The built environment is the physical expression of economic and social development of society. Creating sustainable built environments that satisfy environmental, social and economic objectives are widely accepted in principle, and a degree of understanding about sustainability has developed in many countries. Yet achieving sustainability is a complex task and the challenge has moved from sustainability education ie the need to inform about the need, to education for sustainability ie how to implement sustainable development programs. There is a growing body of principles and techniques to do this in relation to the built environment, and still a lot to learn. Education for sustainability is about empowering professionals to take on the challenge, it is transformative rather than just transmissive, it is holistic and seeks critical thinking.The task begins with ways of thinking as well as considering the differing value systems and cultures that influence the ways communities shape their built environments.

The Master of the Built Environment (Sustainable Development) at the University of NSW, provides the opportunity to explore these challenges in depth and adapt them to the needs of diverse professional and cultural settings. Australia provides a useful setting in which to explore these issues and at the same time undertake comparative study. Sydney, Australia’s global city, is a hybrid of European, American and Asian influences. The urban economy blends economic development with protection of its biodiversity and scenic environment, together with a concern for social equity and lifestyle quality operating in a distinctive structure of governance that allows a sovereign state within a federation to manage urban and rural development.This program takes a global view and places it in a local context. It provides tools of thinking, analysis and decision making to achieve a sustainable built environment.

A minimum four year Bachelor degree or equivalent in an appropriate discipline. Where an applicant's qualifications are not considered adequate, admission may be permitted to the Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate with the possibility of upgrading to the Masters program, subject to satisfactory performance.

In exceptional circumstances other academic qualifications may also be considered.

Please contact the Faculty of Built Environment for information regarding the Program Objectives and Learning Outcomes.

To qualify for the Master of the Built Environment (Sustainable Development) students will be required to complete a program of study totalling 72 units of credit as adjusted by advanced standing provisions. Since most courses apart from the Graduate Project and Design Studio are of 6 units of credit, students must usually complete 8 courses in addition to the project. The degree requires three full-time semesters of study or six semesters of part-time study. It is not available in distance or online mode.The Masters program requires students to complete:

The following course may be substituted for SUSD0007 on arrangement with the Program Director.

The following are recommended electives.

Note: Some electives may not be offered every year.

All courses are 6UOC unless otherwise stated.

The sequence of courses is governed by pre-requisites for some courses.

Note also that with the agreement of the Program Director suitable post-graduate electives may be selected from other faculties at UNSW, in particular:

Advanced Standing
Some advanced standing may be granted for completed or partially completed postgraduate awards from UNSW or from another institution. When considering the granting of advanced standing on the basis of previous postgraduate study at another institution, the program authority will take into account the quality of the institution and the quality, level and content of postgraduate courses previously undertaken.

For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website:  https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/fees/FeesMainPage.html