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  • Sustainability and the Built Environment

    The Bachelor of Science in Sustainability and the Built Environment (BSSBE) allows students to explore creative solutions for the planning, design and construction of human structures and settlements.

    About This Major

    • College: Design, Construction and Planning
    • Degree: Bachelor of Science in Sustainability and the Built Environment
    • Hours for the degree: 120
    • Minor: No
    • Website: www.dcp.ufl.edu/sustainability

    Overview

    Whether it is the redesign and rehabilitation of existing structures or innovative new design, students will be provided a theoretical foundation for seeking sustainable solutions to problems in the built environment. The globally recognized expertise in sustainability of the faculty in the College of Design, Construction and Planning and from across campus supports the degree program.

    Graduates will have excellent opportunities for work in various green industries, for government agencies involved with regulation and management of the built environment and with nonprofit organizations promoting the principles of sustainability. Additionally students will be prepared to matriculate into combined-degree programs offered in association with the degree and to enter graduate school in a wide range of areas including architecture, building construction, historic preservation, interior design, landscape architecture and urban and regional planning.

    The BSSBE is a limited-access major. Transfer students must complete the AA degree, MAC 1147 or (MAC 1140 and MAC 1114), STA 2023, ECO 2013 with a minimum grade of C and ECO 2023 with minimum grades of C. Students must also have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0.

    Certain highly qualified students may have the option of pursuing a 4+1 or a 4+2 degree in programs such as urban and regional planning or landscape architecture and building construction. Refer to the admissions website for transfer admission information and deadlines and access to the online application.

    Core Courses (nine hours/three courses required)

    Take one 2000-level core course from each of the three disciplinary groups:

    Humanities

    • AMH 2631 History of Sustainability
    • CLA 2521 Classical Antiquity and Sustainability
    • REL 2071 Religion and Sustainability

    Natural Sciences

    • BSC 2862 Global Change Ecology and Sustainability
    • GLY 2038 Sustainability and the Changing Earth

    Social Sciences

    • ANT 2402 Anthropology of Sustainability
    • POS 2032 Politics of Sustainability

    Critical Tracking

    To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college and major requirements.

    Equivalent critical tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.

    Semester 1

    • 2.00 UF GPA required
    • Complete BCN 1582 or IDS 2154 with minimum grade of C+
    • Complete ECO 2023 with minimum grade of C

    Semester 2

    • 2.50 UF GPA required
    • Complete ARC 1701 or BCN 3012 or IND 2100 or IND 2130 or LAA 2710 or
      URP 4000 with minimum grade of C
    • Complete MAC 1147 or (MAC 1140 and MAC 1114)
    • Complete 1 core course (from the list above) with minimum grade of C.

    Note: For semesters 2, 3 and 4 students must choose one core course for a total of three courses (one from each group) to be on track by the end of Semester 4.

    Semester 3

    • 2.75 UF GPA required
    • Complete ECO 2013 with minimum grade of C
    • Complete LAA 2330 with minimum grade of C
    • Complete 1 core course (from the list above) with minimum grade of C

    Semester 4

    • 3.0 UF GPA required
    • Complete STA 2023
    • Complete 1 core course (from the list above) with minimum grade of C

    Semester 5

    • 3.0 UF GPA required
    • Complete DCP 3200 and DCP 3210 with minimum grades of C+
    • Complete one of the following: AEB 4126, REL 2104, REL 2930, REL 3103,
      REL 3492, PHM 3032, SYD 3410 or SYD 4512 with minimum grade of C
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    Recommended Semester Plan

    To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold.

    Semester 1 Credits
    BCN 1582 International Sustainable Development (GE-S, N) or
    IDS 2154 Facets of Sustainability
    3
    ECO 2023 Principles of Microeconomics (GE-S) 4
    Composition (GE-C) 3
    Humanities (GE-H) 3
    Physical or Biological Science (GE-P or B) 3
    Total 16
    Semester 2 Credits
    History of a Built Environment. Select from
    ARC 1701 Architectural History 1 (GE-H, N) or
    ARC 1720 Survey of Architectural History (GE-H, N) or
    BCN 3012 History of Construction (GE-H, N) or
    IND 2100 History of Interior Design 1 (GE-H) or
    IND 2130 History of Interior Design 2 (GE-H) or
    LAA 2710 History of Landscape Architecture (GE-H, N) or
    URP 4000 Preview of Urban and Regional Planning (GE-H)
    3
    Core Course 3

    MAC 1147 Precalculus: Algebra and Trigonomtetry (GE-M) or
    MAC 1140 Algebra and MAC 1114 Trigonometry (GE-M)

    3-4
    Elective, 1000/2000 level 3
    Total 12-13
    Semester 3 Credits
    ECO 2013 Principles of Macroeconomics (GE-S) 4
    Core Course 3
    LAA 2330 Site Analysis 3
    Elective, 1000/2000 level 6
    Total 16
    Semester 4 Credits
    STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics (GE-M) 3
    Core Course ​3
    Physical or Biological Science (GE-P or B) 3
    Elective, 1000/2000 level 7
    Total 15
    Semester 5 Credits
    DCP 3200 Methods of Inquiry for Sustainability and the Built Environment 3
    DCP 3210 Sustainable Solutions for the Built Environment 3
    Ethics and/or Environmental Justice. Select from
    AEB 4126 Agricultural and Natural Resources Ethics (GE-H or S) or
    PHM 3032 Ethics and Ecology (GE-H) or
    REL 2104 Environmental Ethics (GE-H) or
    REL 2930 Topics in Religion (GE-H) or
    REL 3103 Religion and Nature in North America (GE-H) or
    REL 3492 Religion, Ethics and Nature(GE-H) or
    SYD 3410 Urban Sociology or
    SYD 4512 Environment and Society
    3
    Approved electives * 6
    Total 15
    Semester 6 Credits
    DCP 3220 Social and Cultural Sustainability and the Built Environment 3
    Ecology for the Built Environment. Select from
    EES 4103 Applied Ecology or
    EES 4316 Industrial Ecology or
    FOR 2662 Forests of the World or
    FOR 3153C Forest Ecology or
    FOR 4090C Urban Forestry or
    GEO 3352 The Human Footprint on Landscape or
    ORH 3000 Introduction to Ecosystem Restoration or
    PCB 3601C Plant Ecology or
    SWS 2007 The World of Water (GE-P) or
    SWS 2008 Land and Life (GE-B) or
    SWS 3022 Introduction to Soils in the Environment (GE-P) or
    SWS 4231C Soil, Water and Land Use (GE-P) or
    WIS 2552 Biodiversity Conservation: Global Perspectives (GE-B, N) or
    WIS 4203C Introduction to Landscape Ecology or
    WIS 4427C Wildlife Habitat Management or
    WIS 4523 Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Conservation or
    WIS 4554 Conservation Biology
    3

    Energy and/or Climate Change. Select from
    AGG 3501 Environment, Food and Society (GE-B) or
    AOM 2520 Global Sustainable Energy: Past, Present and Future or
    ARC 3610 Environmental Technology 1 or
    ARC 4620 Environmental Technology 2 or
    GEO 3250 Climatology (GE-P) or
    GLY 3074 Oceans and Global Climate Change (GE-P) or
    LAA 4260 Water Conservation Through Site Design and Green Roofs

    3
    Approved electives * 6
    Total 15
    Semester 7 Credits
    Practicum in Sustainability. Select from
    DCP 4941 Practicum or
    DCP 4942 Field Experience
    6
    Resource Economics. Select from
    AEB 2014 Economic Issues, Food and You (GE-S) or
    AEB 2451 Valuing Environmental Protection in Florida (GE-S) or
    AEB 3103 Principles of Food and Resource Economics or
    AEB 3281 Agricultural Macroeconomics or
    AEB 3450 Introduction to Natural Resource and Environmental Economics or
    AEB 4283 International Development Policy (GE-S) or
    FOR 4664 Sustainable Ecotourism Development or
    GEO 2500 Global and Regional Economies (GE-S) or
    GEO 3502 Economic Geography (GE-S) or
    GEO 3602 Urban and Business Geography (GE-S) or
    SYO 4352 Consumption, Economy and Society
    3
    Approved elective * 3
    Elective, 3000/4000 level ** 3
    Total 15
    Semester 8 Credits
    Sustainability Capstone. Select from
    DCP 4290 Sustainability Capstone Project or
    DCP 4910 Individual Research Project
    6
    Approved electives * 6
    Elective, 3000/4000 level ** 3
    Total 15

    * Approved electives: Any 3000/4000-level course in the College of DCP not otherwise required. Additional courses that also fulfill this requirement:
    AEB 2014, AEB 2451, AEB 3103, AEB 3281, AEB 3450, AEB 4126, AEB 4283,
    AGG 3501 AGR 4268C, ANT 4403, AOM 2520, ARC 2304, EES 3000, EES 4050,
    EES 4316, EMA 6938, ENV 4612, FNR 4660C, FOR 2662, FOR 3004, FOR 3153C, FOR 4060, FOR 4090C, GEO 2500, GEO 3250, GEO 3352, GEO 3372, GEO 3502, GEO 3602, GLY 3074, IND 2214, LAA 2360C, ORH 3000, PCB 3601C, PHM 3032, REL 2930, REL 3103, REL 3492, SWS 2008, SWS 3022, SWS 4231C, SYD 3410,
    SYD 4512, SYO 4352, WIS 2552, WIS 4203C, WIS 4427C, WIS 4523, WIS 4554.

    ** Upper-division electives: Any 3000/4000-level course not otherwise required.

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majors: sustainability-and-the-built-environment