Bachelor's programme in Research and protection of Cultural and Environmental Heritage

Level of study:
bachelor

Duration:
eight (8) semesters

Form of study:
full time

Language:
Latvian

Credits:
240 ECTS

Location:
Rīga, Academic centre

Degree:
Bachelor in Research and protection of cultural and environmental heritage

Tuition fee:
2400 EUR (ES/EEZ/Switzerland citiznes) /
4700 EUR citizens of other countries

Student places:
2 state funded/
35 self funded

Latvia’s tangible cultural and historical heritage — including castles, manor houses, churches, surrounding parks and landscapes, historic roads, traditional farmsteads, and other culturally significant sites — forms an essential part of the country’s national identity.

Today, however, many of these monuments of material culture and cultural landscapes are in a critical condition, with some facing near-total deterioration. This creates an urgent need for a new generation of qualified specialists — professionals with broad, interdisciplinary knowledge and a genuine commitment to preserving and ensuring the long-term sustainability of Latvia’s cultural heritage for both present and future generations.

In response to this need, the University of Latvia, in cooperation with the Art Academy of Latvia, has established an interdisciplinary academic Bachelor’s programme in Cultural Heritage Studies and Protection.

Throughout the programme, students acquire the knowledge, practical skills, and professional competencies required to identify, research, manage, and protect tangible cultural heritage. Particular emphasis is placed on sustainable and economically sound heritage management.

Courses are taught by academic staff from the Faculty of Science and Technology, the Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, the Faculty of Humanities, as well as lecturers from the Art Academy of Latvia, ensuring a truly interdisciplinary learning experience.

The basic structure of the study program consists of four thematic modules:

1. Environmental sciences - ideas, operational methods and research problems of environmental sciences in a broad sense, including the topics of chemical sciences and earth sciences;

2. Environmental science and cultural heritage - the role of environmental sciences in identifying, researching and preserving cultural heritage;

3. Theory and methods in cultural and environmental heritage - operating principles of the cultural and envrinomental heritage industry, industry guidelines, legal regulation and methods of preservation of cultural heritage objects;

4. Humanities and arts - the context of humanities knowledge in philosophy, language studies, history, cultural history and specifically in the field of the history of arts.

The labour market of graduates of the study program relates to cultural industries and real estate management companies, including property development, tourism and hospitality, environmental and cultural protection sectors, and scientific research of cultural and environmental heritage. The main area of competencies that determines the competitiveness of graduates of the study program in the labour market is the knowledge, skills and competencies required for managing and protecting material cultural and envrinomental heritage, ensuring its sustainable and economically justified maintenance. It is necessary to emphasize that such a set of competencies is not provided by any other study program offered in Latvia. It critically affects the existing material cultural heritage management practice, resulting in degraded cultural monuments and objects.

The main areas in which the employment of graduates of the study program is possible include:

Management of municipal and private cultural heritage objects, development and implementation of projects for their restoration and development of new areas of use.
Management of cultural and historical centres of cities, development and implementation of projects for their restoration and development of new areas of use, and support of the tourism sector.
Management of parks and other objects of culture and landscape, development and implementation of projects for their restoration and development of new areas of use, and attraction of tourism.
Management of churches and other important cultural and historical buildings.
Development of new objects in the historical centres of cities.
Scientific research.
The development of the direction of cultural and historical tourism, connecting it with the hospitality field.

The support for the creation and implementation of the current study program was expressed by Rēzekne Art and Design High School and Jānis Rozentāls School of Art, as well as potential employers of the graduates – the National cultural heritage administration, UNESCO Latvian National Commission, Vidzeme Planning Region, Kuldīgas County Municipality, Grobiņas County Municipality, Daugavpils Mark Rothko Art Center, Pedvāle Art Park.

You can find out about the admission requirements for the study program by switching to the Latvian version of the website.

agnese.kukela@lu.lv , phone: +371 26428589