University of Texas at San Antonio
AC-4: Graduate Program

The M.A. in Geography degree is designed to give graduate students the ability to analyze social processes and the physical environment across a range of cultures and historical periods, using appropriate methodologies and data management techniques. The program is especially designed to give students insights into a variety of regional social, environmental, and economic problems, and to exploit the strong international connections that the geography faculty have established. Faculty will encourage students to become involved in professional geography through pertinent internships, conference presentations, publication, and membership in the Association of American Geographers.

The M.A. in Global Affairs program is designed as a new approach to blend traditional knowledge with new themes. It is a focused and practice-relevant study of issues, conditions, and scenarios associated with globalization and the politics thereof. It aims at comprehensiveness as well as coherence and promotes rigor and flexibility. The curriculum is structured but also grants you choices to shape the program to your own specific interests and needs.

The 48 hour Master of Science in Urban and Regional Planning (M.S. URP) is designed to prepare students for leadership roles and careers in the public and private sectors of planning and designing communities and regions. The program has a strong focus on land use planning; design; policy; and economic, environmental, and cultural issues that shape urban and regional land development patterns in terms of infrastructure, housing, and open space systems. Emphasis is placed on developing research capabilities and graphic skills needed in planning. The degree program’s primary focus is to prepare students to become practitioners in the planning profession. The MSURP is taught with support of the Department of Public Administration in the College of Public Policy.

The purpose of the Graduate Certificate in Environmental Sustainability is a 15-hour certificate designed to meet the needs of prospective students interested in developing knowledge in environmental sustainability. The purpose of this certificate is to provide professionals who already have undergraduate degrees with graduate instruction in environmental sustainability as a means to maintaining and promoting their professional development. Environmental sustainability can be defined as the ability to maintain factors and practices that are valued in the physical environment and that contribute to the quality of the environment on a long-term basis. The certificate program is designed to provide post-baccalaureates with course work in environmental sustainability outside of their undergraduate major. The certificate provides students with a post-baccalaureate educational opportunity that is narrower in scope and shorter in duration than its associated master’s graduate degree program in the Environmental Science Academic Programs.

Historic Preservation is a process of design for continuity and the management of change within an existing historic context. The Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation offers specialized education in historic preservation design, technology, planning and management through graduate-level courses.

The Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation enables graduate students from multiple program areas to receive tangible confirmation of skills and comprehension in historic preservation. A Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation offers students from any discipline the opportunity to take historic preservation classes with rationale and purpose. Certificate holders can gain employment advantages in fields related to archaeology, architecture, business, engineering, geography, historic preservation, history, interior design, landscape architecture, law, museum studies, political science, public policy, social science and urban and regional planning. Many government jobs within federal, state, and local agencies specifically require or desire graduate-level training in historic preservation. All states, many counties, and most large cities have nonprofit organizations and societies devoted to historic preservation. Within the construction industry there is currently a huge trend upwards in adaptive use of existing buildings, especially within previously abandoned downtown areas. There is widespread demand for professionals with specialized training in historic preservation. Interested individuals should contact the Historic Preservation Certificate Program Coordinator within the College of Architecture, Construction and Planning.

The negative impacts of human activities on the environment are a major challenge threatening the survival of humans and other species, and the built environment are a key contributor to environmental impacts. A 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.

The Certificate in High-Performance Design and Sustainability enables students the opportunity to gain understanding 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 skills and knowledge complimentary to the pursuit of a professional career in the design and analysis of high-performance buildings and sustainability. The program is located within the Department of Architecture, 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.

Geography and Environmental Sustainability (GES) https://catalog.utsa.edu/undergraduate/coursedescriptions/ges/
Minor in Environmental Science https://catalog.utsa.edu/undergraduate/sciences/integrativebiology/#minorstext