Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Community Planning

Plan for the sustainable development of our cities and region with the Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Community Planning in Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture. This certificate in sustainable community planning is available to nonmatriculated students and students in other Temple University graduate programs, with the approval of their graduate advisor. This certificate meets the needs of public and private sector employees who work to improve the sustainability of cities, neighborhoods and regions and to address the adverse impacts of climate change without academic degrees in planning. 

Elective courses provide the opportunity to deepen knowledge and training in specific areas of sustainability and environmental planning. Undertaking the Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Community Planning allows students to 

• develop indicators to monitor and evaluate the sustainability of site, community and regional actions, plans and designs; 

• interpret the discourse of theory and practice of sustainable development at the local, regional and global levels; 

• understand how to incorporate sustainability principles into planning practice to address the interrelationships between social, economic and environmental factors; and 

• recognize models of sustainability and know how to use such models to inform their professional practice. 

Program Format & Curriculum

This 12-hour postgraduate certificate program can be completed on a part-time basis. This program includes a required sustainable community design and development course that presents an introduction to the evolution, theory and practice of planning for sustainable communities. Students will also evaluate recent conceptions of sustainable development, building an understanding of characters that define sustainable communities, implementation strategies and local-regional-global relationships. Other coursework you might take includes 

• Collaborative Planning;
• Ecological Planning and Development;
• Sustainability in Suburban Communities; and
• Regional Development.

Learn more about the coursework for this program. 

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 Presents series, and Laurie Wagman Visiting Artist in Glass series bring influential artists, curators, critics, filmmakers, designers, art historians and more to enrich the Tyler experience and interact with students.   

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

Careers

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

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.