New online program!
Certificate Program in Sustainability and the Built Environment
UC Davis Extension's Sustainability and the Built Environment Certificate Program expands upon the highly successful Green Building and Sustainable Design classroom program. This certificate offers a comprehensive curriculum on how to plan, design, construct and manage communities from a more sustainable perspective. Learn about the latest planning approaches and policy/regulatory requirement; green architecture, sustainable site design and landscapes; renewable energy and energy efficiency; sustainable water resources management; and green infrastructure. Acquire the skills necessary to integrate sustainable design principles into long-range visions and the day-to-day development and management of the built environment.
Gain practical knowledge that matters
- Examine principles of sustainable communities, how to measure sustainability, and how to incorporate these ideas into community plans, neighborhood designs, site, building and landscape plans, climate action plans and more.
- Stay apprised of the latest sustainable technologies and learn how to integrate them into site design, building construction, landscapes and infrastructure.
- Discover new regulations, polices and requirements driving sustainable communities.
- Prepare for LEED accreditation and related "green" certifications.
- Learn to apply specific skills, techniques, models and methods to your plan or project immediately with hands-on design and analytical exercises, interactive webinars, online studios and personalized evaluation sessions.
- Learn conveniently from your home or office.
Designed for professionals like you
This certificate is designed for working professionals in land use planning, environmental and energy policy, architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, transportation, administration, business, consulting, law, construction and development. It is also applicable to any professional requiring skill and knowledge in sustainability.
| UNITS | F | W | SP | |||
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| REQUIRED COURSES | Sustainability and the Built Environment | 1 | 
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| Sustainable Planning, Environmental Site Design and Development | 2 | 
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| Sustainable Water Management in Site Design and Development | 2 |
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| Green Architecture | 2 | |||||
| Green Building Materials and Construction Methods | 2 | |||||
| Building Efficiencies: Low Carbon and Renewable Energy | 2 |
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| LEED Building Certification | 2 |
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| The Business of Sustainability | 2 | |||||
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F=Fall W=Winter SP=Spring SU=Summer;
Schedules subject to change
Classroom format
Online Learning format |
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Required Courses
Sustainability and the Built Environment
1 quarter units academic credit, X421.16. 10 AICP Hours, 10 GBCI Hours
This overview of sustainability examines the built environment, from the economic, environmental and social-equity perspectives. Learn how researchers and analysts define sustainability and how they measure and track progress. Explore historical precursors of the current sustainability movement, and how it translates into planning, engineering, architecture, landscape architecture, construction and other fields. Examine planning, design and building problems holistically, and learn about life-cycle analyses. Analyze numerous case studies and specific technologies from around the world.
Sections of this course open for enrollment:
- Sustainability and the Built Environment
starts May 15
Sustainable Planning, Environmental Site Design and Development
2 quarter units academic credit, X421.2. 20 AICP Hours
Learn about fundamental sustainability issues and processes as they apply to community planning and site design situations. Discover how to identify key challenges when incorporating sustainability into planning strategies, policies and site design, and examine technical and environmental factors of site design. Discuss how policies, codes and standards can be modified to encourage sustainable planning and design practices, and practice site design methods with high-level professional feedback.
Topics include: land use planning, smart growth and urban design, transportation and transit policy and design, environmental site design, site assessment and selection, brownfield redevelopment strategies and infill development. Each topic is taught with an eye toward integrating sustainable practices into high-level policy and site scale design. There will be online class exercises and site design projects.
Sections of this course open for enrollment:
- Sustainable Planning, Environmental Site Design and Development starts March 28
Sustainable Water Management in Site Design and Development
2 quarter units academic credit, X421.3. 20 REHS Hours, 20 AICP Hours
Incorporate a sustainable water resources approach into urban development and its related infrastructure at the planning, design and construction stages. Explore water use/demand, water conservation, water quality and wastewater treatment, use of recycled water and storm water drainage as they relate to the planning and design of urban communities and individual project sites. Learn to apply sustainability principles to natural or impacted sites, and gain a fundamental understanding of water resources policy issues and hydrologic processes as they apply to community design situations. Practice these skills including sustainable landscape design.
Sections of this course open for enrollment:
- Sustainable Water Management in Site Design and Development starts April 18
Green Architecture
2 quarter units academic credit, X421.4. 20 AICP Hours
The average American house is 2,400 square-feet and uses more than 13,000 board-feet of lumber, 6,000 square-feet of sheathing and 2,000 square-feet of flooring—putting a strain on our natural resources. Rising energy costs, a shortage of building materials, growing consumer demand and environmental awareness are forcing architects, designers and building professionals to seek better and more efficient ways to design our buildings.
Explore
the issues, challenges and
opportunities associated with green building and sustainable design.
Examine
innovative residential, commercial, industrial, mixed-use, and low- and
high-density specialty buildings. Evaluate the micro- and
macro-economic issues
associated with green buildings.
Focus
on the holistic and
geometric aspects of green design, and discuss how comprehensive
building
design can respond to the needs of occupants and environmental
circumstances. Look at specific building technologies and how to use them. Examine
thermal, water and lighting control systems.
This course is not currently scheduled.
Green Building Materials and Construction Methods
2 quarter units academic credit, X421.5.
Learn to implement green building practices into homes, apartments, business
complexes
and office buildings. Utilize materials and techniques that promote
healthy,
durable and environmentally responsible construction. Increase your
understanding of helpful tools and resources, including green
building
rating systems. Hands-on exercises provide innovative solutions you can put to immediate use.
- Desirable characteristics of sustainable materials, and how to assess and quantify them
- "Cradle-to-cradle" product analysis and its application to building materials
- Sustainable site design materials and landscaping systems
- Alternative structural systems (including adobe, strawbale and rammed earth)
- Salvaged materials
- Building commissioning
- Construction and demolition waste diversion
- Modular systems
- Design and material reduction
This course is not currently scheduled.
Building Efficiencies: Low Carbon and Renewable Energy
2 quarter units academic credit, X421.17. 20 AICP Hours
Examine the energy issue from the macro perspective of the built environment to the micro approach of how heat flows throughout a building. Using the "whole building" perspective, you will discover some of the natural and mechanical means of heating, cooling and ventilation for improved indoor air quality and cost savings. The breakdown of how energy is used in its final stage is a critical component of a successful sustainable environment. Examine how conservation and the effectiveness of renewable energy sources like solar and solar thermal power, biomass, wind power, hydroelectric and photovoltaic are key elements to achieving energy efficiency. From solar panels and exterior shades to lighting a space and painting a roof white to the issues and technology of bio fuels, learn to analyze energy use as an effective strategy to promote energy conservation in the built environment.
Sections of this course open for enrollment:
- Building Efficiencies: Low Carbon and Renewable Energy starts April 4
LEED Building Certification
2 quarter units academic credit, X421.8. AICP Hours
Gain an in-depth understanding of the new LEED Building, Design and Construction (BD&C) rating systems and the process to document and obtain certification. Learn the process of registering, documenting and certifying LEED BD&C projects. Review case studies, local project examples and tour a local LEED-certified building. This course will help prepare you to take LEED accreditation exams and better understand how to achieve LEED certification for buildings.
This course is not currently scheduled.
The Business of Sustainability
2 quarter units academic credit, X421.18.
Acquire
the tools and
inspiration to create a culture of sustainability in your
organization/community.
Discover the challenges and opportunities in creating effective
organizational
change and lasting cultural shifts.
You
will look at ways to improve resource efficiency and build broad public
and
institutional support by focusing on integrated approaches to
sustainability
planning within cities and business and the need for public/private
partnerships.
This course is not currently scheduled.
Downloads
Download a Sustainability and the Built Environment Certificate Program fact sheet. 
(309 KB)
Download a Land Use and Natural Resources brochure
(2.5 MB)
