MS in Sustainable Design
The Catholic University of America
Description
The School of Architecture and Planning's mission, Building Stewardship, focuses on preparing architects and designers to assume a personal responsibility for the welfare of the world. We stress the interdependence of the words 'building' and 'stewardship. ' Our Master of Science in Sustainable Design (MSSD) program is both a natural extension of this mission and a deepening of our commitment to the stewardship of the social, natural and built environments. The two semester program provides students with an opportunity for full immersion into the theory and application of sustainable design and provides graduates with leadership skills in the field of sustainable design. Courses cover topical concerns such as greenhouse gas emissions and zero energy design, embodied energy and Life Cycle Analysis, national and international rating systems, water conservation and management, and low energy building materials. Two courses in Systems and Simulation define the core of the program in which students are introduced to a variety of simulation software that allow energy, light and water vapor to be modeled, analyzed and adjusted as an integrated component of the design process. A range of elective courses within the School of Architecture and Planning and across The Catholic University of America campus will be offered. The culmination of the program of studies is a thesis, where students may investigate their thesis through either a design studio or a more conventional written dissertation. In addition to the regular faculty at the School of Architecture and Planning a number of national and international practitioners, consultants and experts in the field of sustainable design are invited to lecture and review student work on a regular basis.