About this Program
- College: Design, Construction and Planning
- Degree: Bachelor of Science in Sustainability and the Built Environment
- Specializations: Interdisciplinary | Geodesign
- Credits for Degree: 120
- Contact: Email
To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college, and major requirements.
Department Information
The Sustainability and the Built Environment (SBE) Program at the College of Design, Construction and Planning teaches hands-on sustainability by using the university as a learning laboratory.
Website
CONTACT
Email | 352.294.1428
ARCHITECTURE BUILDING
GAINESVILLE FL 32611-5701
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Curriculum
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:
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.
More Info
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
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one: | 3 | |
| International Sustainable Development | ||
| 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 | |
Critical Tracking records each student’s progress in courses that are required for progress toward each major. Please note the critical-tracking requirements below on a per-semester basis.
Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.
Semester 1
- Complete BCN 1582 with minimum grade of C
- Complete DCP 1010, DCP 1003, and LAA 1330 with minimum grades of C
- Complete MAC 1147 or (MAC 1140 and MAC 1114)
- 2.00 UF GPA required
Semester 2
- Complete ARC 1701 or ARC 1720 or BCN 1010 or IND 2100 or IND 2130 or LAA 2710 or URP 4000 with minimum grade of C
- Complete ECO 2023 with minimum grade of C
- 2.50 UF GPA required
Semester 3
- Complete DCP 2001 with minimum grade of C
- Complete ECO 2013 with minimum grade of C
- Complete STA 2023
- 2.75 UF GPA required
Semester 4
- Complete DCP 2002 with minimum grade of C
- Complete ENC 3254 with minimum grade of C
- 3.0 UF GPA required
Semester 5
- Complete DCP 3210 with minimum grades of C
- Complete one: AEB 4126, REL 2104, or REL 3492 with minimum grade of C
- Complete GEO 3162C with minimum grade of C
- 3.0 UF GPA required
Semester 6
- Complete DCP 3220
Semester 7
- Complete DCP 3200
Semester 8
- Complete DCP 4290
To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold. These courses must be completed by the terms as listed above in the Critical Tracking criteria.
This semester plan represents an example progression through the major. Actual courses and course order may be different depending on the student's academic record and scheduling availability of courses. Prerequisites still apply.
Students will not be required to take more credits than required in semesters with less than 3 credits in electives. DCP advisors have a list of 1 and 2 credit electives in which students may enroll.
| Semester One | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| Quest 1 (Gen Ed Humanities) | 3 | |
| BCN 1582 | International Sustainable Development (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences and International) | 3 |
| DCP 1003 | Creating our Built Environment | 1 |
| DCP 1010 | Geodesign Colloquium | 1 |
| LAA 1330 | Site Analysis | 3 |
| MAC 1147 | Precalculus Algebra and Trigonometry (Critical Tracking; State Core Gen Ed Mathematics) | 4 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester Two | ||
| Select one history of a built environment course: | 3 | |
| Architectural History 1 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Humanities and International) | ||
| Survey of Architecture History (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Humanities and International) | ||
| History of Construction (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Humanities and International) | ||
| History of Interior Design 1 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Humanities) | ||
| History of Interior Design 2 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Humanities) | ||
| History of Landscape Architecture (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Humanities and International) | ||
| Preview of Urban and Regional Planning (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Humanities) | ||
| DCP 1241 | Introduction to Spatial Thinking | 3 |
| ECO 2023 | Principles of Microeconomics (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences) | 4 |
| ENC 1101 | Expository and Argumentative Writing (Gen Ed Composition) | 3 |
| Elective (lower-division) | 2 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester Three | ||
| DCP 2001 | Introduction to GIS I | 3 |
| ECO 2013 | Principles of Macroeconomics (Critical Tracking; State Core Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences) | 4 |
| GEO 2200 | Dynamic Planet Earth (Gen Ed Physical Sciences) | 3 |
| STA 2023 | Introduction to Statistics 1 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Mathematics) | 3 |
| Elective (1000/2000 level) | 2 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester Four | ||
| Quest 2 | 3 | |
| DCP 2002 | Introduction to GIS II | 3 |
| ENC 3254 | Professional Writing in the Discipline (State Core Gen Ed Composition) | 3 |
| State Core Gen Ed Biological or Physical Sciences | 3 | |
| State Core Gen Ed Humanities | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester Five | ||
| DCP 3210 | Sustainable Solutions for the Built Environment (Critical Tracking) | 3 |
| Select one ethics and environmental justice course: | 3 | |
| Agricultural and Natural Resource Ethics (Critical Tracking) | ||
| Environmental Ethics (Critical Tracking) | ||
| Religion Ethics and Nature (Critical Tracking) | ||
| GEO 3162C | Introduction to Quantitative Analysis for Geographers | 4 |
| Select one resource economics course: | 3 | |
| Economics of Resource Use (Critical Tracking) | ||
| Introduction to Natural Resource and Environmental Economics (Critical Tracking) | ||
| International Development Policy (Critical Tracking) | ||
| Sustainable Ecotourism Development (Critical Tracking) | ||
| Global and Regional Economies (Critical Tracking) | ||
| URP 4230 | 3D Modeling, Visualization, and Simulation | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Semester Six | ||
| DCP 3220 | Social and Cultural Sustainability and the Built Environment (Critical Tracking) | 3 |
| Select one ecology for the built environment course: | 3 | |
| Urban Forestry | ||
| The World of Water | ||
| Land and Life | ||
| Landscape Ecology and Conservation | ||
| Wildlife Habitat Management | ||
| Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Conservation | ||
| URP 4283 | Automation for Geospatial Modeling and Analysis | 3 |
| Approved electives | 6 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Semester Seven | ||
| DCP 3200 | Methods of Inquiry for Sustainability and the Built Environment (Critical Tracking) | 3 |
| DCP 4945 | Geodesign Practicum I | 5 |
| Approved elective | 3 | |
| Elective (3000/4000 level) | 3 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Semester Eight | ||
| DCP 4290 | Capstone Project in Sustainability and the Built Environment (Critical Tracking) | 6 |
| Approved electives | 6 | |
| Elective (3000/4000 level) | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BCN 1582 | International Sustainable Development | 3 |
| DCP 3200 | Methods of Inquiry for Sustainability and the Built Environment | 3 |
| DCP 3210 | Sustainable Solutions for the Built Environment | 3 |
| DCP 3220 | Social and Cultural Sustainability and the Built Environment | 3 |
| ECO 2013 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 4 |
| ECO 2023 | Principles of Microeconomics | 4 |
| ENC 3254 | Professional Writing in the Discipline | 3 |
| LAA 1330 | Site Analysis | 3 |
| MAC 1147 | Precalculus Algebra and Trigonometry | 4 |
| STA 2023 | Introduction to Statistics 1 | 3 |
History
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ARC 1720 | Survey of Architecture History | 3 |
| BCN 1010 | History of Construction | 3 |
| IND 2100 | History of Interior Design 1 | 3 |
| IND 2100 | History of Interior Design 1 | 3 |
| LAA 2710 | History of Landscape Architecture | 3 |
| URP 4000 | Preview of Urban and Regional Planning | 3 |
Ethics Requirement
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ARC 1000 | Architecture and Humanity | 3 |
| AEB 4126 | Agricultural and Natural Resource Ethics | 3 |
| DCP 4930 | Special Topics of Design, Construction and Planning | 1-6 |
| DCP 4930 | Special Topics of Design, Construction and Planning (Community Resilience) | 1-6 |
| PHI 3641 | Ethics and Innovation | 3 |
| PHI 3681 | Ethics, Data, and Technology | 3 |
| PSY 3626 | Psychology of Sustainability | 3 |
| REL 2104 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
Resource Economics
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AEB 2451 | Economics of Resource Use | 3 |
| AEB 3450 | Introduction to Natural Resource and Environmental Economics | 3 |
| AEB 4283 | International Development Policy | 3 |
| FOR 4664 | Sustainable Ecotourism Dev | |
| GEO 2500 | Global and Regional Economies | 3 |
Energy and Climate Change
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AGG 3501 | Environment, Food and Society | 3 |
| AOM 2520 | Global Sustainable Energy: Past, Present and Future | 3 |
| ARC 4930 | Special Topics Seminar in Architecture (Architecture and Climate) | 1-6 |
| BCN 1210 | Construction Materials | 3 |
| BCN 4594 | Building Energy Modeling | 3 |
| IDS 2935 | Special Topics (Energy and Society) | 1-3 |
| WOH 3404 | Global History of Energy | 3 |
Other Approved Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AEB 2451 | Economics of Resource Use | 3 |
| AEB 4126 | Agricultural and Natural Resource Ethics | 3 |
| AEB 4283 | International Development Policy | 3 |
| ANT 4403 | Environment and Cultural Behavior | 3 |
| AOM 2520 | Global Sustainable Energy: Past, Present and Future | 3 |
| ARC 1000 | Architecture and Humanity | 3 |
| ARC 4882 | Vernacular Architecture and Sustainability | 3 |
| BCN 1210 | Construction Materials | 3 |
| BCN 1251C | Construction Drawing | 3 |
| BCN 4105 | Sustainable Housing: Putting the 3 E's into Residential Practice | 3 |
| BCN 4594 | Building Energy Modeling | 3 |
| DCP 1241 | Introduction to Spatial Thinking | 3 |
| DCP 4000 | Overview of Historic Preservation | 3 |
| DCP 4214 | Green Building Strategies | 6 |
| DCP 4215 | Leadership in Sustainability | 3 |
| DCP 4216 | WELL Building Strategies (WELL Practicum) | 6 |
| DCP 4300 | AI in the Built Environment | 3 |
| DCP 4930 | Special Topics of Design, Construction and Planning (Community Resilience) | 1-6 |
| DCP 4930 | Special Topics of Design, Construction and Planning (Economics of Sustainability) | 1-6 |
| EEL 3872 | Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals | 3 |
| EES 4050 | Environmental Planning and Design | 3 |
| FNR 4660 | Natural Resource Policy and Economics | 3 |
| FOR 3004 | Forests, Conservation and People | 3 |
| FOR 3153C | Forest Ecology | 3 |
| FOR 4060 | Global Forests | 3 |
| GEO 2500 | Global and Regional Economies | 3 |
| GEO 3372 | Conservation of Resources | 3 |
| LAA 1920 | Introduction to Landscape Architecture | 3 |
| LAA 3230 | Theories of Landscape Architecture | 3 |
| PSY 3626 | Psychology of Sustainability | 3 |
| REL 3492 | Religion Ethics and Nature | 3 |
| SWS 2007 | The World of Water | 3 |
| SWS 2008 | Land and Life | 3 |
| URP 3001 | Cities of the World | 3 |
| URP 4000 | Preview of Urban and Regional Planning | 3 |
| URP 4230 | 3D Modeling, Visualization, and Simulation | 3 |
| URP 4273 | Survey of Planning Information Systems | 3 |
| URP 4640 | Sustainable Urbanism in Europe | 3 |
| URP 4744 | Neighborhood Planning | 3 |
| URP 4804 | International Perspectives in Urban and Regional Planning | 3 |
| URP 4882 | Defensible Space and CPTED in Urban Design | 3 |
| WIS 2552 | Biodiversity Conservation: Global Perspectives | 3 |
| WIS 4203C | Landscape Ecology and Conservation | 3 |
| WIS 4523 | Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Conservation | 3 |
| WIS 4427C | Wildlife Habitat Management | 3 |
Geodesign
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| DCP 1241 | Introduction to Spatial Thinking | 3 |
| DCP 2001 | Introduction to GIS I | 3 |
| DCP 2002 | Introduction to GIS II | 3 |
| DCP 4945 | Geodesign Practicum I | 5 |
| URP 4230 | 3D Modeling, Visualization, and Simulation | 3 |
| URP 4905 | Exploration and Directed Study | 1-3 |
Ecology
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FOR 4090C | Urban Forestry | 3 |
| LAA 1920 | Introduction to Landscape Architecture | 3 |
| SWS 2007 | The World of Water | 3 |
| SWS 2008 | Land and Life | 3 |
| WIS 4203C | Landscape Ecology and Conservation | 3 |
| WIS 4427C | Wildlife Habitat Management | 3 |
| WIS 4523 | Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Conservation | 3 |
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
- Explain sustainability principles.
- Integrate knowledge and principles from sustainability-related disciplines.
- Describe the role of the built environment in sustainability.
- Combine information from multiple sources to solve problems.
Critical Thinking
- Frame sustainable problems and potential solutions within a global context.
- Collect and analyze data to solve problems.
- Produce sustainable solutions for problems of the built environment.
- Integrate multiple disciplinary, cultural and stakeholder perspectives for sustainable problem solving.
Communication
- Produce an effective oral presentation.
- Produce effective written communications.
- Integrate a variety of visual techniques to enhance the communication of ideas and solutions.
- Solve a built environment sustainability problem in a multidisciplinary team.
Curriculum Map
I = Introduced; R = Reinforced; A = Assessed
| 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