Interdisciplinary Certificates
Graduate students in the College of Built Environments may supplement their degree with a certificate awarded in these four interdisciplinary programs. Students from outside the college and post-baccalaureate students who are not currently UW students may also participate in the first three certificates; the Urban Design Certificate is limited to students enrolled in CBE graduate and professional degrees. BLA students may participate in the college’s Certificate in Historic Preservation and the Certificate in Urban Design.
Certificates in Historic Preservation
The College of Built Environments offers a Graduate Certificate in Historic Preservation open to any graduate student at the University of Washington; interested post-baccalaureate students who are not currently UW students are also welcome to apply. There is also an in-house certificate open the students in the BLA program. Both programs have the same curriculum, which emphasizes the field of historic preservation and related developments in allied fields that address the multiplicity of issues in the identification, evaluation, and protection of cultural resources. The certificates are intended to enhance the education of students beyond their regular course of study to allow those with allied interests to incorporate preservation knowledge and skills in their future careers, expanding the reach of this discipline which is integral to our cultural knowledge and future cities, suburbs, and rural districts.
Graduate Certificate in Housing Studies
Quality, affordable, and well-connected housing is an essential component of strong and healthy communities. Housing markets are constantly evolving and there is an increasing collaboration among public, private and nonprofit actors in addressing various housing issues. The two-quarter Graduate Certificate in Housing Studies (GCHS) offers graduate students an opportunity to learn the fundamental concepts and tools essential to understanding housing production and consumption at a regional, national and global level.
Graduate Certificate in Real Estate
Real Estate is an interdisciplinary field requiring the collaboration of professionals with different backgrounds spanning from planning, architecture to engineering, business, law, public policy, sciences and health to name a few. The two-quarter Graduate Certificate in Real Estate (GCRE) offers non-real estate UW graduate students an opportunity to learn the fundamental concepts and tools critical in the workings of real estate markets while helping them understand how their own fields of study can be useful in real estate.
Urban Design Certificate
The Urban Design Program provides an opportunity for students in professional and doctoral degrees in the College of Built Environments to specialize in urban design. For students in design degrees this exposes them to larger-scale issues (street, neighborhood, city, region); for students in planning degrees this helps them develop design awareness and design skills. The certificate is designed to fit within degree electives, though may require additional time (one to three quarters) at the University of Washington, especially for students without a sufficient design background.