Master of Design (Heritage)

The Master of Design (Heritage) is a post-professional qualification for those with an existing qualification in the disciplines represented in the Melbourne School of Design (MSD) or related, who wish to enhance their qualifications through advanced studies in the area of architectural history and conservation. It builds upon the special emphasis the MSD has always had on the practicalities of historic building materials and structures and is designed to meet the increasing demand for architects and advisors in building and related work within Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

This course offers an advanced education in heritage practices and equips students to:

• Recognise, analyse and research buildings and sites;
• Develop knowledge and resolve problems relating to the characteristics of the materials of historic buildings;
• Investigate the physical and engineering aspects of the remediation, stabilisation and waterproofing of historic buildings;
• Develop a capacity for independent research and gain a broad familiarity with current practice and technology in conservation; and,
• Meet the continuing professional development requirements of the architecture profession in Australia and internationally.

All students must complete:

100 points of graduate level subjects chosen in consultation with the course coordinator.

Recommended graduate subjects

The below subjects are particularly recommended for this course; however, students should choose subjects in consultation with the course coordinator.

Subjects may also be drawn from the Melbourne School of Design. For a list of all MSD subjects without prerequisites, click here.

1. The Selection Committee will evaluate the applicant’s ability to pursue the course successfully using the following criteria:

• a four-year honours degree in a relevant discipline with at least an H2B (70%) average in final year subjects, or equivalent; or
• a three-year undergraduate degree plus a one-year postgraduate diploma in a relevant discipline with at least an H2B (70%) average.

2. The Selection Committee may conduct interviews or tests and may call for portfolios of work, referee reports or employer references to elucidate any of the matters referred to above.

The Melbourne School of Design is the graduate school of the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning. It offers professional entry programs in Architecture, Construction Management, Landscape Architecture, Property and Urban Planning. It offers specialist development programs in Property Valuation, Planning and Design and in Urban Design.

The Melbourne School of Design welcomes applications from students with disabilities. It is the University and Faculty (Architecture, Building and Planning) policy to take reasonable steps to make reasonable adjustments so as to enable students’ participation in degrees offered by the Melbourne School of Design (MSD).

A candidate for degrees offered in the MSD must have abilities and skills which include the following: observation; communication; motor; conceptual, integrative, and quantitative; and
behavioural and social. Adjustments can be provided to minimise the impact of a disability, however, particularly at Masters level, students need to be able to participate in programs in an independent manner and with regard to their safety and the safety of others.

(i) Observation: Candidates must be able to read text, diagrams, maps, drawings and numerical data. Candidates should be able to observe details at a number of scales and to record useful observations of environmental contexts.

(ii) Communication: Candidates should be able to communicate with fellow students, professional and academic staff, members of relevant professions and the public. Candidates
must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively. Communication includes not only speech but also reading and writing.

(iii) Motor: Candidates should have sufficient motor function to elicit information from environmental contexts. Off campus investigations may include visits to construction sites,
urban, rural and/or remote environments. Candidates should have sufficient motor ability to prepare documentation of analytic texts, drawings and models of findings and for the
preparation of proposals for environmental interventions via digital or other means. Candidates should have the ability to actively participate in appropriate site and/or design
studio-based activities.

(iv) Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, synthesis and, importantly, the ability to
interpret results of such work. Problem resolution, the critical skill demanded of graduates, requires all of these intellectual abilities. In addition, given the disciplines pursued in the
MSD, candidates should be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships in environmental structures of a wide range of scales –
from smaller than the individual through individual buildings and urban spaces to large geographic areas. Further, graduate study entails learning to master one’s own abilities and
skills and to deploy them strategically. This requires further developing skills in both reflective and reflexive thinking and being able to practice these skills.

(v) Behavioural and Social Attributes: A candidate must possess behavioural and social attributes that enable them to participate in a complex learning environment. Students are
required to take responsibility for their own participation and learning. They also contribute to the learning of other students in collaborative learning environments, demonstrating
interpersonal skills and an understanding of the needs of other students. Assessment may include the outcomes of tasks completed in collaboration with other students.

Students who feel a disability will prevent them from meeting the above academic requirements are encouraged to contact the Disability Liaison Unit.

Refer to University of Melbourne graduate attributes located at http://www.unimelb.edu.au/about/attributes.html

During the course of study the student should:

• gain an understanding of professional investigation practices;
• become capable of preparing a conservation analysis to professional standards;
• acquire a capacity for independent research in the conservation field; and
• gain a broad familiarity with current practice and technology in conservation.