The Masters program consists of 30 credits total.  A required five course core curriculum lays a foundation in sustainability values, strategies and metrics through coursework in urban and natural systems, environmental economics and industrial ecology. They are aimed at giving students with diverse educational backgrounds and perspectives a common language and shared direction. Emphasis will be placed on approaches such as ‘whole systems thinking’ and life cycle analysis to enable an increased understanding of complex urban eco-systems. A key feature of the core curriculum is a yearlong, six-credit capstone interdisciplinary project designed for teams of students with different backgrounds.

Links below will take you to a PDF of the course syllabus.

Core Courses for All Students

• SUS 7100C: Cities and Sustainability (3 cr.)
• SUS 7200C: Sustainable Aquatic, Terrestrial and Atmospheric Systems (3 cr.)
• SUS 7300C: Industrial Ecology and Life Cycle Analysis (3 cr.)
• SUS 7400C: Economics of Sustainability (3 cr.)
• SUS 7501C & 7502C: Capstone Interdisciplinary Team Project (sequence of two 3-cr. courses)

Electives include advanced courses within architecture, engineering and science. Students in the program select one of two concentrations: (1) Architecture Concentration, suitable for students in architecture, and (2) Engineering-Science Concentration, appropriate for engineering or science majors.

Students take four elective courses – three in their concentration and one in the other – to complete program requirements.

Elective Courses in Architecture*

• SUS 7100A: Environmental Planning (3 cr.)
• SUS 7200A: Urbanism (3 cr.)
• SUS 7300A: Low-Energy Buildings (3 cr.)**
• SUS 7400A: Case Studies in Sustainability (3 cr.)
• SUS 7500A: Integrated Building Systems (3 cr.)**
• SUS 7600A: Perspectives on Sustainable Materials (3 cr.)
• SUS 7700A: Sustainable Soil and Water (3 cr.)
  
• SUS 7900A: Building Modeling and Simulation (3cr.)
  

Elective Courses in Engineering and Science*

• SUS 7100B: Sustainable Transportation (3 cr.)
• SUS 7200B: Energy Systems Engineering for Global Sustainability** (3 cr.)
• SUS 7300B: Climate and Climate Change (3 cr.)**
• SUS 7400B: Water Resources and Sustainability (3 cr.)**
• SUS 7500B: Green Chemistry (3 cr.)
• SUS 7600B: Design of Mechanical Systems for Sustainable Buildings (3 cr.)**
• SUS 7700B: Solid Waste Reuse & Recycling (3 cr.)
• SUS 7800B: Sustainability in Infrastructure (3 cr.)**

Elective Course in Social Science*

• SUS 7200S: Green Thinking: Selected Topics in Environmental Psychology, Education, and Communication (3 cr.)
  

*  Enrollment in these courses requires an undergraduate degree in science, engineering or architecture or completion of pre-requirements stated on letter of admission to the program. Such pre-requirements should be satisfactorily completed prior to beginning MS in Sustainability coursework.

** Additional prerequisite(s) are also required for these elective courses.

(Click on a project for a fuller description.)

A Systems Approach to Urban Community-Scale Composting
The Solar Roofpod: Implications for New York City’s Long-Term Sustainability Plan
High-Performance Glazing for Energy-Efficient and Bird-Safe Buildings
Food Grinders and Sustainable Food Waste Disposal
Low-Tech Global Reuse and Recycling in a Local School
Factors Affecting the Decision to Demolish or Deconstruct an Existing Building
Carbon Trading Markets
Analysis of Household Energy Consumption Choices
Separating Risks to Cash Flows for Heating/Cooling
The City College Waste Stream, Part I: Food Rescue and Recycling
The City College Waste Stream, Part II: Removing Barriers to Paper Recycling
Green Wall Technologies
Using Pyrolysis to Convert Unused Urban Biotic Material into Bioenergy and Biochar
Plant and Soil-Based Carbon Sequestration in Urban Areas
Reconfiguration of Manhattan Bus Stopping Frequency
Designing an Urban Food-Vending Stand
Designing Urban Green Roofs for Modularity and Recyclability
Design of a Modularized “Smart” Façade System
Water Use Reduction in Buildings
Optimizing Building Energy Use
Sustainable Construction Material
Using Natural Zeolite Based Sorbents to Remove Contaminants during Groundwater Recharge with Reclaimed Municipal Wastewater

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“I know of no other program in the country which has put together such a comprehensive and integrated pedagogy. It will certainly establish City College at the forefront of sustainable urban design education.”

Harrison Fraker, FAIA
Professor and Former Dean
College of Environmental Design,
University of California at Berkeley