Sustainable Design, BS
for the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design
The major in Sustainable Design offers an innovative, interdisciplinary course of study in design, with a focus on building sustainable communities through the intentional design of environmentally sensitive products, buildings, neighborhoods, landscapes and cities.
The program grounds concrete skills development with opportunities to move between disciplinary barriers, allowing students to prepare for the future in a sustainable world where ideas from many disciplines will be necessary to solve the complex problems of pollution reduction, energy conservation, and biodiversity protection in equitable, healthy, and thriving places.
Required introductory coursework provide a solid grounding in design thinking and skills, coupled with a broad understanding of the role of design in achieving sustainable results across scales. Students will apply their skills and knowledge in a required senior capstone project.
With expertise across disciplines, students in this program will be prepared to work in the public and private sector, or continue preparation in a variety of professional graduate programs such as Architecture, Industrial Design, Innovation Design, Landscape Architecture, Urban Design and Urban Planning.
for the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design
Graduation Requirements
Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours.
University Requirements
Minimum of 40 hours of upper-division coursework, generally at the 300- or 400-level. These hours can be drawn from all elements of the degree. Students should consult their academic advisor for additional guidance in fulfilling this requirement.
The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.
General Education Requirements
Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Composition I | 4-6 | |
| Advanced Composition | 3 | |
| Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
fulfilled by FAA 201 | ||
| Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning I) | 6-10 | |
| Language Requirement (Completion of the third semester or equivalent of a language other than English is required) | 0-15 | |
Sustainable Design Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | 18 | |
| FAA 101 | Arts at Illinois | 1 |
| FAA 230 | Sustainable Design of the Built Environment | 3 |
| LA 101 | Introduction to Landscape Arch | 2 |
| ARCH 171 | Introduction to Design I | 3 |
| ARCH 172 | Introduction to Design II | 3 |
| FAA 201 | Black Arts Today | 3 |
| ARTH 211 | Design History Survey | 3 |
| Urban Scale Sustainability (select one course) | 3 | |
| UP 136 | Urban Sustainability | 3 |
| UP 205 | Ecology & Environmental Sustainability | 3 |
| ARCH 237 | Urban Scale Sustainability | 3 |
| Drawing (select one course) | 3 | |
| ARTD 225 | Design Drawing | 3 |
| ARTF 102 | Observational Drawing | 3 |
| ARTF 103 | Design I | 3 |
| LA 280 | Design Communications I (limited seats solely for BSSD/MLA 4+2 students) | 3 |
| Core | 15 | |
| FAA 330 | Making Sustainable Design | 5 |
| ARTD 326 | Sustainability & Manufacturing | 3 |
| ARCH 321 | Environment, Architecture, and Global Health | 3 |
| ARTD 451 | Ethics of a Designer in a Global Economy | 4 |
| Senior Capstone | 8 | |
| FAA 430 | Capstone Seminar | 3 |
| FAA 431 | Capstone Studio | 5 |
| Total Hours | 47 | |
Sustainable Design Major Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select 16 credit hours, with at least 10 hours at the 300 or 400-level, and with approval of advisor. | ||
| ARTD 230 | Design Thinking/Need-Finding | 3 |
| ARTD 270 | Design Methods | 2 |
| ART 205 | Experience & Meaning in Design | 3 |
| ART 208 | Digital Art and Sustainability | 3 |
| ART 310 | Design Thinking | 3 |
| ARTJ 398 | Designing Everyday Life in Modern Japan | 3 |
| ARTD 426 | Product Innovation | 3 |
| ARTS 321 | Sustainable Fashion Development and Branding | 3 |
| UP 203 | Cities: Planning & Urban Life | 3 |
| UP 204 | Chicago: Planning & Urban Life | 3 |
| UP 205 | Ecology & Environmental Sustainability (may not double count as a major requirement) | 3 |
| UP 246 | International Environmental Planning and Governance | 3 |
| UP 340 | Planning for Healthy Cities | 3 |
| UP 405 | Watershed Ecology and Planning | 4 |
| UP 406 | Urban Ecology | 4 |
| UP 418 | GIS for Planners | 4 |
| UP 420 | Plng for Historic Preservation | 4 |
| UP 430 | Urban Transportation Planning | 4 |
| UP 434 | Pedestrian and Bicycle Planning | 3 |
| UP 437 | Public Transportation Planning | 3 |
| UP 456 | Sustainable Planning Workshop | 4 |
| UP 479 | Community Engagement in Planning | 3 |
| UP 486 | Planning with Climate Change | 4 |
| UP 494 | Special Topics in Planning | 1-4 |
| ARCH 210 | Introduction to the History of World Architecture | 3 |
| ARCH 231 | Anatomy of Buildings | 4 |
| ARCH 237 | Urban Scale Sustainability (may not double count as a major requirement) | 3 |
| ARCH 273 | Fundamentals of Design I | 3 |
| ARCH 416 | The Architecture of the United States, c.1650 to Present | 3 |
| ARCH 417 | Modern and Contemporary Global Architecture | 3 |
| LA 222 | Islamic Gardens & Architecture | 3 |
| LA 314 | History of World Landscapes | 4 |
| LA 370 | Environmental Sustainability | 3 |
| LA 446 | Sustainable Planning Seminar | 4 |
| LA 466 | Energy & the Built Environment | 4 |
| LA 480 | Sustainable Design Principles | 2 |
| FAA 491 | Special Problems in Sustainable Design | 1 to 4 |
| Other courses approved by advisor | ||
| Total Hours (minimum) | 16 | |
Summary of Credits for Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education requirements | ||
| Sustainable Design Major | 47 | |
| Major Electives | 16 | |
| Free Electives | ||
| A minimum of 40 credits at the 300 or 400 course level are required | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | |
for the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design
This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this four-year plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.
Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a third level of a language other than English. This may require up to three semesters of language depending on high school coursework or placement. See the corresponding section on the Degree and General Education Requirements page.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| FAA 101 | 1 | UP 136 | 3 |
| ARCH 171 | 3 | ARCH 172 | 3 |
| LA 101 | 2 | General Education course | 3 |
| Composition I or Language Other than English (3rd level) | 4 | Composition I or Language Other than English (3rd level) | 4 |
| FAA 201 | 3 | Free Elective course | 1 |
| General Education course | 3 | ||
| 16 | 14 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| FAA 230 | 3 | FAA 330 | 5 |
| ARTD 225 or LA 280 | 3 | SD Major Elective | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 | Free Elective course | 1 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| ARCH 321 | 3 | ARTD 326 | 3 |
| SD Major Elective | 3 | ARTH 211 | 3 |
| SD Major Elective | 3 | SD Major Elective | 4 |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 | Free Elective course | 2 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| FAA 430 | 3 | FAA 431 | 5 |
| ARTD 451 | 4 | General Education course | 3 |
| SD Major Elective | 3 | Free Elective course | 7 |
| Free Elective course | 5 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 120 | |||
for the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design
Upon successful completion of a degree in Sustainable Design, students will:
- Have a deep level of understanding of the fundamentals of sustainability and their functional links to the built environment.
- Have a deep level of understanding of the fundamentals of design thinking and practice.
- Be proficient in applying basic principles of visual and material communication, including sketching, drafting, model-making, 2-d and 3-d design software and geographic information systems.
- Be able to combine design theory and practice with sustainability principles to address environmental issues at the product, building, neighborhood, city, landscape and global levels.
- Be comfortable working in multidisciplinary teams to solve complex design problems.
for the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design
Sustainable Design
College of Fine and Applied Arts Office of Undergraduate Affairs
106 Architecture Building
608 East Lorado Taft Drive
Program Coordinator: Professor Karin Hodgin Jones
Sustainable Design website
Sustainable Design email