The seminar serves as an introduction into the history of Swiss monument preservation and its most important institutions. The preservation of monuments is discussed in relation to historical and social developments in Switzerland.

The Methods Seminar provides students with assistance in identifying topics and writing initial project outlines for the master's thesis. Individual plenary sessions highlight methods and strategies for designing research papers. In individual meetings, students are guided in setting up their work plan as well as in drafting a preliminary outline of their MAS thesis.

The seminar provides an introduction to the basics of working with heritage theory on a scientific basis. It imparts methodological knowledge, introduces participants to archive-based research, and enables them to critically evaluate the sources consulted. The subsequent communication of the results in the form of an expert's report is also part of the course.