Fall 2025 Courses

Course registration will open Tuesday, August 12 at 8:00 am.

The courses offered for fall 2025 are:

Online offerings often fill within 24 hours. Subscribe for our newsletter here so you’re among the first to know when registration opens!

Payment for these courses will be accepted online via the registration links below. 

Introduction to Historic Preservation

Thursday, September 18, 2025 – Thursday, November 20, 2025 at 7 – 8:15 p.m.
10-week class | credit/no credit | 2 CEUs
Online via Zoom and Canvas (Rutgers course management system)

This course is an introduction to the preservation of the built environment, examining the history and philosophy of historic preservation as well as how the discipline is practiced today. It will provide the historic framework of how preservation has emerged as a field of specialization and will expose students to the terminology used by its practitioners. At the end of this course, you should understand:

  • The key concepts that have informed and continue to guide modern preservation practice in the United States
  • The core programs and terms used in preservation practice;
  • That historic preservation is a multi-disciplinary field and the roles that various professions and perspectives play in achieving preservation outcomes;
  • How preservation in the United States relates to preservation in other parts of the world.

Instructor: Jennifer L. Boggs

Schedule: Ten weeks starting Thursday, September 18, 2025 through Thursday, November 20, 2025.  This class will meet synchronously online from 7:00 to 8:15 p.m., with additional assignments outside of class time to fulfill course requirements.

Who should register?: This course will be useful for anyone looking to broaden their understanding of current issues in historic preservation. It is required for the Continuing Education Certificate in Historic Preservation.

Required book:  Tyler, Norman. Historic Preservation: An Introduction to its History, Principles, and Practice. 3rd Edition. New York: WW Norton Company, 2018.

Required technology: Computer with webcam and microphone and a reliable internet connection.

Cost: $275 – We accept Purchase Order (PO) requests.

Course Number: HP-101-F25-Online

REGISTER (limit 20): Register here.  If the class is full, you will be added to the waiting list. If a spot opens on the waiting list, we will let you know.

About the instructor:

Jennifer Boggs is a historic preservation specialist who has practiced primarily in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. She holds an M.A. in the History of Art and Archaeology from the Institute of Fine Arts, NYU, and an M.S. in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania.

Back to Basics: Training for Historic Preservation Commissions

Tuesday, October 7, 2025 – Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at 6 – 8:30 p.m.
6-week class | credit/no credit | 1.2 CEU
Online via Zoom and Canvas (Rutgers course management system)

This online course is open to all preservationists, but it is specifically geared toward those serving on a New Jersey historic preservation commission (HPC). This program is designed to benefit both new and experienced commission members and will also be relevant for planning and zoning board members and elected officials. Focus will be on legal parameters for implementing a commission, conducting an effective public meeting, and understanding and implementing tools to foster good preservation at the local level.

Individuals participating in this course will learn:

  • How historic preservation commissions (HPCs) are legally established
  • How to conduct effective meetings and legal obligations
  • How to use the ordinance and design guidelines in decision-making
  • The relationship between the HPC and other regulatory boards
  • About resources to assist in promoting good community preservation

Instructor: Dorothy Guzzo

Schedule: Six weeks, starting Tuesday, October 7, 2025 through Tuesday, November 11, 2025; live online from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Who should register?: This course will provide an introduction for those who are new to planning or who are curious about the intersection of planning and preservation, such as historic property board members, volunteers, or managers; local government elected officials or review board representatives; property owners on a historic site or in a historic district; and anyone who wants to learn more about preservation from a planning perspective. The course fulfills a requirement for the continuing education certificate in historic preservation.

Required technology: Computer with webcam and microphone and a reliable internet connection.

Cost: $175

Course Number: HP-133-F25-Online

REGISTER (limit 20): Register here. If the class is full, you will be added to the waiting list. If a spot opens on the waiting list, we will let you know.

About the instructor:

Dorothy P. Guzzo served as executive director of the New Jersey Historic Trust from 2008-2024. From 1995 to 2008, as the deputy state historic preservation officer for New Jersey, she oversaw the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places, project certification to qualify for Investment Tax Credits, certifying local governments for implementing programs on the municipal level, historic and archaeological resource inventory and resource protection through state and federal regulations. She has held elected office and served on her municipal planning board and local historic preservation commission. Ms. Guzzo served on the New Jersey Heritage Tourism Task Force and was charged with creating a Heritage Tourism Master Plan for the state of New Jersey.

 

NEW! The Five Pillars of Preventative Conservation

Wednesday, October 15, 2025 – Wednesday, November 12, 2025 at 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
5-week class | credit/no credit | 1 CEU
Online via Zoom and Canvas (Rutgers course management system)

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to the five core pillars of preventive conservation: policies and practices, environmental management, housing/storage and space, housekeeping and pest management, and emergency preparedness. Each week, students will learn about a new pillar of preventive conservation and why they are important when preserving historic resources and collections. Students will also learn strategies and policies they can introduce at their own institutions to promote responsible resource management and collections care.

Instructor: Shannon Bremer

Schedule: Five weeks starting Wednesday, October 15, 2025 through Wednesday, November 12, 2025, live online from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Who should register?: This course will be useful for anyone looking to broaden their understanding of current issues in historic preservation.

Required technology: Computer with webcam and microphone and a reliable internet connection.

Cost: $150 – We accept Purchase Order (PO) requests.

Course Number: HP-136-F25-Online

REGISTER (limit 20): Register here.  If the class is full, you will be added to the waiting list. If a spot opens on the waiting list, we will let you know.

About the instructor:

Shannon Bremer is a Historic Preservation Specialist for the New Jersey Historic Trust. She has overseen numerous grant-funded, preservation projects ranging from preservation plans and construction documents to ADA accessibility and capital improvement projects since she began working for the Trust in 2022. Ms. Bremer also provides technical assistance to grantees and the public at large as well as assists with the Trust’s Emergency Intervention Fund. Ms. Bremer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Historic Preservation from the University of Mary Washington (Fredericksburg, VA) and a Master of Arts in American Studies from the College of William & Mary (Williamsburg, VA). She also holds a certificate in Material Culture and Public History from the National Institute of American History and Democracy at the College of William & Mary.

 Cancellation policy:

  • Courses (three or more class meetings): Students may cancel their registrations prior to the start of class for a full refund.  For withdrawals within the first two weeks of class, cancellations will be refunded 50 percent.  After the first two weeks, no refunds will be issued.
  • Workshops (two days or less): Cancellations are fully refundable up to one week prior to the start of the workshop. No other refunds will be issued.
  • In all cases, registrations are non-transferable to another person.

*Class and workshop details subject to change.