West Dean College trains conservators, restorers and horologists to become professionals capable of the highest quality of care for historic and artistic artefacts. Practical conservation and restoration requires a high level of technical skill allied with aesthetic sensitivity.  It respects the integrity of historical artefacts and requires an ethical understanding of their historical development and current context, whether this is in a museum or a commercial setting.

Students undertaking the following Postgraduate Diploma programmes can apply to transfer to the MA degree in Conservation Studies awarded by the University of Sussex:

• Conservation of Books & Library Materials
• Conservation of Ceramics & Related Materials
• Conservation of Metalwork