Leuven, Belgium
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 7,771 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* EEA/non-EEA fee
Introduction
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Cultural heritage is a valuable resource for the sustainable development of the environment we live in. For more than 45 years the Raymond Lemaire International Centre for Conservation has trained graduates with diverse professional backgrounds in valuing and managing cultural heritage.
The Master of Conservation of Monuments and Sites programme is well-known for its international and interdisciplinary content which is taught using a well-established methodology that prepares students for a variety of exciting career and research opportunities.
Strengths
- We offer an international environment in which students are taught in small groups in close contact with professors and guest lecturers.
- You will obtain knowledge through a variety of lectures, site visits, and project work.
- Students will build close working relationships with staff, renowned experts, and foreign guest lecturers each covering a broad range of expertise.
- You will have the opportunity to study at KU Leuven, the most innovative university in Europe. Discover the unique historical city of Leuven which includes two World Heritage Sites within the city centre.
- You will gain vital working experience across the globe thanks to our close relations with UNESCO, ICOMOS, and other national and international organizations as well as through our vast alumni network.
- You will widen your career opportunities in conservation practices, international and national heritage bodies, or academic research.
Curriculum
Theoretical and Methodological Frame
- Conservation of Architectural Heritage: History, Theory and Practice
- Conservation Policies
- Building Materials and Conservation Techniques
- Building Physics and Sustainable Design for Built Heritage
Project-based Education
- Building Archaeology
- Conservation of Urban Sites and Landscapes: History, Theory and Practice
- Built Heritage Documentation
- International Workshop
- Integrated Project Work
- Professional Internship
Research Training
- Master's Thesis
- Research Seminars
Ideal Students
Applicants should be able to demonstrate a real commitment to the conservation of cultural heritage in general. They should be willing to work in a team and to let ideas from their own backgrounds, training, and cultural contexts be confronted with those of other students. Upon successfully completing the program, you will have acquired and developed sufficient knowledge in all basic fields of conservation and restoration, as well as more specialized knowledge in those conservation and restoration subjects close to your own basic training. As such, you can advance your professional practice or start research in the heritage field.
Ideally, upon entering the program, you will possess:
- An initial Master's degree in a field related to built heritage or cultural resource management, such as architecture, design, (construction) engineering, archaeology, (art) history, urban planning, or cultural studies. Candidates with a five-year bachelor's degree qualifying them for a professional career as an architect or engineer in their country are also eligible to apply. Motivated candidates with a Master of Science degree in another relevant discipline may also be eligible to apply, but they should contact the program office before applying.
- A special interest and, preferably, a demonstrable commitment to the cause of the conservation of cultural heritage in general
- A willingness to work in a team and to confront concepts/opinions/methods from your own background and cultural context with those of other students with different backgrounds, training, and cultural contexts
- Professional and/or international experience is an additional asset
Admissions
Program delivery
The courses are fully taught in English.
Program Tuition Fee
Why study at KU Leuven
What sets us apart as a university?
A highly ranked university
KU Leuven is among the best 100 universities in the world according to both Times Higher Education World Rankings and QS World University Rankings. All of KU Leuven’s disciplines proudly belong to the top 100 of their field. Furthermore, KU Leuven was ranked by Reuters as the most innovative university in Europe in 2016.
Research-based education
Education at KU Leuven is research-based, which means students will learn from the same professors who are performing the ground-breaking research you read about in the press. New insights are instantly integrated into classes and students are encouraged to perform their own research. In our FabLab, students can use a number of high-tech machines to create whatever they want – all free of charge.
Affordable tuition fees
Higher education is highly valued in Belgium and therefore subsidised by the government. This allows KU Leuven to keep tuition fees relatively low, which gives you a price/quality ratio very few top-100 universities can match. We take pride in keeping our programmes as accessible as possible to allow the brightest students from around the globe to join our courses.
International student life with respect for diversity
According to Times Higher Education, KU Leuven is in the top 50 of most international universities worldwide with staff and students from over 150 different nationalities. For all our international students, the Pangaea student centre is their home away from home. Our university also strives for diversity and inclusion and wants to work together on a pact for more respect.
Info Sessions
Rankings
KU Leuven is among the best 100 universities in the world according to both Times Higher Education World Rankings and QS World University Rankings. KU Leuven’s disciplines proudly belong to the top 100 of their field. Furthermore, KU Leuven was ranked by Reuters as the most innovative university in Europe in 2016.
Accreditations
Gallery
Career Opportunities
Alumni from this programme are currently working as independent professionals in the preservation, restoration and management of built cultural heritage as well as in leadership and policymaking positions in conservation institutions such as UNESCO, ICOMOS and the Council of Europe. Others proceed towards a career in academia (PhD).
More than 900 students from 74 countries all over the world and with different professional and educational backgrounds already graduated from the programme since it was first organised by the RLICC.