Degrees & Certificates

Students in the Architectural Engineering program gain professional-level practice in and a significant understanding of the important connection between engineering and architectural design to construct the most resilient structures. By their fourth year in architectural engineering, students focus on one of four technical topics: structural systems, HVAC systems, energy analysis or construction/project management. Graduates may go on to work in public or private industry, such as construction, and typically become licensed professional engineers. 

The Biology BSA degree provides a well-rounded education in natural sciences with room to explore other interests in the humanities. The Bachelor of Science and Arts permits students to take advanced courses from a broad spectrum of the biological sciences, including:

• Cellular, developmental and molecular biology
• Genetics, genomics, and computational biology
• Organismal biology and physiology
• Ecology, evolution, and biodiversity
• Biochemistry
• Microbiology and infectious disease

The Ecology, Evolution & Behavior major is housed under Biology major "Option 1." This option provides students with an education in ecological studies and biodiversity and also emphasizes field experience. The degree requires courses in ecology and evolution as well as advanced courses in physiology, behavior, and biodiversity. Students have the option of tailoring their course and lab requirements in some of these areas to emphasize animal, plant, or ecological studies. Graduates may take positions with government agencies, consulting firms, or continue with graduate studies for academic careers at colleges, universities, museums, or other research organizations.

The Marine & Freshwater Science major is housed under Biology major "Option 3." This option requires a breadth of biology, geology, chemistry, and marine science courses. It requires at least one summer at the Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, where students examine the physiology, diversity, and ecology of aquatic organisms. The location provides immediate access to a variety of marine environments and valuable hands-on fieldwork experience. Graduates play an important role in the protection and management of our aquatic resources.

The Plant Biology major is housed under Biology "Option 7." option provides students with an education in all aspects of plant biology including evolution, physiology, ecology, molecular biology, genomics, and development. Careful selection of plant biology courses and electives will prepare students in one or more subdisciplines of their choice. A graduate of the Plant Biology option can expect to be positioned well for additional study in several areas, both basic and applied. Career paths include graduate school, medicine, business, biotechnology, museums, resource management, public agencies, or law. For example, training in plant biochemistry and molecular biology can be useful in pharmacology/drug discovery and design as well as preparation for graduate study. Similarly, training in ecology and evolution is excellent preparation for a career in conservation biology or graduate study in either of those fields.

Combining areas of physics, chemistry and mathematics, Chemical Engineering students study the technology of large-scale production and manufacturing of products through chemical processes. In addition to developing an advanced grasp of chemical engineering, students assist faculty and researchers on projects such as drug delivery systems, alternative fuel sources and process development. Texas Engineering graduates go on to work in the petrochemical, pharmaceutical, microelectronics, biomedical and environmental industries, in addition to pursuing careers in academia, national laboratories, medicine business and law. 

The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering degree program is a broad discipline dedicated to addressing environmental issues in air, water, and soil in Cockrell School of Engineering. Environmental engineering includes a variety of sub-disciplines, such as water quality engineering, water resources engineering, outdoor and indoor air quality engineering, ocean engineering, and hazardous waste management. Sustainable engineering concepts are infused into these sub-disciplines and include the long-term environmental, economic, and social consequences of engineering practice. 

The Bachelor of Arts in Geological Sciences is a great choice for students who want a classical arts and sciences degree spanning a diversity of subjects, or who are interested in a double major. Through the study of the natural sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and the humanities, students will learn how geological questions are raised and answered, and how the answers are used in the real world. 

Offered jointly between the Cockrell School of Engineering and the Jackson School of Geosciences, the Geosystems Engineering and Hydrogeology program is designed to teach students the geological and engineering principles needed to solve subsurface resource development and environmental problems. Students take fundamental courses in such areas as multiphase fluid flow, physical hydrology, heat and mass transfer, field methods and engineering design, and learn to apply mathematics, geological sciences and engineering to analyze and interpret geologic data for solving problems related to water resources, energy and the environment. Graduates may go on to careers with environmental, water resource management and energy companies, in addition to many government agencies. 

The Geosystems Engineering major is split jointly between the Jackson School of Geosciences and Cockrell School of Engineering. This innovative engineering degree allows students to be both the data-gatherers of the natural environment and designers of innovative systems that can benefit us all by securing water and energy resources. 

The General Geology major is for students who want to learn how the Earth works from a quantitative, scientific perspective. They will receive a comprehensive understanding of solid and surface earth processes while having the freedom to dive into concentrations of study they’re most interested in — be it sedimentology, paleontology, energy geoscience, or marine geoscience, to name a few options. 

Water is one of our most vital natural resources and the source of all life on earth, yet its future is anything but certain. The Hydrology and Water Resources major teaches students the physical and chemical principles underlying Earth’s water cycle, preparing them to solve water resource challenges all over the world. 

The Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability Studies degree program in the College of Liberal Arts is designed to provide a rigorous and focused study of sustainability methods and content. The program is housed within the Department of Geography and the Environment, but students can take courses in the Moody School, School of Architecture, Jackson School of Geoscience, and more. In addition to university and college requirements, the Sustainability Studies curriculum includes social science, earth science, economics, communications, and policy. Student select one of three thematic concentrations, Trajectories to Sustainability, Sustainable Choices in a Diverse World, or Natural Resource Management. The broad range of courses that count towards the major allow students to customize their degree plan according to their interests and goals. Additionally, students complete a capstone requirement and an internship through two organized courses. 

Learn how media can inspire social and political discourse, organize collective action and amplify underrepresented voices and experiences through the Communicating Social Issues minor. Understand communication as a part of a larger global power dynamic and how to use it to build and assess strategic approaches in campaigns, advocacy, and social movements across disciplines. 

The Computational Geosciences minor provides a selection of courses that will establish an understanding of computational methods in geosciences. The courses in this minor emphasize the understanding of geophysical and geochemical laws and their equations. Students completing this minor will gain knowledge on how to solve such equations, both analytically and numerically, to solve specific geoscience problems (e.g., transport in porous media to study pollutant plumes, wave equation to study earthquakes and seismic methods). Students will use high-level programming tools (e.g., MATLAB, Python). 

The Undergraduate Energy Management minor provides a unique opportunity for students to receive specific training to prepare them for careers in energy. Throughout the rigorous 18 credit hour program students gain practical knowledge to complement their academic training that allows them to be assets to industry firms. 

The Leadership in Global Sustainability minor is a new option for undergraduate students from The McCombs School of Business and The Moody College of Communication. The minor focuses on corporate sustainability, sustainable finance, impact innovation and infrastructure, and sustainability communications. We want to develop leadership and solutions that address critical sustainability challenges and shape an inclusive, regenerative global economy and society. Our Vision: A world where profits and purpose meet to drive positive change. 

The Geosciences minor provides a selection of courses that will establish an understanding of the Earth’s history, evolution, and its properties. The courses in this minor emphasize the chemical, physical, and biological processes that shape the Earth system. Students completing this minor will gain knowledge in the methods geologists use to characterize geological processes, such as identifying rocks, minerals, and fossils. They will also examine the role of geological processes on geological hazards (e.g. volcanos, tsunami) and water and energy resources. The opportunity to gain skills analyzing data from laboratory and field settings supplement multiple other areas of study such as engineering, education, and business. 

The Hydrology minor provides a selection of courses that will establish an understanding of the water cycle and associated hydrological processes. The courses in this minor emphasize physical and chemical processes that control the movement of water through the Earth system and water quality. Students completing this minor will gain knowledge in the methods hydrologists use to characterize hydrological processes, including environmental monitoring data and aquifer properties. 

Learn to effectively communicate science topics to a variety of audiences with the Science Communication minor by utilizing professional communication techniques and tools as you gain an understanding of contemporary communication issues and advanced skills to enhance communication with the public. 

The Sedimentology and Earth Surface Processes minor provides a selection of courses that will establish an understanding of the processes that shape the Earth’s surface, the rock record results, and interactions with other systems over time. Students completing this minor will gain an understanding of the changing character of the surface environment of the Earth which is critical for understanding the past and future trajectories for life on Earth. 

As society’s demand for energy continues to increase — along with the ramifications of energy inequity and climate change — so too will the need for engineers and scientists with the expertise to help us forge a sustainable energy future. These energy leaders must be well-versed in a variety of energy sources, including the history, long-term viability, environmental impact, and policy and societal implications of each. With a Sustainable Energy minor, you’ll hone this in-demand skill set. 

This 18-hour minor is open to students in the following majors: 

• Chemistry
• Environmental Science
• Geological Sciences 
• Architectural Engineering 
• Chemical Engineering 
• Civil Engineering 
• Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Environmental Engineering
• Geosystems Engineering and Hydrogeology 
• Mechanical Engineering 
• Petroleum Engineering

The Environment & Sustainability Certificate of the Bridging Disciplines Program gives students the opportunity to explore a variety of disciplinary approaches to environmental processes and contemporary environmental issues. By bringing together courses in natural sciences, social sciences, design disciplines, and the humanities, this program affords a complex understanding of how the diverse parts of Earth’s environment interact. Designed to complement a range of majors, the Environment & Sustainability BDP prepares students to address environmental issues in careers as researchers, writers, policy makers, sustainable business leaders, and educators. 

Though food-related issues vary widely in focus, they are all linked by their complexity and are deeply interdisciplinary nature, each relating to topics of health and nutrition, genetics, politics, culture, the environment, economics, and business. With the Food and Society Certificate, students will be able to appreciate the full range of these interdisciplinary ties and apply new perspectives to their primary academic majors and careers. 

The undergraduate Humanitarian Engineering Certificate provides students with the opportunity to develop expertise in designing and/or implementing projects or products for traditionally underserved populations, e.g., the physically or mentally challenged, low-income or rural communities, or communities experiencing humanitarian crises. The participants will develop not only technical knowledge but also awareness of social, political, and/or economic circumstances that may be important to the development of engineering solutions for underserved populations. 

The Marine Science transcript-recognized certificate enables students to explore the field of marine science. The certificate provides a foundation of basic competency in the fundamentals of marine science, along with specialized upper-division coursework in aquatic science. 

Motivated by the National Academy of Engineering’s 14 Grand Challenges for Engineering and increasing calls for a new engineering education paradigm, this certificate is open for students who take Engineering Studies 377. Grand challenges include making solar energy economical, provide access to clean water, and develop carbon sequestration methods.  

The complex problems surrounding the nexus of cities, water and energy demand that engineers have increased breadth and depth of knowledge. The Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering program strives to provide students with the educational background and teamwork needed to innovate future solutions, technologies, and sustainable systems. We are dedicated to creative, comprehensive teaching and research that ranges from fundamental to applied.

Within the CAEE graduate program, students are asked to choose from one of our areas of study:

• Building Energy and Environments
• Construction Engineering and Project Management
• Environmental and Water Resources Engineering
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Infrastructure Materials Engineering
• Mechanics, Uncertainty and Simulation in Engineering
• Ocean Engineering
• Structural Engineering
• Sustainable Systems
• Transportation Engineering

In addition to these programs, the department offers a dual degree program with the LBJ School of Public Affairs (MSE/MPA).

For information on our Food-Energy-Water Systems portfolio program, see our UTFEWS Portfolio page.

The Master's Program in Community and Regional Planning (CRP) provides the theoretical foundations, specific skills, and practical experience to succeed in professional planning and related policy careers. The program consists of 48 credit hours of coursework that includes the preparation of a Master's Professional Report or Thesis.

The graduate program in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior encompasses a range of fields. Research ranges from the molecular level to the ecosystem, with approaches that include fieldwork, laboratory analyses, and mathematical modeling. 

The Energy and Earth Resources Graduate Program has been providing the opportunity for students to pursue interdisciplinary studies in areas of geosciences, engineering,  management, finance, economics, law and policy since 1981. Private sector and government organizations face a growing need for professionals that can plan, evaluate, and manage complex resource projects, commonly international in scope, which often include partners with interdisciplinary professional backgrounds. This program is well suited for those looking towards 21st century careers in energy, mineral, water, and environmental resources. M.S. and M.A. degrees offered.

The Master of Science in Energy Management (MSEMA) degree at the McCombs School of Business provides students with the ability to enhance their existing skills with required coursework in business, engineering, law, science and policy. The program is designed to allow students to contribute to the analysis of the ability of various energy sources – both fossil fuels and renewables – to meet future energy needs. 

Faculty and graduate students in the Geography and the Environment program have contributed in many ways to understanding and managing earth’s manifold cultural and physical environments, ranging from local to global scales across the full range of human history. Current areas of faculty research include Space, Place, and Social Worlds; Environmental Changes and Surface Processes; and Digital Landscapes. The faculty has always had a strong international orientation and is well prepared to guide students in field based research in Latin America, Africa, Europe, and the Southwestern and Western regions of the United States. The Department encourages interdisciplinary and collaborative work, taking advantage of the University’s extensive scholarly resources. 

The Geosciences Master of Science (MS) degree at the Jackson School of Geosciences is considered to be the professional degree for a career in the Geosciences. This degree is the foundation for students pursuing employment in the petroleum industry, environmental and hydrogeological fields, state and federal government agencies, and other related geoscience fields. Some students also use the MS degree as preparation for pursuing a PhD. The MS program is designed to bring the student to a high level of expertise within their chosen area of the geosciences through learning advanced concepts provided by graduate course work and through independent and original research. Graduates of the Jackson School MS program are expected to be proficient in a broad range of technical and socially-relevant areas of the Earth sciences and best-prepared among their peers in terms of conducting, presenting, and publishing research. Jackson School MS students are among the most highly recruited group of young professionals in the energy industry.

The post-professional Master of Advanced Architectural Design degree is a design-oriented program that offers students with an accredited B. Arch degree the resources for personal and professional growth in an area of concentration of their choosing under the guidance of a faculty mentor. These areas include, but are not limited to: 

• Sustainable Design
• Community and Environmental Equity Design 
• Building Technology 
• Cultural Heritage Documentation and Research 
• Political, Social, and Cultural Histories of Architecture

Through the combination of a rigorous, interdisciplinary core and a wide array of customizable specializations, graduates of the Global Policy Studies program are prepared for a variety of policy jobs in areas including national security, intelligence and diplomacy, international development, global governance and international law, energy, trade and global environmental policy. 

Students in this program can specialize in International Energy, Environment and Technology, which considers the global dimensions of natural resources, the environment, science and technology. They can also receive a dual degree in Energy & Earth Resources.

Graduate study in Marine Science is organized around a curriculum with three core areas: fish physiology and ecology, ecosystems dynamics, and biogeochemistry. Each of these broad core areas includes specialized topics. 

The University of Texas at Austin has earned an international reputation for excellence in research and teaching in the Plant Sciences.  Current research areas are diverse and across the breadth of plant sciences.  They include:

• Signaling, genes and genomics, and physiology
• Ecology and evolution
• Microbiome studies in plants and herbivores, from laboratory to ecosystem scales
• Use of plants to achieve health, agricultural, and ecosystem goals.

The Graduate Program in Sustainable Design is an interdisciplinary and research-based degree path. Here, scholars are both part of a specialized, close-knit cohort of MSSD students as well as members of the larger Architecture program and UT Austin campus community. Students are encouraged to draw from the sizeable and wide-ranging knowledge of faculty within the school and across the university. The Master of Science in Sustainable Design degree's STEM designation from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board also opens up new research and funding resources, and enables additional professional opportunities for international students.

This program offers a coordinated dual-degree program that leads to the award of the Master of Science in Sustainable Design (MSSD) and the Master of Science in Community and Regional Planning (MSCRP). 

The Master of Science in Urban Design is built around a three-semester advanced-level studio sequence. Studio coursework is focused on spatial synthesis and values transdisciplinary approaches to urban development, infrastructure, ecology, urban landscape, public space, and social justice and accessibility. The sequence commences with an investigation of cities in the Cascadia Region of the Pacific Northwest. The studio is taught in collaboration with faculty and students in the Master in Landscape Architecture (MLA) program. Subsequent option studios in the program are currently led by faculty working in London, San Francisco, Mexico City, Madrid, Bogotá, and Texas. The school and the program provide funding to support studio-based student travel.

The studio courses are supplemented with seminar and lecture courses from the many diverse programs in the School of Architecture: architecture, community and regional planning, landscape architecture, sustainable design, and real estate development. A wide range of opportunities is one of the school's strengths, and our elective course offerings are organized to provide a framework for students to expand their disciplinary foundation.

The Stackable Graduate Certificate in Architecture: Building Technology is designed for students interested in the role of building technology within the design process. Students who pursue this certificate will focus on systems integration, structural design, construction materials and processes, and issues of sustainable design. 

The Stackable Graduate Certificate in Architecture: Community Equity Design accommodates a growing interest in Community Equity Design among designers and diverse professionals to develop tools that can engage and foster design as a collaborative effort grounded in public interest design methodologies. As a result, students will not only become experts in Community Equity Design, they will become better equipped to address the world’s most pressing concerns regarding social, economic, and environmental issues of the built environment. 

The Stackable Graduate Certificate in Architecture: Environmental Equity Design accommodates a growing interest in Environmental Equity Design among designers and diverse professionals to develop tools that can engage and foster design as a collaborative effort grounded in public interest design methodologies. As a result, program participants will not only become experts in Environmental Equity Design, they will become better equipped to address the world’s most pressing concerns regarding social, economic, and environmental issues of the built environment. 

The Stackable Graduate Certificate in Architectural History: Political, Social, and Cultural Histories of Architecture investigates the social, political, and economic histories of architecture and urbanism. With an emphasis on macro structures (i.e. capitalism) in relation to historically marginalized groups (migrants, people of color, laborers, etc.) these courses ask students to deeply contextualize "sites" and "architectures." 

This Stackable Graduate Certificate in Community and Regional Planning: Introduction to City Planning provides an overview of the theoretical foundations, specific skills, and practical experience that constitute the context of professional planning. 

The Food-Energy-Water Systems Graduate Portfolio program trains future leaders at the food-energy-water-systems (FEWS) nexus to advance agriculture and food production in the U.S. and globally. Graduate students will gain fundamental knowledge and tools needed to develop novel and sustainable solutions. 

The Graduate Portfolio Program in Energy Studies (GPPES) was offered for the first time in the spring semester of 2014. It is open to students who are currently registered in any UT graduate program. The GPPES takes an interdisciplinary approach designed to give students a broad picture of the energy field that considers energy issues from an overall policy perspective, based on an understanding of the technological and environmental pressures involved. Completion of the GPPES is noted on the student’s final transcript, providing future employers with an indication of the student’s credentials in the field. 

Recycling historic buildings and infrastructure is a sustainable practice. It can combat marginalized communities' erasure, conserve resources, serve as restorative justice, create and maintain affordable housing, generate local jobs, educate the public, preserve history, help address climate change, and foster economic growth. Architects are often faced with the challenge of implementing adaptive reuse strategies for projects that vary in scale and complexity. 

The Stackable Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation: Cultural Heritage: Building Materials and Documentation provides students with the tools to understand the historical technologies, the materials, and the character-defining features that make the building unique when intervening in a historic structure.

Championing sustainability in your work takes knowledge of communications, the benefits of sustainable practices, and the risks involved with not acting. UT Austin courses will prepare you for that. MBA students can choose a variety of individual courses or concentrations to adapt their MBA into focused areas, including CleanTech, Social Enterprise, Corporate Social Responsibility, Energy Finance, and more. We suggest exploring MBA curriculum concentrations. 

View Global Sustainability Leadership Institute website. 

The Stackable Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Design: Technology and Environment is for students interested in sustainability at various scales and within a diverse set of contexts. Program participants will focus on issues of performance, primarily at the building scale - considering both technical components such as daylight modulation and thermal factors within larger systems, as well as philosophical questions about sustainability and its potential boundaries or lack thereof. Building science and phenomenological experience are both considered throughout the coursework. 

Graduate students pursuing an advanced degree at The University of Texas at Austin have the option to pursue a stackable Graduate Certificate in Urban Design: Housing and Urbanism, which will require the completion of three courses (9 credit hours) selected from a prescribed list, below. The Graduate Certificate in Urban Design: Housing and Urbanism will provide a framework for the investigation of the issues that impact the construction of the urban environment and their resultant effect on the human condition in cities.