SMU Lyle launches Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Cities

Working professionals can enroll in a new Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Cities: Smart and Sustainable Urban Design beginning in spring 2027. The 12-credit-hour certificate is offered jointly by the SMU Lyle School of Engineering and the U.S. Green Building Council Texas Chapter (USGBC Texas) and is built for people who want to improve their communities without pausing their careers.

The program offers flexible evening and hybrid schedules, including online class options. The certificate program is flexible with online options and self-paced, so students can enroll in one course or as many as they like to fit their schedule. Cohorts will also stay small, so students get to know their faculty and each other.

What students learn

Cities are where climate, mobility, housing and public health challenges meet, and where human-centered design solutions take shape. The certificate centers on three areas: knowledge of contemporary issues in sustainable urbanism, technical skills that support sustainable practice, and creative, community-based approaches to design. The coursework aligns with the tools and processes of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Cities evaluation structure, a process that signals expertise in measuring and improving urban performance.

Students complete four courses and a design intensive:

• Core course: Sustainable Urban Development and Design, which includes content and tools toward LEED for Cities certification supported by Texas Forward
  
  
• Data and communities: one course in a contemporary technology such as GIS and Community-based Mapping, Applied AI for Engineering and Science, or Smart Infrastructure and the Environment
  
  
• Engineering for sustainable cities: a focused course in Sustainable Transportation, Design for Sustainable Buildings (LEED), Methods for Sustainable Infrastructure – (ENVISION), or Sustainable Materials and Embodied Energy
  
  
• Sustainability management: one course from Cox School of Business, either Sustainability Reporting or Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility

Project-based learning connects coursework to real local sites and stakeholders. Policy, data, AI and sustainability measurement are woven throughout, alongside practical approaches to social impact leadership.

A weekend design intensive that puts ideas into practice

The highlight of the certificate program is the Sustainable Urban Design Workshop, a required one-credit, in-person intensive held over a single weekend, 15 hours from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. Students, working professionals and city partners join guest experts in a fast-paced, collaborative setting.

Focused on a specific urban district, teams move from rapid field analysis to a design charrette, developing ideas for mobility, green infrastructure, resilience and public space. They also apply policy and data tools, including LEED for Cities and performance dashboards, and take part in mini-certification exercises to set preliminary certification goals. The weekend ends with a group presentation, followed by an individual report. Themes will rotate annually and will include socio-environmental impact, material circularity, and community-based design, and graduates may return for future intensives.

Connected to the people shaping Dallas

The program maintains ties to municipal leaders and private practice, which can open doors to work with the cities and consultancies putting sustainability into urban practice. Students build a professional network across cohorts and meet city partners and guest experts at the intensive, relationships that can support their careers long after the certificate is complete.

"Cities make real decisions about energy, water, and public space every day, and they need people who can turn sustainability and resilience goals into results," said Jonathan Kraatz, executive director of the USGBC Texas Chapter. "This certificate prepares professionals to lead this work and gives them direct connections to the local champions doing it today."

A foundation for further study and leadership

The certificate is credit-bearing and stackable, so the courses can count toward future degree pathways, including SMU Lyle's Master of Arts in sustainability and development.

"Sustainable cities don't happen through technical skill alone," said Jessie Zarazaga, clinical associate professor and program director of the Sustainability and Development program at SMU Lyle. "They happen when people can bring together design, data, policy and community voices, and make decisions with integrity. This program is about developing leaders who can do exactly that."

How to apply

To enroll, apply to the Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Cities or email Jessie Zarazaga at jzarazaga@smu.edu for more information about the program.

About the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering

SMU's Lyle School of Engineering thrives on innovation that transcends traditional boundaries. We strongly believe in the power of externally funded, industry-supported research to drive progress and provide exceptional students with valuable industry insights. Our mission is to lead the way in digital transformation within engineering education, all while ensuring that every student graduates as a confident leader. Founded in 1925, SMU Lyle is one of the oldest engineering schools in the Southwest, offering undergraduate and graduate programs, including master's and doctoral degrees.

About SMU

SMU is the nationally ranked teaching and research university in the dynamic city of Dallas, and a member of the prestigious Atlantic Coast Conference. SMU's alumni, faculty and more than 12,000 students in eight degree-granting schools demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit as they lead change in their professions, communities and the world.