The Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Built Environments is a 4-year, 121-credit, interdisciplinary undergraduate degree. View the curriculum sheet for the recommended sequence of courses.
MINIMUM ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
- 2.7 Core GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
- 1110 SAT Math and Critical Reading composites score, and/or
- 24 ACT composite score
Students who have earned a GPA below 2.7 but are admissible to The University of Arizona may be evaluated on an individual basis for admission to the Sustainable Built Environments program.
Undergraduate admissions occur through The University of Arizona Undergraduate Admissions Office. Within the application, you will be able to select Sustainable Built Environments as a major from the drop-down menu.
EMPHASIS AREAS
Students declare an emphasis area in within the B.S. in Sustainable Built Environments their junior year. Each emphasis area is specifically designed to prepare students with both a theoretical understanding and practical skills in the chosen area of study.
Students who choose the Sustainable Communities emphasis area will gain insight on how local and regional planning influence community design. Students will learn planning theory, transportation planning, and urban development. Students will understand comprehensive city plans, how planning impacts and is influenced by the environment, and how to make cities more sustainable through smart planning.
Students who choose the Sustainable Buildings emphasis area will gain insight on the theories and techniques behind analyzing building efficiency. Students will study topics such as: net-zero energy design, energy conservation, passive solar and natural ventilation, and climate response. Students will be able to analyze existing and planned structures for energy efficiency and create plans to make them more efficient.
Students who choose the Sustainable Landscapes emphasis area will gain insight and skills on the importance of landscapes in the built environment. Students will study various topics such as: water harvesting, passive cooling, and heat island mitigation, climate adaptability, and how the built environment impacts health. Students will be able to understand how landscapes play a pivotal role in a community and ways to make them more sustainable and useful.
Students who choose the Sustainable Real Estate Development emphasis area will gain insight into sustainable and responsible real estate development. Topics students learn include sustainable practices, urban design, real estate finance, site development, and construction.
Students who choose the Heritage Conservation emphasis area will understand the importance behind saving our historic structures. Preserving historic structures allows us to understand the environmental, cultural, and economic impacts of the structure. Students will learn how the process behind conservation, issues in conservation, and resource management.
Apply today Check on your application
From the Studio
Gather Light: ARC 201
Students in CAPLA’s ARC 201 studio, guided by faculty including Christopher Domin and others, completed the "Gather Light" project focused on understanding and designing in harmony with the Sonoran Desert environment. Through observation, drawing, and modeling, students explored how light, nature, and architecture interact. Key activities involved studying desert plants, translating their forms into design systems, and developing canopies that filter light and enhance outdoor spaces. The project emphasized hands-on learning, teamwork, and iterative design using 2D and 3D representations to create thoughtful architectural interventions that respect and respond to the desert landscape.
Lecturer Christopher Tucker wins AIA Design Pedagogy Award for innovative Abiotic Studio
Christopher Tucker, a lecturer in architecture at CAPLA, received the American Institute of Architects’ Design Pedagogy Award for his Abiotic Studio, a fourth-year course that challenges students to engage with ecological realities and reimagine post-industrial landscapes through more-than-human perspectives.
Lecture Recap | Essence: A Lecture by coLAB Studio
Speakers from coLAB studio discussed the intrinsic nature and indispensable quality that determines an individual's character as a designer.
Reimagining the Colorado River in the context of Water Management in Arizona | Lecture by Kathy Jacobs
The Colorado River is the backbone of water management in the southwest, serving seven states and Mexico. Ongoing drought conditions that are linked to climate change threaten Colorado River water deliveries to Arizona, but also provide an opportunity to rethink the allocation of water rights and to focus on a more sustainable approach to management.
Balancing Buyer Protections with Development Costs: A Panel Discussion on Arizona’s Construction Defect Liability Law
In this panel discussion, we will explore the impact of Arizona’s construction defect liability laws on multifamily development, with a particular focus on possible legislative reforms to better balance buyer protections with development costs. While construction defect liability laws provide important protections for buyers, there is a growing concern among researchers and housing advocates that, if overly restrictive, these laws can increase development costs and lower production.
Lecture Recap | Immersive Design: The Intersection of Site, Craft and Collaboration | A Lecture by Kevin Kudo-King
Kevin Kudo-King explored strategies for immersive design at the intersections of site, craft, and collaboration.