The Conservation Studies course provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge to enable them to gain employment in an institution such as a museum, or in a private-sector workshop, and gives a firm basis upon which to build a future career in conservation or related areas. Many past students now hold posts in leading museums and conservation studios. The course concentrates on the conservation and restoration of objects made of wood, stone and other sculptural materials, such as plaster and terra cotta. Special attention is paid to gilded and painted decoration. The course integrates these with the technical skills and theoretical knowledge required for the preservation and reinstatement of works of art.
Students also study life and other forms of drawing.
Students develop manual and observational skills and an understanding of the development of historical techniques. As the course progresses, students are taught task skills and management, contingency planning, the significance of conservation and restoration work, and their responsibilities as practitioners. The course aims to give students the knowledge and experience to make sound judgements about treatments and the skills to carry them out, as well as an understanding of preventive conservation and collections management. Study of chemistry and of the behaviour and deterioration of materials is informed by the extensive practical experience provided by the course, at the school, on site and in museums. Students are also required to study appropriate historical and social backgrounds in order to provide an informed context for their practical skills, and in their final year all students write a substantial research project based on their practical work and personal research.