Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Practices

The Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Practices is an ideal choice if you are a working professional seeking to build your knowledge base and credentials in the field of sustainable design, engineering and the built environment. The online courses are identical to those taught in the full-time MS in Sustainable Design Program and students may apply to enter the full-time program and transfer all 12 credits. Students will receive instruction via live interactive presentations of the internet, video recordings of professionally delivered lectures, real-time interactive chat rooms, asynchronous threaded discussions, and email and phone conversations.

A solid knowledge base communicates the origins, detailed aspects and future directions of sustainability as it impacts the design and construction industries. A wide range of contextual factors that shape the discourse on sustainability - including climate change, peak oil, carbon accounting, triple bottom line economics and governmental initiatives will be discussed. Students will learn the concepts, strategies and design approaches needed to achieve LEED certified, net zero, and carbon-neutral buildings.

Objectives of the Program include:

• Provide a thorough understanding of sustainable building systems in order to optimize energy efficiency and minimize environmental impact while maintaining human comfort resulting in a holistically designed building that is non-polluting and energy efficient
• Achieve understanding of the basic concepts, principles and theories associated with the embodied energy and life-cycle of materials and materials processing
• Explore larger issues, such as global warming and ozone depletion, associated with green materials and their use in buildings
• Recognize effective team-based management practices that favorably affect sustainable construction strategies