The Bachelor of Science in Sustainability and the Built Environment (BSSBE) concentrates on sustainability from an interdisciplinary lens that enables students to explore creative solutions for the planning, design, construction, and operations of human structures and settlements. Environmental policies, ethics, ecology, landscape architecture, economics, natural resources, sociology, and anthropology are an integral part of the BSSBE program.

Whether it is planning, redesign and rehabilitation of existing structures, or innovative new design, students will be provided a theoretical foundation for seeking sustainable solutions to problems in the built environment. This program requires students to demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the goals of sustainability and the activities of the built environment disciplines, including architecture, building construction, historic preservation, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban and regional planning. The degree program is supported by the globally recognized expertise in sustainability of the faculty in the College of Design, Construction and Planning and from across campus.

Graduates will have opportunities for work in various industries including public, private, and NGOs promoting the principles of sustainability. Additionally, students will be prepared to enter graduate school in architecture, building construction, historic preservation, interior design, landscape architecture and urban and regional planning.

Field trips to broaden and expand students' educational experiences through study of planning, design, construction, and sustainability projects are required and will be paid for by students.

Transfer Students

Transfer students must complete their AA degree and these courses with minimum grades of C:

• MAC 1147 or (MAC 1140 and MAC 1114)
• STA 2023
• ECO 2013
• ECO 2023

Transfer students must also have a 3.0 minimum overall GPA. Refer to the admissions website for transfer admission information, application deadlines, and the online application.
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Specializations

Geodesign

The geodesign specialization is for students interested in the application of geographic information systems in the sustainable design of the built environment.

Interdisciplinary

The interdisciplinary specialization is for students who want a general degree that emphasizes the importance of sustainability for all of the built environment fields.

Coursework for the Major

All students, regardless of specialization, are required to take 53 credits of core courses to develop knowledge of the fundamental concepts for sustainability and the built environment.

Students should meet with an advisor as early as possible in their academic careers to choose their specialization and to plan their course of study.

Core Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Select one:		3
BCN 1582	International Sustainable Development
IDS 2935	Special Topics (Facets of Sustainability)
ECO 2023	Principles of Microeconomics	4
ECO 2013	Principles of Macroeconomics	4
A history course in architecture, construction management, interior design, landscape architecture, or urban and regional planning
LAA 1330	Site Analysis	3
STA 2023	Introduction to Statistics 1	3
DCP 3210	Sustainable Solutions for the Built Environment	3
DCP 3220	Social and Cultural Sustainability and the Built Environment	3
An approved ecology and the built environment course
An approved ethics and/or environmental justice course
An approved energy and/or climate change course
An approved resource economics course
DCP 3200	Methods of Inquiry for Sustainability and the Built Environment	3
DCP 4941	Practicum in Sustainability and the Built Environment	6
or DCP 4942	Field Experience in Sustainability and the Built Environment
DCP 4290	Capstone Project in Sustainability and the Built Environment	6
Total Credits		38

The Bachelor of Science in Sustainability and the Built Environment requires students to demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the goals of sustainability and the activities of the built environment disciplines, including architecture, building construction, historic preservation, interior design, landscape architecture, and urban and regional planning.

Before Graduating Students Must

• Complete a capstone or independent research project, present the results to a committee of the program’s faculty, and receive acceptable assessment.
• Complete requirements for the baccalaureate degree, as determined by faculty.

Students in the Major Will Learn to

Student Learning Outcomes | SLOs

Content

1. Explain sustainability principles.
2. Integrate knowledge and principles from sustainability-related disciplines.
3. Describe the role of the built environment in sustainability.
4. Combine information from multiple sources to solve problems.

Critical Thinking

5. Frame sustainable problems and potential solutions within a global context.
6. Collect and analyze data to solve problems.
7. Produce sustainable solutions for problems of the built environment.
8. Integrate multiple disciplinary, cultural and stakeholder perspectives for sustainable problem solving.

Communication

9. Produce an effective oral presentation.
10. Produce effective written communications.
11. Integrate a variety of visual techniques to enhance the communication of ideas and solutions.
12. Solve a built environment sustainability problem in a multidisciplinary team.

Curriculum Map

I = Introduced; R = Reinforced; A = Assessed

Academic Learning Compact 12

Courses	SLO 1	SLO 2	SLO 3	SLO 4	SLO 5	SLO 6	SLO 7	SLO 8	SLO 9	SLO 10	SLO 11	SLO 12
DCP 3200				I, R		I, R			I, R	I, R
DCP 3210	I		I	I, R	I, R	I, R	I, R		I, R		I, R
DCP 3220	R		R	R	R	R	R	I, R	R	R	R	I, R, A
DCP 4290	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A
DCP 4910	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A
DCP 4941	R		R	R	R	R	R	R	R		R
DCP 4942	R		R	R					R
Approved Electives1		R	R
Ecology for the Built Environment (one course)1		I, R
Energy and/or Climate Change (one course)1		I, R
Ethics and Environmental Justice (one course)1		I, R
Resource Economics (one course)1		I, R

¹

Student chooses from courses listed in semesters 5-7 of the major's semester plan. 

Assessment Types

• Capstone evaluation
• Final project evaluation

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