Master's in Cultural Heritage Management (MA)

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

Cultural Heritage Management Master’s Student Outcomes

Core Skills Gained in Cultural Heritage Management

A master’s in cultural heritage management gives you advanced knowledge and skills in preservation, research, cultural resource management, interpretation, project management, and the protection of tangible and intangible heritage. JHU AAP’s program examines heritage in a broad context that includes sites, landscapes, artifacts, environments, traditions, and other cultural expressions, while also addressing the use of technology to document and interpret heritage. Heritage professionals must balance preservation with public access, community interests, environmental considerations, legal requirements, and long-term sustainability. Your program also provides an opportunity for hands-on learning through an onsite study seminar where you can apply classroom concepts in a real-world cultural heritage setting.

Cultural Heritage Management Master’s Courses

Below are a few examples of cultural heritage management master’s courses that you can take as part of our program. These courses will help you gain the skills you need to advance in your career and improve your abilities. As part of the program, you will be expected to take required core classes as well as choose from relevant electives to complete your degree.

• Studies in World Heritage
• Cultural Heritage Management/Leadership
• The Protection of Global Cultural Heritage: Laws, Policies, Politics, and Advocacy
• Public Monuments and Collective Memory
• Cultural Heritage in the Digital Age