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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@utsoaLed by Senior Lecturer Robert Stepnoski (@robertstepnoski), the 2025 Summer course “Robots for Architecture” explored robotic automation in architectural design and fabrication using KUKA robots.
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@utsoaOur faculty are known for their expansive professional practices that extend beyond the university, so we’re kicking off a new series to feature the research and design work of our wonderful professors.
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@utsoaA little quiet before the next creative storm. Two months down, two to go—see you in August. 🗓️
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@utsoaEven in an increasingly digital profession, hands-on fabrication remains a cornerstone of design education.
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@utsoaSummer stillness at UTSOA ☁️
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@utsoaHave you seen Goldsmith Hall's Living Wall lately? It’s thriving. 🌿
Designed to attract native fauna and test the boundaries of green wall systems, the Living Wall is a research project years in the making—part art, part architecture, part ecology.
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@utsoaWhat happens when local decision-makers and academic subject-matter experts come together to tackle some of Texas’ most urgent planning and design challenges?
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@utsoaKicked off the first of three orientation sessions this summer with an incredible group of new students. Welcome to UTSOA!
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@utsoaAn outstanding leader, architect, teacher, and a radiant positive force in our field, it’s no surprise that Professor Elizabeth Danze has been named one of the 2025 #Texas10 by @texasexes.