Sustainability Design & Engineering, Certificate
The Certificate in Sustainability Design & Engineering provides a foundation of knowledge and skills in design and engineering for sustainability to solve real-world problems and increase our climate resilience. It is intended to compliment the student’s graduate education and training in Penn Engineering’s and Weitzman Design’s PhD and Master’s degree programs. It will nurture a community and offer professional development and networking activities in line with the goals of the CLIMATE-CARE training program. Upon completion, it will appear in the trainee's academic transcript. The Certificate is open to graduate students who are currently enrolled in any of Penn Engineering’s or Weitzman’s graduate degree programs.
Curriculum
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Requirements | ||
| Select 3 CU from the list below. At least one CU must be outside the student's home department: | 3 | |
| Performance Design Workshop | ||
| Environmental Systems I | ||
| History and Theory of Architecture and Climate: Challenges and Opportunities for the 21st Century | ||
| New Materials and Methods | ||
| Daylighting | ||
| Parametric Life Cycle Assessment for Buildings | ||
| Inquiry into Biomaterial Architectures | ||
| Principles of Digital Fabrication | ||
| Ecological Architecture - Contemporary Practices | ||
| Ecology, Technology, and Design | ||
| Fundamentals of Bioclimatic Design | ||
| Building Performance Simulation | ||
| Environmental Building Design Research Methods | ||
| Principles of Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering | ||
| Biomechatronics | ||
| Integrative plant and animal mechanobiology | ||
| Multiscale Modeling of Chemical and Biological Systems | ||
| Carbon Capture | ||
| Energy and Sustainability: Science, Engineering and Technology | ||
| Polymer Rheology and Processing | ||
| Interfacial Phenomena | ||
| Sustainability of Materials | ||
| Sustainability and Environmental Planning | ||
| Migration and Development | ||
| Climate Change: Plng for Mitigation and Adaptation | ||
| Energy Systems and Policy | ||
| Energy Grand Challenges at the Interface of Technology and Policy | ||
| Introduction to Energy Policy | ||
| Energy Grand Challenges at the Interface of Technology and Policy | ||
| Energy Geopolitics and National Security | ||
| Decarbonization & Net Zero | ||
| Greenhouse Gas Removals & Net Zero | ||
| The US Water Industry in the 21st Century | ||
| Topics in Theory and Design | ||
| Topics in Theory and Design | ||
| Topics in Theory and Design | ||
| Topics in Theory and Design | ||
| Energy Engineering in Power Plants and Transportation Systems | ||
| Viscous Fluid Flow and Modern Applications | ||
| Fabrication and Characterization of Micro and Nanostructured Materials | ||
| Introduction to Polymers | ||
| Other requirements | ||
| EAS 9000 | Responsible Conduct for Research (RCR), Engineering | 0 |
| One semester of seminar series (e.g. MEAM 6990, MSE 6990, Design Seminar Series) | ||
| Completion of at least two co-curricular activities related to CLIMATE-CARE topics e.g. other symposium, workshops, Water Center forums, school organized visits to industry settings, AESOP symposium, PICS symposium, etc. | ||
| Participation in CLIMATE-CARE Annual Meeting workshops and talks. Encouraged presentation of research at CLIMATE-CARE Annual Meeting (required for CLIMATE-CARE supported trainees). | ||
| Total Course Units | 3 | |
To apply: Please go to Path Forms then click “Certificate Request” and submit your application for the Sustainability Design & Engineering (SDE) Certificate via Path@Penn prompts. The application will be approved by the coordinator, and you should see it on your Path Penn within 3-5 business days.
Deadline to apply: Students must submit the completed Application by no later than the first week of the beginning of their final semester in their PhD or Master’s degree program.
Inquiries: Please contact the program coordinator Keith Rosenbaum (climate-care@seas.upenn.edu)
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2026 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.