In higher education, academic achievement is closely linked to learners’ cognitive engagement and their ability to process, organize, and retain complex disciplinary knowledge. This study examines the role of memory-based cognitive strategies in enhancing academic achievement among university students of heritage studies, a field whose curricula are inherently grounded in cumulative historical knowledge, cultural memory, and the interpretation of material and immaterial heritage.

Adopting a descriptive and analytical educational approach, the study draws on cognitive learning theory to explain how fundamental memory processes—such as encoding, organization, storage, and retrieval—support effective learning in heritage education. Given that heritage studies require students to connect historical contexts, cultural meanings, and symbolic representations across time, instructional strategies such as elaborative encoding, meaningful association, structured content organization, and retrieval practice are particularly relevant for fostering deep understanding.

The analysis demonstrates that teaching practices aligned with learners’ cognitive capacities play a significant role in improving comprehension and academic performance in heritage-related disciplines. Moreover, activating prior knowledge and encouraging reflective learning are shown to enhance students’ engagement with heritage curricula by facilitating the integration of new information into existing cognitive and cultural frameworks.

The findings highlight the pedagogical value of integrating memory-based cognitive strategies into heritage education curricula and teacher training programs, contributing to more effective, cognitively informed, and learner-centered approaches to teaching heritage studies in higher education.