The Graduate Program in Sustainable Design is an interdisciplinary and research-based degree path. Here, scholars are both part of a specialized, close-knit cohort of MSSD students as well as members of the larger Architecture program and UT Austin campus community. Students are encouraged to draw from the sizeable and wide-ranging knowledge of faculty within the school and across the university. The Master of Science in Sustanable Design degree's STEM designation from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board also opens up new research and funding resources, and enables additional professional opportunities for international students.
The School of Architecture has several facilities and laboratories to allow for sustainable design research at various scales and scopes to complement students’ academic experiences. The Sustainable Design Program distinguishes itself from other programs in the school as its low faculty-student ratio allows for one-to-one interaction in addition to potential opportunities for Graduate Research Assistant work to support faculty research in conjunction with the Center for Sustainable Development.
Moreover, students are able to experience and contribute to the development of one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation—Austin, Texas. Together with faculty and professionals in practice students contribute to resolving Austin’s current density, equity, and environmental issues in the living laboratory of a dynamic and ever-changing city.
sustainable design
DEGREES + PROGRAMS
The Sustainable Design Program at the University of Texas as Austin offers two graduate-level degree programs and a Ph.D. in Architecture with a concentration in sustainability.
| GRADUATE | DOCTORAL | |
|---|---|---|
|
MSSD + Master of Science in Community & Regional Planning [MSCRP] |
Ph.D in Architecture, Sustainability | |
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN NEWS
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@utsoaSimulating Democracy: Housing and Computation in Modern Latin America
▪️ By Michael Moynihan
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@utsoaWith over 29,000 material samples available for students, the Materials Lab is an incredible resource for students.
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Organized by UTSOA faculty:
Ria Bravo - @riabravodesign
Tara Dudley - @tdudleyphd
Nerea Feliz - @feliz_nerea
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@utsoaWhat roles and responsibilities do fields engaged in shaping the atmosphere of interiors assume in the age of extreme weather events unfolding across a heating planet? How do atmospheric patterns, traditions, metaphors, or mishaps from the past inform current interior responses?
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@utsoa📝 Applications are open for 2026-2027 undergraduate and graduate programs!
Apply today to join an interdisciplinary community of designers, planners, and scholars committed to creative exploration, ambitious scholarship and critical practice.
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@utsoaOur Spring 2025 public programming lineup is here! This semester’s exhibitions and lectures represent a broad cross-section of disciplines of the built environment — including architects, urban planners, landscape architects, interior designers and urban designers.
