Undergraduate Certificate in Environmental Sustainability

Evaluate and offer solutions to environmental problems by drawing on perspectives from architecture and built environment disciplines with the Undergraduate Certificate in Environmental Sustainability​ in the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University.

This 12-credit undergraduate certificate program blends coursework in community development, city and regional planning, horticulture, and landscape architecture to help students understand the complex network of environmental, social and economic issues surrounding sustainability. Students will take an interdisciplinary approach to research, evaluate and offer solutions for environmental problems.

The certificate is available to all undergraduate degree students and non-degree students. Courses for this certificate are offered at Ambler and Main campuses.

student moving boxes.
Photo credit: Ryan S. Brandenberg, CLA ’14

Classes & Curriculum

Coursework for the Environmental Sustainability certificate focuses on developing the knowledge and skills to evaluate and solve sustainability issues in the built environment. Students study community development, city and regional planning, horticulture, and landscape architecture, among other topics, to help build a sustainable future. At least half of the courses required for the certificate must be completed at Temple University. Some of the courses that students can take include the following.

  • Environmental Planning
  • Fundamentals of Horticulture
  • Plant Ecology
  • Sustainable Community Design and Development

Learn more about courses in this program.

Related Graduate Degrees 

Internships & Opportunities

Every year, Tyler students benefit from exposure to scores of artists, scholars, architects, designers and professionals who are at the top of their fields. Students meet with these inspiring individuals through lectures, class visits, demonstrations and more, including three diverse lecture series and two major speaker programs—the Jack Wolgin Visiting Artist Program and the Knowles Architecture Alumni Lecture.

Tyler’s renowned Critical Dialogue Series, Architecture and Environmental Design Present series, and Laurie Wagman Visiting Artist in Glass series bring influential artists, curators, critics, filmmakers, designers, art historians and more to enrich the Tyler undergraduate experience and interact with students.

Students also connect with a plethora of design projects, programs, studios, workshops, design firms, art centers and collections for internships, residencies and other opportunities, regularly listed in Tyler’s biweekly newsletter, The WHAT.

Careers

Pursuing a certificate in the built environment disciplines teaches you how to be a dynamic thinker and problem-solver—two of the most valued skills that today’s employers seek in new hires. Design programs teach creative ways of seeing, thinking and making.

Students learn versatility and technical skills while becoming adept in traditional practice and new technologies. Students enter a competitive workforce at the head of the pack, ready to use their skill sets and creativity to tackle society’s toughest challenges.

Tyler career coaches specialize in the types of jobs available in the arts and built environment, mentoring students on everything from cover letters to interviews to career advice.

Temple’s Career Center is another resource that empowers students to find pathways to future success. The Career Center offers comprehensive career development services, from résumés and interviews to finding internships and jobs.

Tuition & Fees

The tuition for this Certificate Program is based on school or college of your major, program degree level (undergraduate or graduate), course load (full- or part-time), in-state or out-of-state residency, and more. You can view the full Cost of Attendance breakdown on the Student Financial Services website.

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Additional Program Information