Certificate of Graduate Study in Ecological Design

Date: Courses are offered year-round, in Fall, Spring and Summer Semesters
Location: UVM campus

Who Should Attend the Ecological Design Program?

• Graduate students, to earn a Certificate as part of a University of Vermont masters and/or doctoral degree program
• Professionals seeking to help design and build sustainable communities
• Leaders seeking to distinguish themselves by enhancing their prior Master's or Doctoral degree

What is the Ecological Design Program?

Ecological Design is the process of integrating humans with the rest of nature in order to create a sustainable and desirable future. The term Ecological Design has often been used to refer to the process of designing the built-environment to better reflect ecological principles and processes. But it goes further than that. Ecological Design needs to happen at many spatial and temporal scales—from individual buildings to regional watersheds, from rural villages to global megacities, from physical relationships to intellectual development—it encompasses human intervention at all levels.

The University of Vermont Graduate College offers this Certificate of Graduate Study in Ecological Design through the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics. The certificate integrates problem-based learning in ecology, engineering, natural resources, and community development. The approach is to develop applied and inter-disciplinary solutions which integrate the ecological, social, economic, and built capitals. The program is not about the environment or buildings per se, but about the whole human experience.

For More Information: Visit the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics Website.

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Vermont Residential Green Building Certifications Program

Dates: Accelerated Course offered each Spring
Location: UVM Campus and site visits.

Who Should Attend?

• Professionals in the design and construction industry
• UVM students who have completed either CDAE 170 Solar Building Construction or a Yestermorrow course, or be able to demonstrate equivalent design/building knowledge for instructor permission. CDAE 295 Green Building Certifications CRN 14457

What is the Vermont Residential Green Building Certifications Program?

Green Building is a field of expertise encompassing the design and application of renewable energy, natural building materials, and ecological landscapes into building design and community development. Students completing UVM’s Vermont Residential Green Building Certification Programs course will learn about sustainable building tools and strategies, including Vermont Builds Greener Program, LEED for Homes and The NAHB Green Building Program. LEED is a registered trademark and the nationwide rating system of the U.S. Green Building Council. The program, led by Chuck Reiss, of Reiss Building & Renovation, and Building for Social Responsibility, is geared toward working professionals offered as an accelerated six-day program.

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UVM Yestermorrow Design/Build School Programs

UVM once again joins forces with the Yestermorrow Design/Build School to offer one to three-credit courses in the sustainable design/build process. These courses are hands-on and intensive, and provide participants the opportunity to explore the process of designing and creating from a practical standpoint. Visit the Yestermorrow Web Site for more information.