Advanced Certificate in Urban Sustainability

Introducing our Advanced Certificate in Urban Sustainability

Programs and Objectives

The Urban Sustainability Advanced Certificate Program (Program Director - Professor Kyle McDonald)

This innovative, interdisciplinary program draws upon emerging approaches in each of the disciplines of architecture, engineering, science, and the social sciences. The Advanced Certificate prepares students for the burgeoning field of sustainability.  The program's goal is to train current, emerging and next-generation professionals to solve pressing local, regional, and global sustainability problems.  The curriculum is designed to prepare students to plan and implement strategies for sustainable development of buildings, open spaces and infrastructure, energy, water resources, air quality, land use, waste management, transportation, urban planning, and construction.  The curriculum enables students to acquire experience in interdisciplinary analysis of advanced concepts, principles and methodologies for solving a wide range of challenging sustainability problems. Graduates are trained to work in diverse professional settings involving collaboration, interaction and communication with teams of scientists, engineers, architects, and others.

The Advanced Certificate program is geared to working professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering, or science seeking to embed sustainability practices in their field. Courses are taught by the faculties of The Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture, The Grove School of Engineering, the Division of Science, and the Colin L. Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership.

Each candidate for an Advanced Certificate must complete 12 credits consisting of the four core classes. Students may study in person, online, or a combination of the two with all courses offered weekday evenings. For those working full-time, the recommended length of the Certificate is one year (6 credits per semester). See the "Curriculum" page for sample course syllabi.

Advanced Certificate Requirements - Required Courses

12 credits of core classes

SUS 7100C Cities and Sustainability

SUS 7200C Sustainable Aquatic, Terrestrial, and Atmospheric Systems

SUS 7300C Industrial Ecology and Life Cycle Analysis

SUS 7400C Economics of Sustainability

Advanced Certificate Application Requirements

Transcripts/proof of bachelor’s 

Personal Statement (1 page)

Resume (1 page)

1 Letter of Recommendation

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