working at the interface of heritage conservation and technology. In four semesters, it leads to a second professional qualification with a broad application-oriented profile.

The degree programme prepares you for complex applications in the high-tech field of heritage conservation. The interdisciplinary team of lecturers, the variety of subjects on offer and the access to cutting-edge technical equipment guarantee a state-of-the-art education. The University of Bamberg and Coburg University of Applied Sciences enjoy an excellent reputation in heritage, object and engineering sciences as well as in application-oriented digital technologies.

Heterogeneous target group for this M.Sc.

The study programme Digital Technologies in Heritage Conservation is aimed at Bachelor graduates (or those with a higher degree), in particular from courses in architecture, or civil engineering; in the field of heritage conservation and cultural property preservation and restoration; building preservation, building in existing contexts and building heritage; computer science and applied computer science, digital humanities, (digital) art history, archaeology, geography, surveying, archiving or interior design (Further information under Admission and Enrolment).

The study programme is organised for this very heterogeneous target group in such a way that, irrespective of their previous education, students can supplement their knowledge and fill in any missing basics via the diverse basic modules, whilst the selection of in-depth modules allows for specialisation in any desired area of interest.

The aim is to expand competences in a targeted manner, so that via interdisciplinary work and an understanding of the different subject cultures in the field of heritage conservation and cultural property preservation, graduates can achieve their full potential.

Topics and objectives of the study programme

The course aims to teach current methods of digital recording, archiving, analysis, monitoring, simulation, planning and communication in the field of architectural and archaeological heritage and cultural heritage protection, to explore the development potential of digital techniques and to further improve  their interdisciplinary networking potential.

Current issues regarding content design within heritage technologies and their integration into the digital humanities, as well as aspects of standardisation, sustainable data management, knowledge distribution, and above all networking, dissemination, and further development of the technical tools will be discussed.

The aim of the study aims to convey the theoretical and practical basics of digital heritage technologies as well as to develop critical evaluation, practical competence and the ability to develop object-oriented solutions. The focus is on the assessment of existing building stock, its properties and the related ageing behaviour of historic buildings and objects. In addition, you will develop an awareness of the significance of the cultural assets under consideration as knowledge repositories, historical sources, and components of regional identities.

Distinguishing features

The Master of Science Digital Technologies in Heritage Conservation is an education specialised programme in digital technologies in heritage conservation with a high technical content that prepares students for complex applications in the high-end sector. The degree programme has been accredited since October 2019(735.0 KB).

From winter semester 2022/23, it will be possible to acquire the prerequisite for enrolment in the Institute of Architects in the Master's programme Digital Technologies in Heritage Conservation.

The Master's programme in Denkmalpflege/Heritage Conservation, which is also run by the Department of Heritage Conservation Studies, is a Master of Arts (MA) programme that provides a broader range of specialist knowledge in the fields of historic conservation, building research and restoration sciences. (Acquisition of Institution eligibility is not possible in the M.A. Heritage Conservation Studies).

Proceed to Qualification goals of this M.Sc.