MSt in Building History

Enrolling in this course is among the best decisions I ever made.  It provided a solid foundation of knowledge and skills that are critical to any career in heritage, including how to read building fabric, creative ways to analyze and use source material, and how to draw floor plans. It also encourages students to be more observant and curious, which forever changes the way you view the world around you.

I was a slightly unusual MSt student. I am an American who works in communications for the City of New York, and had visited England only a handful of times before the program began.  While I took a few local history courses and read numerous building history books over the years, I had no experience or formal training in the field.  It also had been quite some time since I attended university.

So diving into this course was quite intimidating, and it took a tremendous amount of work and organization to balance everything, but I loved every second of it.  What gave me confidence was knowing I had the support of a brilliant team behind me – renowned historians and preservationists, including the course director, who encouraged me to learn and thoughtfully answered any questions I had.  Past and present students also were a huge academic and social support – a group of architects, archaeologists, heritage consultants, historians, and teachers, who I am now lucky enough to call friends.

Several universities in America offer similar programs, but I decided to enrol at Cambridge because the prestigious, well-organized course allowed me to continue working while I studied.  I also was able to focus two pieces of assessed work, including my dissertation on successive headquarters of the New York Times, on buildings close to home, so I had the opportunity to learn about both English and American construction history and how they overlapped. As a result, I believe I received a more comprehensive, well-rounded education from Cambridge than I could have anywhere else.

I hope everyone with an interest in history and the built environment will consider this course, no matter what their career, where they are from, or what their age. I could not recommend it enough.

Emily Rahimi, (Oct. 15, 2019)

After working as a chartered surveyor for two mainstream consultancies, I soon realised that heritage-led regeneration projects captured my interest more than undistinguished office blocks. My undergraduate degree had been in History, so I felt that a specialist qualification providing ‘hands on’ exposure to historic buildings would allow me to develop both my professional expertise and academic interests.

I considered several other postgraduate courses: as a self-funded mature student, I wanted to be sure I was making the right choice. The Cambridge MSt stood out from the start. When researching my options, I was particularly impressed by the pastoral support available and the amount of contact time. The teaching blocks of lectures and site visits are intense - the days are long, but absolutely fascinating. The teaching is unparalleled: I feel privileged to have had exposure to so many leading experts from industry and academia.

The course quickly allowed me to re-shape my career path. Shortly after enrolling, I secured a role with a national heritage planning consultancy.  I was promoted twice whilst on the course and the knowledge acquired was invaluable in allowing me to qualify as IHBC. 

After graduating, I moved to the development team at Network Rail, where I am responsible for managing change to some of Britain’s finest railway assets - including Brunel’s Grade I listed Bristol Temple Meads. Every day I draw on the skills acquired on the MSt. The course has changed the way I look at the built environment - how buildings are used, how they have evolved and how the past can drive regeneration. 

I made many like-minded friends on the course and still very much feel part of the ‘Building History family’.  The course has a strong alumni network and it is great to retain an enduring connection to Cambridge. I wish I could study the course all over again!

Jessica Jones, (Oct. 9, 2018)

Prior to taking the MSt in Building History I had studied for a history degree and worked as a Tour Guide. The two years I spent on the course are particularly memorable as an enjoyable, if intense, part of my life. The course is well rounded, and while covering architectural history, it also taught practical skills such as the analysis and interpretation of standing buildings. The programme of teaching is excellent and includes a wide range of lecturers who are experts in their field, and each subject is backed up by a field trip.

The course has been an invaluable help to my career. The second year work placement gave me important experience in the work-place, and the skills I gained on the course enabled me to work as a historic buildings archaeologist and now as an architectural investigator for Historic England.

Christopher Curtis, (May. 7, 2018)