Fall Term 2025 and Spring Term 2026 Applications Now Open
MA in Cultural Heritage Management
MA in Cultural Heritage Management Program Overview
In our fast-paced society, the need to understand where we have come from cannot be overstated. An integrated approach that is both forward-thinking and strategically linked with sustainability, development, and community will be required for heritage management and preservation efforts to succeed.
The past and the present are indispensable to our future, from the built environment of historic sites, monuments, and cities, to full landscapes and the unique biodiversity of natural habitats, to the intangible gems of our global cultures – music, dance, food, dress, craft. We have come to recognize the value of our heritage.
A career in cultural heritage management offers you the chance to protect as well as shape the future of our most precious places and people.
What Is Heritage?
According to UNESCO, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, “Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration.”
Heritage is an expansive concept and the reach of heritage is broad embracing sites and monuments, the built environment, urban centers and full landscapes, as well as intangible heritage and the people who embody and preserve these cultural traditions in the present and for the future.
A Quality Education on Your Terms
Our cultural heritage management program embraces a fully inclusive definition of heritage. It’s more than local, regional, and national sites, monuments, and artifacts; it’s also full landscapes, environments, and even the intangible. And we explore it all in a global context.
The online MA in Cultural Heritage Management program is flexible enough to fit your scheduling needs, as well as interactive, providing an enriching learning atmosphere. A two-week onsite study seminar adds a tangible, real-world component to your Johns Hopkins experience.
Specialize Your Studies
The MA in Cultural Heritage Management degree at JHU offers distinct focus areas, giving you the flexibility to tailor your degree to your career interests:
- Cultural Resource Management
- Parks and People
- Outreach and Interpretation
- Global Heritage
A Career in Cultural Heritage Management
A career in heritage management offers many opportunities: from local historic sites and museums to national monuments, preservation agencies to research organizations, and visitors’ bureaus to community organizations, as well as national, state, and local parks.
In-Depth Article
Considering a Career in Cultural Heritage Management?
Dedicated professionals in a wide range of roles, including archaeologists, historians, and park naturalists, among others, engage in the essential work of cultural heritage management.
Why to Pursue a MA in Cultural Heritage Management at Hopkins
A Diverse Faculty With Rich, Real-World Experience
They are archaeologists, anthropologists, curators, and historians. And they’ve worked with places like the U.S. National Parks Service, International Council on Monuments & Sites, Smithsonian Institution, and the Center for Digital Antiquity.
Customizable Curriculum With a Wide Range of Electives
Supplement your foundation in world heritage and cultural management with electives that fit your interests, including offerings from our museum studies, digital curation, and environmental science policy programs.
Immersive Educational Experiences
Spend two weeks immersed in a culturally significant location learning from your instructor and heritage professionals. Your experience will include class sessions, daily activities, visits to other sites, and hands-on site management opportunities.
A Community of Heritage Professionals
Our international student body, diverse faculty members, and accomplished alumni provide you with a built-in network of cultural heritage professionals.
Cultural Heritage Management News
Take the Next Step
Start or further your journey into cultural heritage preservation and tourism.