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The Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art
Conservation (WUDPAC) is a graduate-level program jointly sponsored by
the University of Delaware and Winterthur Museum. It is a
three-year course leading to a Master of Science in Art Conservation. The
curriculum is designed to educate and train conservation professionals to carry
out the examination, analysis, stabilization and treatment of art and
artifacts, speak to general principles of collection care, and have a broad
academic background in science and the humanities. Our Value Statement​ reflects our commitment to educating professionals skilled in the analysis, treatment, and preservation of cultural artifacts by connecting disciplines in the arts, humanities, and sciences.​​
Faculty and students use twenty-six well-equipped
conservation studios, laboratories, examination rooms and
workshops in the Louise du Pont Crowninshield Research Building at Winterthur. This building houses one of the country’s largest and
best-equipped museum analytical laboratories and conservation studios. Winterthur’s
comprehensive collection of early American art, architecture, furniture,
textiles, silver, pewter, ceramics, glass, paintings, and prints is
world-renowned. The University of Delaware houses art studios for
reconstructing historic techniques, science laboratories, a conservation
laboratory and administrative offices.
Tours of the conservation laboratories at Winterthur Museum will be offered to potential applicants on designated Monday afternoons. Dates during the Spring 2022 semester include March 14th, April 4th, April 11th, and April 25th, from 1:30-2:30pm. If you would like more information or have questions about pre-program conservation tours, please contact WUDPAC Fellows Meghan Abercrombie (she/hers) (maber@udel.edu) and Riley Cruttenden (they/them) (rileyc@udel.edu). PLEASE NOTE: Given the global pandemic and concern for health and safety, tour group size will be limited. Masks will be required during the duration of the​ tour and in all indoor spaces. ​​
We recognize that pre-program candidates to the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation may no longer have access to in-person classes or internships during these tumu​ltuous times. The Association of North American Graduate Programs in the Conservation of Cultural Property (ANAGPIC) has compiled a list of suggestions for how to enhance your preparation for graduate study while sheltering in place. You can access a PDF of that document online. In addition, the "Quick-Start Guide: A Career in Conservation" prepared by the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network of the American Institute for Conservation is available online, and an "Art Conservation: Career 101" informational handout prepared by WUDPAC Class of 2019 alumna Madison Brockman is also available online.
