Why Pursue a Graduate Certificate in High-Performance Design
The negative impacts of human activities on the environment are a major challenge threatening the survival of humans and other species, and built environments are a key contributor to environmental impacts. The Graduate Certificate in High-Performance Design and Sustainability provides students with the theoretical knowledge and applied skills to understand how buildings impact the environment and how building performance, in terms of operational energy, daylighting, occupant comfort/health, embodied energy, water conservation and reuse, and other relevant and emerging issues (such as biophilia) can be predicted, analyzed and used to improve buildings. Program graduates will be equipped with skills to succeed in the workforce or for further graduate studies in this area.
Earn a Master’s Degree
Are you ready to take your career and academic journey to the next level? Combine this program with another eligible certificate to earn a master’s degree in Multidisciplinary Studies!
Choose from 35+ other disciplines (like project management, environmental sustainability, historic preservation and more). Take advantage of the opportunity to customize your degree to align with your professional and educational goals.
Admission & Application Requirements
Applications are submitted through the UT San Antonio Graduate Application. Please upload all required documents (listed below) on your UT San Antonio Graduate Application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure completion and submission of the application, a nonrefundable application fee, and all required supporting documents are on file with UT San Antonio by the appropriate application deadline.
For international students, please note that student visas are not issued at UT San Antonio for non-degree-seeking students, including certificate programs. For more information, visit our international students admission page.
| High-Performance Design & Sustainability (Certificate) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Required Degree | Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or have proof of equivalent training at a foreign institution. | |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) Departments may consider GPA of last 60 semester credit hours | |
| Transcripts* | Required from all institutions attended; international transcripts must be recorded/translated to English | |
| Credential Evaluation | Required if you have earned university-level credit from foreign institutions. Submit an evaluation of your transcripts from FCSA or any NACES-approved credential evaluation agency. | |
| English Language Proficiency | 79 TOEFL iBT / 6.5 IELTS / Duolingo 100 For exams taken on or after January 21, 2026: We require a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 4.0. |
|
| Purpose Statement | Required | |
| *Unofficial transcripts will be taken into consideration for admissions; however, if admitted into the program, you must submit official transcripts to the University. | ||
Application Deadlines
Applicants are encouraged to have their admission file completed as early as possible. All applications, required documents and letters of recommendation, if applicable, must be submitted by 5:00 PM U.S. Central Time on the day of the deadline. Deadlines are subject to change.
| High-Performance Design & Sustainability (Certificate) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Timing on Admission Decision: Completed applications will be reviewed for admission on a rolling basis. Decisions generally will be made and sent to applicants within 4 to 6 weeks of receiving the application. | |||
| Application Deadlines for: | Priority | International | Domestic |
| Spring 2026 | Not Available | October 1 | October 1 |
| Summer 2026 | Not Available | March 1 | March 1 |
| Fall 2026 | February 1 | June 1 | August 1 |
| Spring 2027 | Not Available | October 1 | October 1 |
| Summer 2027 | Not Available | March 1 | March 1 |
Funding Opportunities
Learn MoreCareer Options
UT San Antonio prepares you for future careers that are in demand. The possible careers below are based on data pulled by a third-party tool called Emsi, which pulls information from sources like the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, online job postings, other government databases and more to give you regional and national career outlook related to this academic program.
New and existing graduate students in “good standing” shall declare the intent to seek the Certificate by requesting permission to enter and complete the program. Students not currently enrolled in a graduate program may apply according to UTSA admission requirements for certificate programs as a special (non-degree-seeking) graduate student.
Term Offerings: Fall, Spring and Summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
This graduate certificate offers knowledge and skills in various aspects of sustainability and high environmental performance in the built environment. The certificate provides students with an understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of high-performance design and sustainability and prepares them for further graduate studies in this area. It also provides the skills to the pursue a professional career in the design and analysis of high-performance buildings and sustainability.
The program is located within the School of Architecture and Planning and may be most effective for students with skills commensurate with a degree or experience in architecture for the most effective educational experience. However, other skills may be considered as relevant to the certificate (to be determined in consultation with the certificate coordinator/GAR), and it remains open to students from a variety of backgrounds. Students from different backgrounds may be required to take preparatory courses to provide them with the level of knowledge and expertise needed for the certificate. The certificate will not be subject to licensure and/or accreditation standards but will remain current to expected standards of knowledge and skill expected in the profession.
New and existing graduate students in “good standing” shall declare the intent to seek the certificate by requesting permission to enter and complete the program. Students not currently enrolled in a graduate program may apply according to UT San Antonio admission requirements for certificate programs as a special (non-degree-seeking) graduate student. Special graduate student applicants are required to submit a personal statement. The Certificate Program Coordinator may determine that a student requires prerequisite background courses to adequately prepare for the courses of the Graduate Certificate Program.
This graduate certificate provides students with the theoretical knowledge and applied skills to understand how buildings impact the environment and how building performance can be predicted, analyzed and improved. through operational energy, daylighting, occupant comfort/health, embodied energy, water conservation and reuse, and other relevant and emerging issues (such as biophilia).
The Graduate Certificate in High-Performance Design and Sustainability requires 16 semester credit hours of coursework. Two courses are required with an additional 9 semester credit hours of coursework to be selected from the list of approved courses or other courses approved in consultation with the Certificate Program Coordinator. All requirements must be completed within a six-year period. Courses taken for the Graduate Certificate in High-Performance Design and Sustainability can be applied toward other graduate degree programs such as the Master of Architecture and the Master of Science in Architecture degrees. Students will be advised by the High-Performance Design and Sustainability Certificate Program Coordinator.
Program graduates will be equipped with skills to succeed in the workforce or for further graduate studies in this area.
Students are encouraged to explore a wide range of scholarship opportunities available through the UT San Antonio Scholarship Hub.
