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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@utsoaJoin us next Friday, May 2 for our End of Year Show, an exhibit celebrating a year of UTSOA, themed Overexposed.
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@utsoaCongrats @utsoafirstyears on wrapping up Design II final reviews yesterday!
Final review week continues tomorrow through Friday. For a list of guest critics, visit the link in our bio. And tune in and follow along on our stories all week.
Best of luck everyone!Instagram Post
@utsoaCongratulations to the three interior design students named to Metropolis Magazine’s 2025 Future 100 list: Winnie Lin @winnlin (MID), Ashley Marie Sparks @ashleysparks_ (BSID), and Nandita Warrier (MID II).
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@utsoaThe Interior Design Program at The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture is hosting the Interior Provocations symposium, in collaboration with Pratt Institute, on Friday, November 7, 2025.
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@utsoaWaterloo Park is a 11-acre park and green space along Austin’s Waller Creek less than one mile from the @utaustin campus.
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@utsoaAssistant Professor Daniel Koehler’s (@punktiert ) advanced research-by-design studio is exploring the convergence of Generative AI (GA) and advanced material systems in architectural design, using the typology of a contemporary school building as a testing ground.
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@utsoaThank you to everyone who joined us for the Landscape First conference last week!
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@utsoaA multidisciplinary team of students took home first place in this year’s @americanplanningassociation Planning and Design competition.
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@utsoa“540 Howard St.” by Jamie Treadwell for Lisa Iwamoto’s and Craig Scott’s (@cs_sf) Advanced Studio // 2023-2024 Design Excellence winner