Skip to content

Studies & Degrees in Monument Conservation and Restoration

Monument conservation and restoration is about keeping historic buildings, archaeological sites and the works of art attached to them in good condition, and repairing them when they are damaged. The reference text of the field is the International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites of 1964, known as the Venice Charter. The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) has added further texts since then, among them principles for the structural restoration of architectural heritage (2003), for wall paintings (2003) and for historic timber structures (1999), and guidelines for education and training in the conservation of monuments, ensembles and sites (1993).

Students learn to study a building or an object before touching it: its materials, how it was made, its history and the causes of its decay. They then learn techniques for cleaning, consolidation and repair, how to document an intervention, and the criteria that limit how far a restoration may go. The work is shared between professions. Architects and engineers deal with the structure, conservator-restorers with paintings, sculpture, wood and other materials, and archaeologists and art historians with research.

Qualifications and levels

Monument restoration is rarely a first degree in its own right. The route depends on which part of a monument a student wants to work on.

  • Conservation-restoration of cultural property in Spain. Real Decreto 635/2010 regulates the higher arts studies in Conservación y Restauración de Bienes Culturales. The curriculum has four academic years of 60 credits each, 240 credits in total, and is taught at the escuelas superiores de conservación y restauración de bienes culturales. Its specialisations are archaeological objects, graphic documents, sculpture, painting, textiles and furniture. One of these schools is the Escuela Superior de Conservación y Restauración de Bienes Culturales (ESCRBC) in Madrid, which also offers an official master's degree that it places at MECES level 3 (EQF level 7).
  • Architectural heritage at master's level. Work on the buildings themselves is usually a postgraduate specialisation. One example is the Máster Universitario en Conservación del Patrimonio Arquitectónico of the Universitat Politècnica de València. It is an official degree of 90 ECTS credits that lasts a year and a half, is taught on campus in Spanish and English and requires Spanish at CEFR level B2. For the 2026-27 academic year the university lists €35.34 per credit for Spanish, EU and resident students and €70.68 per credit for other international students.
  • Workshop courses. Private workshops teach practical restoration techniques, often without entry requirements. They suit beginners, craftspeople and people who want to try the field first. Ask the school what recognition its certificate has.

At international level, the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), an intergovernmental organisation based in Rome, runs courses for heritage professionals.

Where to study

SpainExchange currently lists one active school for this subject, in Madrid. Quattrocento Escuela Taller de Arte y Restauración is a workshop school whose restoration workshop has worked since 1989 for private clients, companies and public and private institutions. It does not teach the restoration of buildings. Its courses cover movable heritage and the decorative crafts found in historic interiors: restoration of paintings, polychrome sculpture and furniture, wood carving, gilding and marquetry.

According to the school, classes are practical from the first day, are given in small groups or individually, and require no previous experience. In 2026 its website lists a single payment of €115 for enrolment and materials, and monthly fees of €135 for three hours a week or €270 for six hours a week. The website and the course descriptions are in Spanish.

Students who want an official qualification in Spain can look at the escuelas superiores de conservación y restauración de bienes culturales and at university master's degrees in architectural heritage. Check the language of instruction of each programme before applying.

Careers

Real Decreto 635/2010 lists the fields in which conservator-restorers work: conservation-restoration itself, preventive conservation, advice and technical direction of interventions, research, heritage management and teaching. Typical employers are restoration companies and workshops, museums and the heritage services of public administrations.

In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics states that conservators typically need a master's degree in a field related to their position. It projects overall employment of archivists, curators and museum workers, the group that includes conservators, to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035.

Frequently asked questions

Is monument restoration a degree in its own right?

Rarely. In Spain, students either take the four-year higher studies in conservation-restoration of cultural property or specialise in architectural heritage through a master's degree after a first degree.

How long do conservation-restoration studies take in Spain?

The higher arts studies in Conservación y Restauración de Bienes Culturales have four academic years of 60 credits each, 240 credits in total, according to Real Decreto 635/2010.

Can I take a restoration course without previous training?

Yes. Workshop schools such as Quattrocento in Madrid state that their courses require no previous experience or knowledge. Ask the school what recognition the course has.

In which language are these studies taught?

It depends on the programme, so check before applying. The master's degree in architectural heritage conservation of the Universitat Politècnica de València is taught in Spanish and English and requires Spanish at level B2.