Conservation and Restoration of Art and Cultural Property, M.A.
The aim of the master’s degree is the theoretical and practical training of self-reliant restorers who are dedicated to the preservation and care as well as the research of art and cultural assets.
Since the summer semester 2010, the university has been offering a master’s degree in restoration and conservation science. The course, which ends with a Master of Arts (M.A.), builds on the six-semester course in Restoration and Conservation Science, which ends with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.).
Programme facts
| Degree | Master of Arts (M.A.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 4 semesters, 120 ECTS |
| Language of instruction | German |
| Required German | C1 |
| Study mode | Full-Time |
| Start | Winter semester |
| Application | Via uni-assist, winter semester until 30.06 |
| Admission | No admission restriction: every eligible applicant is admitted |
| Tuition fee | €0 per semester for international students |
| Semester contribution | €276.70 per semester |
| Campus | Campus Südstadt |
What the tuition fee consists of
Will I get in
Every applicant who meets the formal requirements is admitted — but places can run out before the deadline, so apply at the start of the window.
How the selection works and how strong the competition is — we go through it against your certificate when we select programmes for you.
Programme selection →What you study
The master’s degree brings together the five fields of study of the bachelor’s degree. Superordinate aspects of restoration and conservation are linked and deepened here in an interdisciplinary manner. The course contains practice-oriented as well as research-oriented components and enables individual career paths through the choice of specializations.
The full curriculum and the programme's parameters are part of programme selection: we compare them with your profile.
Pick programmesCareer
Graduates with a Master of Arts degree work as independent restorers, as research assistants at universities, in management positions in the private sector or in the public sector, in museums, museum offices, libraries, archives, monument offices and Castle administrations.
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The majority of the graduates take up self-employed work in their own company or in working groups. In addition to the "classic" fields of activity in object restoration and the conservation of cultural assets, other tasks for restorers with a master’s degree are becoming more and more important and show the future developments in their profession:
- Restoration appraisal and advisory activities,
- Research and teaching in universities (method research and development, research into the history and theory of restoration, art historical and art technological research, scientific research in the field of conservation and restoration),
- Project management (exhibition management and collection management, public relations and cultural management),
- Preventive conservation, quality assurance and risk assessment.
Cost of study
| Tuition fee of the federal state (North Rhine-Westphalia), international students | €0 |
|---|---|
| Semester contribution | €276.70 |
Requirements and application
| Previous education | Completed bachelor's or diploma degree with an overall grade of at least 2.2. (If the overall grade of the bachelor's degree is worse than 2.2, the lack of qualification can be compensated for, for example, through qualified professional practice, participation in recognized projects, etc. |
|---|---|
| Language | German C1 — confirmed by a certificate when you apply |
| Application | Via uni-assist, winter semester until 30.06 |
The procedure and the set of documents depend on your certificate. We check the university's requirements against your documents and give you a list: what to submit, how to certify and translate it, where and when to apply.
Check the requirementsHow to get into this programme
- 1Check your certificate and its recognitionDirect admission, a year at a university at home, or Studienkolleg first — this decides the whole plan.
- 2German up to C1 and a certificateDSH or TestDaF has to be passed before you apply.
- 3Documents and translationsCertified translations of the certificate and transcript, an APS if required. 3–4 weeks.
- 4Application via uni-assist until 30.06uni-assist checks documents for 4–6 weeks — send them well before the deadline.
- 5Admission, visa, movingPlan 2–3 months for the visa and the blocked account in parallel.
How to apply
You can submit the application yourself or with our help — the university decides on admission in both cases.
Applications go through the university's portal or uni-assist. Typical mistakes:
- ×incorrectly made certified copies and translations
- ×a wrong set of documents
- ×the application submitted the wrong way
- ×errors or gaps in the application form
- ×the application submitted at the wrong time — too early or too late
An incomplete or incorrectly prepared application is excluded from the selection — it can no longer be corrected after the deadline.
StudyInFocus does not represent the university and does not influence the admission decision. We do not sell study places and do not guarantee admission — this is a service for preparing and submitting documents on the applicant's side.
If your level is not enough yet
The two most common stoppers are a language level below the requirement and a certificate without direct admission. Both can be solved, but they take months — plan them now, not after a rejection.
Questions about this programme
How much does the programme cost?
What language level do I need?
When do I need to apply?
Don't postpone the application
The deadline is 30.06.2027 (259 days left). Language, translations and the document check take months, not weeks. In 30 minutes we will build a plan backwards from the deadline and tell you honestly whether you can make it.