World Heritage Studies (WHS On-Campus)

Established in 1999, the international Master's programme World Heritage Studies (WHS) at Brandenburg University of Technology in Cottbus is the first graduate programme in the world to design its curriculum around the UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. WHS On-Campus is the original, full-time study programme that is taught on campus in Cottbus, Germany. The programme seeks to convey cross-sectorial knowledge with a focus on managerial skills needed for the identification, preservation, management, and presentation of cultural and natural heritage sites. It also provides a comprehensive understanding of the practical, legal, and stakeholder frameworks, together with the ability to critically reflect upon their affordance and limitations. Grounded in a belief that heritage can and should be understood and protected from a wide range of perspectives, the programme combines theory and practice in various academic disciplines such as humanities, architecture, conservation, ecology, management, tourism, marketing, public relations, and beyond. It thus emphasises the links between culture and nature, tangible and intangible heritage values, and conservation and sustainable development. The WHS On-Campus curriculum integrates four study areas in an interdisciplinary curriculum: Humanities and Social Sciences Art, Architecture and Conservation Natural Heritage and Cultural Landscapes Management The study programme also includes two applied study projects and a Master's thesis. World Heritage Studies is characterised by cultural, academic, and professional diversity, and fosters a globally conscious learning environment where students, academics, and industry professionals come together to define and recontextualise heritage for future generations. In 2014, we started an excellence partnership with Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia, and initiated a double degree programme in World Heritage Studies/Cultural Heritage. The top five students accepted into the WHS On-Campus programme will have the possibility to study abroad in Melbourne for one semester and will receive full funding from the DAAD. They will be awarded two degrees upon the successful completion of the programme.