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The Certificate in Cultural Resource Management Might be Right for You!

The Cultural Resource Management Program at West Virginia University is an interdisciplinary program. It draws on courses in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, the Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Consumer Sciences, and the College of Creative Arts.

Cultural Resource Management or CRM

The term “Cultural Resource Management” refers to managing places of archaeological, architectural, and historical interest. It considers such places in compliance with environmental, archaeological, and historic preservation laws.

Culture, according to Dictionary.com is defined as:

"the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought."

Resource is defined as:

"something that can be used for support or help."

Therefore, in technical terms, a Cultural Resource is objects or places that have the ability to transmit behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and other products of human work and thought. These objects generally have strong historical significance and are meaningful to individuals or groups who pass information and practices of the said object or place on to the next generation so that they may utilize it for their own benefit. A Cultural Resource can encompass many things including, but not limited to:

“Compliance out of the need to preserve and manage our heritage for future generations!”

National professional bodies and the National Park Service have established explicit guidelines for certification in this field. The curriculum for the proposed Graduate Certificate in Cultural Resource Management is based on these guidelines.

Our program is dedicated to giving students the exposure and experience with CRM legislation necessary for dealing with a wide variety of real life applications. Graduates of this program will be prepared for entry level positions in CRM related fields.

Learn more about Cultural Resource Management Cultural Resource Management involves many people and agencies in order to deal with diverse and widespread resources. One of the most important aspects of CRM education is gaining familiarity and understanding of the various laws protecting our resources. Very little CRM work is done outside the framework setup by legislation such as NHPA and NAGPRA. People dealing with CRM must be compliant with all legislation which pertains their situation.

The History of CRM

There is a long timeline of events that led and still contribute to the field's development. Many acts of legislature and the establishment of several federally funded organizations play an integral part within CRM. The following are a streamlined sequence of events that led to Cultural Resource awareness, and the establishment of a field specifically devoted to the profession. For the most complete information, those interested are encouraged to read Thomas F. King's Thinking About Cultural Resource Management.