Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design
Incorporating the disciplines of design, architecture, landscape architecture, and urban and regional planning, the Sustainable Design major focuses on the places, things, systems, and policies needed to help solve problems in a sustainable society.
Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design
The College of Fine and Applied Arts recognized a unique opportunity to draw on the expertise from across the college to create a new degree program: the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design. Incorporating the disciplines of design, architecture, landscape architecture, and urban and regional planning, this undergraduate major will focus on the places, things, systems, and policies needed to help solve problems in a sustainable society. Through a combination of existing and newly developed classes, students will experience an innovative, interdisciplinary, and unique course of study that will prepare them to enter jobs in the public or private sector guiding institutions and society to greater sustainability or continue their educational pursuits in a variety of graduate programs.
Why a Degree in Sustainable Design?
- Rigorous broad-based education in design with a focus on building sustainable communities through intentional design of environmentally sensitive products, buildings, landscapes, and cities
- Draws on disciplines of design, architecture, landscape architecture, and urban and regional planning
- Focuses on the places, things, systems, and policies needed to help solve problems in a sustainable society
- Prepares you for the future in a sustainable world where ideas from many disciplines will be necessary to solve complex problems
- After graduation
- Enter jobs in design firms, planning agencies, industry, nonprofits, and public policy institutes
- Continue preparation in a variety of graduate or professional programs such as landscape architecture, architecture, industrial design, graphic design, urban design, and urban planning or accelerated graduate design programs at Illinois
Study sustainable design at Illinois, a 2022 Gold STARS campus for sustainability performance awarded by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
Opportunities and Events for Sustainable Design Majors
Join Sustainable Design and related organizations in these ongoing events and activities, virtually and in person! As the faculty committee learns of relevant opportunities related to the major, they will be listed here. RSOs can email sustaindesign@illinois.edu to have their events included.
BSSD Newsletter Archives
Catch up on news, opportunities, and events through our weekly newsletter! Subscribe here.
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Join us for our next BSSD Brown Bag Seminar: Getting involved: RSOs, study abroad, design competitions, and community engagement on Monday, April 6th from 12:30-1:30 pm in the BSSD Office (210C Architecture)
🍎 Bring your lunch and share in the community!
🍏 BSSD Brown Bag Seminars are informal, student-centered gatherings where you can discuss compelling topics and connect with peers who share your curiosity. This is a space to explore ideas, ask questions, and learn from one another. Then save the date for our April 29 program: Grad School: Why am I thinking about it, and how can I prepare?
🌱 Today we are highlighting Tim Tam`s Eco Gring project, annother student accomplishment supported by a Fall 2025 BSSD Opportunity Scholarship!
BSSD: Tell us about your project and the progress you`ve made thus far.
🌱 TT: “Eco Grind focuses on developing a compact system to dry and compress spent coffee grounds into reusable tablets. To date, I have been gathering materials, sourcing internal components, and testing coffee grounds to evaluate heating methods and binding agents, while currently exploring the product’s form, layout, and overall functional workflow.”
BSSD: How has the Scholarship supported your development?
🌱 TT: “The BSSD Opportunity Scholarship has supported my academic and professional development by enabling me to acquire key testing resources, including materials for binding agent experiments and access to a food dryer to establish reliable drying conditions. This support has also helped me better understand the stages of product development, informing material selection, process refinement, and future manufacturing decisions.”
BSSD: What are your future goals or plans for the project?
🌱 TT: “My future goals for this project are to advance its sustainability initiative by encouraging individuals to recycle spent coffee grounds and adopt more environmentally responsible habits. By promoting the use of this machine, the project aims to reduce reliance on disposable or harmful alternatives while supporting a more circular, sustainable approach to everyday consumption.”
🌱 Today, we are highlighting Tim Tam`s Eco Gring project, another student accomplishment supported by a Fall 2025 BSSD Opportunity Scholarship!
Double alum Ally talks about value while majoring in Sustainable Design and Urban Planning. He earned his degree in 2022 and is now an adjunct instructor at Siebel Center for Design, co-instructing DTX 221 Human-Centered Design Across Disciplines. Link to the full video interview in our bio.
BSSD students check out what`s happening!
🖼️ March 10-24 | ARTD 326 Exhibition at Siebel Center for Design (SCD) Visit SCD to see the projects that BSSD and ID students have created for ARTD 326 Sustainability & Manufacturing, taught by Assistant Professor Savio Mukachirayil! This work is the culmination of a group research project where students work together to research and develop an innovative product solution using mycelium.
☀️ March 14-22 | Spring Break! The BSSD office will be closed on Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20 over spring break. Please expect slow or no response to emails during this time. We will respond to all emails when the office opens again on March 24. If you have an urgent academic question please contact the FAA Academic Affairs office at faa-uaa@illinois.edu. For non-academic questions and support needs, please visit the Connie Frank CARE Center. You may schedule an appointment by calling 217-333-0050, emailing helpdeal@illinois.edu, or visit during drop-in hours: Thursday & Friday, 10 AM – 3 PM. The CARE Center is located at 300 Turner Student Services Building (610 E John St, Champaign).
📚 March 23 | Second half (POT B) courses begin
👥 March 23 | Student Sustainability Committee Board Member
Application Deadline: March 23, 11:59 PM. If you`re looking to get involved with the Student Sustainability Committee as a board member, applications are due Monday, March 23rd at 11:59pm and can be found on the Student Sustainability Committee LinkTree. SSC recommends attending the Board Member Basics event to learn about the everyday responsibilities, goals, and practices of a board member. @ssc_illinois
💵 March 23 | Student Sustainability Committee Funding Step 1 Application Due: March 23, 11:59 PM. Any proposed student-led project requesting more than $10,000 in funding, as well as any staff- or faculty-led projects of any amount, must apply through the Step 1 funding path. Note that each project team must present their project at a Student Sustainability Committee working group meeting to be eligible to submit their application. Student-led project applications under $10,000 are accepted on a rolling basis! @ssc_illinois
🖼️ Have you checked out the ARTD 326 exhibition in the Siebel Center for Design? Stop by before March 24th to see the amazing mycelium projects made by Sustainable Design and Industrial Design students this semester! ARTD 326 Sustainability & Manufacturing is taught by Assistant Professor Savio Mukachirayil! This work is the culmination of a group research project where students work together to research and develop innovative product solutions using mycelium.
🌱 Over the next several weeks we will be highlighting student accomplishments supported by a Fall 2025 BSSD Opportunity Scholarship. This week, we look at Ethan Anderson`s project: "Kingfisher Composting Community-Driven Waste Reduction and Soil Renewal!"
BSSD: Tell us about your project and the progress you`ve made thus far.
🌱 EA: “Last fall, Kingfisher Composting ran a pilot where, once a week, breakfast food scraps were collected from 3-4 classrooms at Yankee Ridge Elementary School and composted in our Black Soldier Fly bins. Students interacted hands-on with the system and participated in presentations by the team about composting, circularity, and sustainability. This spring, we’re expanding our pilot to the lunchroom, with the goal of expanding our impact within the school.”
BSSD: How has the Scholarship supported your development?
🌱 EA: The Scholarship provided resources to implement a food waste design intervention in a community setting. This has required working with teachers, students, community members, school administration, grounds and maintenance, etc., to see through the successful implementation. Navigating these relationships and logistical challenges has strengthened my project management, stakeholder communication, and systems-thinking skills in ways that coursework alone could not.
BSSD: What are your future goals or plans for the project?
🌱 EA: This spring, we are expanding our pilot from classroom breakfast scraps to the school lunchroom at Yankee Ridge Elementary, significantly increasing our waste diversion and educational impact. Longer term, I plan to use the data and relationships built through this project to advocate for composting infrastructure at the district level and to connect Kingfischer Composting’s school programs with university sustainability research and outreach efforts. With the neighborhood curbside pickup program, I`ll look to sustain it for the time being while exploring ways to increase the system`s efficiency so it can handle future expansion.
Congrats, Ethan! We`re excited to follow along as the project progresses!
📢 Make sure you are aware of these important deadlines on March 13
⏰ Deadline to drop POT 1 (full semester) course via Student Self-Service without a grade of W
⏰ Deadline to remove an incomplete grade from the previous semester to prevent a change to an F grade
⏰ Deadline to elect credit/no credit or change credit/no credit to a regular grade basis in POT 1 course
⏰ Deadline to file intent to use Campus Grade Replacement option in POT 1 course
⏰ Deadline to withdraw from the Spring 2026 semester (drop all courses) without a grade of W
📢 Join us for our first BSSD Brown Bag Seminar: How to Ask for Everything: Getting What You Want from Your College Experience! Wednesday, March 11th from12:30-1:30 pm in the BSSD Office (210C Architecture)
👥 Have you ever found yourself stuck but unsure how to ask for help? You`re not alone! Join BSSD students as they share how they`ve built meaningful support networks and shaped their college journeys. Come hear their stories, learn practical support-seeking strategies, and cultivate your own support network!
🍎 Bring your lunch and share in the community!
🍏 BSSD Brown Bag Seminars are informal, student-centered gatherings where you can discuss compelling topics and connect with peers who share your curiosity. This is a space to explore ideas, ask questions, and learn from one another.
Then save the date for the next two programs in the series:
April 6: Getting involved: RSOs, study abroad, design competitions, and community engagement
April 29: Grad School: Why am I thinking about it, and how can I prepare?
