GRADUATE SCHOOL

Conservation and Restoration aims to meet and even exceed international standards in graduate education, which is among the goals of higher education institutions. Within the scope of the European Union harmonization process, priority areas to be reviewed include education, science, and technology. Architecture, as a design and implementation discipline with a history nearly as old as humanity, is a professional field that creates and applies spaces in the light of science and technology.

Considering evolving technologies, globalized social and economic systems, and the layered built environment, as well as the ongoing habitation in high-quality historical and contemporary buildings, the program aims to train conservation specialist architects who can work as experts in large-scale restoration projects, particularly those aimed at conservation, in both the industry and academia, by researching and questioning.

In this context, the Istanbul Commerce University Conservation and Restoration Master’s Program aims to:

• Foster critical awareness regarding the nature, sources, production, and testing of knowledge among architectural conservation and restoration and other specialization areas within the discipline of architecture,
• Enable the acquisition of cognitive and practical skills necessary for professional practice in architectural conservation and restoration, and develop theoretical understanding and scientific discussion abilities,
• Teach methods for preparing a conservation project both practically and technically,
• Develop the ability to accurately evaluate a high-quality historical building in the built environment and determine contemporary design criteria suitable for the historical context, as well as the ability to create contemporary designs compatible with the historical fabric,
• Encourage research and exploration of interdisciplinary relationships in conservation and restoration, and develop the ability to establish connections between disciplines in these areas,
• Develop strategies, policies, and implementation plans related to architectural conservation and restoration, and evaluate the results within the framework of quality processes while considering ethical responsibilities,
• Enable the production of comprehensive projects in the field, using acquired knowledge, understanding, and skills to discuss issues within a multidisciplinary approach, and develop the capacity for verbal and written expression in making design/planning decisions at various scales.

The Conservation and Restoration Master’s Program encourages students to develop innovative, creative, independent, sensitive, dynamic, entrepreneurial, contemporary, and productive personalities, aiming to equip them with the abilities to plan, design, develop, implement, and evaluate. Additionally, it seeks to train conservation specialist architects who are suited for both leadership and teamwork, embrace the importance of lifelong learning, follow professional developments and social changes, and contribute to the values, economy, and technology of our country.