Master's Program in Sustainable Design
The University of Florida College of Design, Construction and Planning is expanding its sustainability program to Singapore. Partnering with Singapore's Center for American Education, the college is offering the Master of Science in Architectural Studies with a concentration in Sustainable Design.
The three-semester University of Florida Master’s Program in Sustainable Design leads to a post-graduate professional degree in the specialized field of sustainable design.
Open to applicants with a bachelor’s degree in any field, it is an excellent opportunity for enhancing a student’s educational background, professional qualifications or teaching credentials through individualized, in-depth and interdisciplinary research in specific areas under the guidance of faculty specialists.
Curricula for this program draws upon the diverse strengths of the College of Design, Construction and Planning at the University of Florida in architecture, building construction, historic preservation, interior design, landscape architecture and urban and regional planning.
Program Delivery Format
The program delivery mechanism will be a “hybrid” of web-based instruction, intensive live sessions with DCP faculty in Singapore (10 days on five separate occasions during the 12-month program period), video conferencing and regularly scheduled computer-assisted interactions, local professional staff mentoring, and a wrap-up session for all participants in the U.S. The wrap-up session includes site visits to leading firms, organizations and project sites that represent the best in sustainability.
A number of the needed courses will be in web-delivery mode by the start of the program, with additional courses being brought on line over the subsequent years. All courses will be delivered by faculty within the College of Design, Construction and Planning or adjunct faculty hired by the college. It is assumed that many if not majority of participants will be holding work positions during their enrollment in the program. Therefore, the variable time period allows adjustment to student’s circumstances and the multiple delivery modes make it possible to complete the degree requirements while maintaining employment.
Admission Criteria
Applicants must meet the general program degree requirements, as outlined below:
- Applicants must have a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, or a four-year international equivalent.
- Applicants must have some professional work experience/education that can serve as a foundation for the field of sustainability.
- Applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit test scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
- Applicants must submit a statement of purpose for enrolling in the program.
- Applicants for admission must submit recent official scores for the GRE test as well as official transcripts for all previous academic work. The GRE scores are required but are not considered the primary criteria for acceptance.
- Some design experience/training is desirable but not required.
Curriculum
The Master’s Program in Sustainable Design is an interdisciplinary master’s program that draws upon faculty and courses in all six of the college’s programs, namely architecture, building construction, historic preservation, interior design, landscape architecture and urban and regional planning. Courses offered in this program include those that have been developed to support existing graduate certificates in Sustainable Architecture, Sustainable Construction and Sustainable Design.
Coursework for program will be offered through a combination of intensive on-site classes delivered by UF faculty remotely, on-line courses, design studios (on-site) and a mandatory culminating summer program in the U.S. (2-weeks). Students who successfully complete the program will be awarded the Master of Science in Architectural Studies with a concentration in Sustainable Design. The program will be offered in conjunction with the Center for American Education (CAE) based in Singapore and use their facilities for Singapore-based delivery.
Program and Course Structure
| Semester 1 | 12 CR |
| International Sustainable Development | 4 CR |
| Sustainable Design Problem Solving | 4 CR |
| Ecological Issues in Sustainability | 4 CR |
| Semester 2 | 12 CR |
| Design Studio in Sustainability | 6 CR |
| Comparative Law and Policy for Sustainability | 3 CR |
| Greening Existing Buildings | 2 CR |
| Capstone Project Proposal Development | 1 CR |
| Semester 3 | 12 CR |
| Sustainability Capstone Project | 6 CR |
| Electives in Sustainable Design | 4 CR |
| Cases of Sustainability in Practice (study tour in US) | 2 CR |
| TOTAL | 36 CR |
No single cohort will exceed 20 students to ensure program quality. Based on demand, and available faculty resources, a second cohort can be added at a later time.
Target Start Date: January 2010
The total price of the program is S$51,360 (inclusive of GST). One additional expense for students will be round-trip airfare to the U.S. for the closing wrap-up session. All local costs for course participants in the U.S. are included in the base program fee. Scholarships are available to students on a competitive basis to cover partial program costs.
